Last week I had an evangelism encounter with a young man. I can’t remember how the conversation started, but somewhere in our discussion I asked him if he believed in God. He said, “No.” I then asked, “Why not?” His response was, “I only believe in things I can see.” Hm. Interesting objection.
Have you ever had an evangelism encounter when someone has said something like this to you? When tough objections like this come up, how should we respond? I think it’s always helpful to see how consistent the person lives out the objection they make. In other words, does the person really believe what they’re saying? Or is their objection simply a smoke screen for their rejection of God?
To test the consistency of this young man’s belief, I asked, “Well, do you believe in gravity?” I asked this question because gravity is not something we can see. You can’t touch it, hold it, or fill a can with it, and yet only a crazy person would deny that gravity is real. The guy didn’t really have a response to my question, other than answering, “Yes.” The gentleman’s rejection of God was not valid because he himself believed in gravity—which he can’t see.
We need to help non-Christians see their inconsistencies. That’s an essential tactic for effective evangelism. Help them see that the only way to live a consistent life is by believing in God’s truth. Next time someone tells you they don’t believe in God because they can’t see Him, ask them what they think about gravity.
Pastor Chance
