What are we doing in this world, and what happens when life is over? These questions—meaning, and death—are the most important questions we can ask. Yet many people are too busy or distracted or overwhelmed to search for answers.
If you are curious about these ultimate questions, here are three reasons to consider Christianity.
1. The idea of God makes sense
The world we live in doesn’t seem self-explanatory. In the 20th century, scientists even discovered that, amazingly, it seems to have begun. Furthermore, the initial conditions, laws, and constants of the universe seem to be precisely adjusted such that life can come about. These features of the universe—its non-necessity and fine-tuning—make the old idea of a Creator sound not so crazy. A contingent, calibrated world seems like the kind of thing that would be constructed or designed. Just like a piece of art or a novel has an author, so the natural world seems to suggest some kind of Supernatural, antecedent cause. This is kind of exciting, when you think about it.
If there is something out there that put the world here, this could explain some other mysteries as well—for example, the rise of consciousness. It would enable you to say that mind didn’t somehow spring up from matter; rather, mind is original: mind produced matter.
The possibility of some kind of God or Creator could potentially shed a lot of light on our humanity as well. For example, it provides a possible basis for trusting our deep intuition that goodness and love have transcendent, lasting value. It also allows a less elitist view of human history. If you’re an atheist, you have to think that people were basically wrong on the most important question until the modern West.
“If you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the whole world is simply one huge mistake. If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all these religions, even the queerest ones, contain at least some hint of the truth. When I was an atheist I had to try to persuade myself that most of the human race have always been wrong about the question that mattered to them most; when I became a Christian I was able to take a more liberal view.” C.S. Lewis
But if there is a God, you can be more open to spiritual experiences and perceptions.
But which spiritual experiences and perceptions? There are a lot of different religions out there. They can’t all be true because they contradict each other. And we shouldn’t just pull out the bits of various religions that we like, because then we are creating our own religion.
That leads to a second consideration:
2. Jesus is compelling
At the start of humanity’s largest and most diverse religion, Christianity, stands a unique phenomenon in world history: Jesus of Nazareth. Lots of religious leaders have made claims about the pathway to God and salvation. But Jesus claimed to be God and salvation.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
These claims of divine identity and divine authority can be found in the earliest gospel narratives that nearly all critical scholars acknowledge go back to the historical Jesus.
Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Mark 2:6-7, 10
If these claims were false, then Jesus was either deceived himself or deceiving others. It seems strange that either delusion or malice is what sparked this huge religion.
Plus, his disciples came to the conviction that he rose from the dead, and they proclaimed this message often at the cost of their lives. If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, they also were either deceived or deceivers—both of which possibilities are problematic.
“The apostles were either deceived or deceivers. Either supposition has difficulties; for it is not possible to mistake a man raised from the dead.” Blaise Pascal
It’s actually difficult to explain what it was that launched this huge religion what sparked this huge religion which has founded so many universities and hospitals, and done so much which has done so much good in history.
One reasonable possibility is that it’s simply. Jesus was God. He did rise from the dead. He was the telling the truth. So were the apostles.
But if these arguments leave you with uncertainty, that is fine. There is a third consideration:
3. Prayer works
You don’t have to be smart enough to figure out all these questions.
Christianity claims that God is not just working in big and general ways, like creation and history, but also in personal and intimate ways.
He is not far from each of us.
“He is actually not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:27
And he is responsive to faith, and rewarding those who seek him.
“Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Jesus himself made a promise that those who seek God shall find him.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
So you don’t need 100% certainty. You just need enough faith to come sincerely before God in prayer. And say, “Jesus, if you are real, teach me how to know you.”
It’s worth putting everything you are into that prayer because if Christianity is true, it not only provides an answer to the ultimate questions of meaning and death: it provides the happiest imaginable answer.
It means there is an infinite who God loves you—so much he was willing to die on a cross to forgive you. And it means that beyond this world, there is a place of everlasting joy. Think of the happiest moment of your life—what if that was just a foretaste. What if you could have a perfect happiness in God that would go on expanding forever? That is what is at stake with Jesus.
And best of all, to become a Christian, you don’t need to earn God’s attention or favor. All you need to do is surrender your life to Jesus and believe.
Why not do so right now?
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