Brilliant Answers

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By Chip LamcaChapter 8: Intellectual Obstacles to Wisdom

Introduction In the previous chapter, the obstacles of absolute truth and moral absolutes were addressed. An

examined life includes the reason and experience; both bearing testimony that there are some things we

can know for sure. In the area of morals, certainly, there are personal moral decisions. Cultural morals

exist in the sense that what may be considered right in one society could be considered unacceptable in

another. However, there are also universal truths and that standard of truth begs for a standard maker.

In this chapter, the focus shifts to the intellectual obstacles of Jesus as the only way to salvation, faith

and what it is and is not, and the ever-troubling problem of doubt as a Christian.

There are a number of reasons that a person might not adopt a Christian worldview. The Christian

worldview puts God at the center of life, and culture seemingly wants to push him to the periphery. For

some, the reticence to prioritize God is emotional, or cultural, while for others, the obstacle is

intellectual. Wisdom, in the context of this book, is the art of living successfully, and putting God at the

center of one’s worldview will lead to successful living. This chapter is entitled “Intellectual Obstacles to

Wisdom,” but let it be clear that these are not insurmountable obstacles. Generations of learned and

reasonable men and women have considered the claims of the Christian worldview and found them to be

more than satisfactory.

The Christian assertion that Jesus is the one true way to salvation is the first obstacle addressed in this

chapter. The second obstacle examined here is the idea of faith and what might be a misconception of

what faith is or is not. The third obstacle is doubt, which is related to faith. How does one overcome

doubt or, perhaps more pointedly, can someone claiming to have faith, also have doubts about certain

teachings of the Christian worldview?

The One Way to Salvation For those who come from a Western mindset and even a culturally Christian worldview—that is to say, a

worldview that has been heavily influenced by the Christian worldview—there can be a struggle when

approaching the idea that Jesus Christ might be the one way to salvation. There exists a sensitivity, or an

anxiety in the concept that Jesus or any religion, system, or person, for that matter, could be the only

way. If Jesus is the only way, it follows that no other person or system can be the way. In a post-9/11

context, the desire of many is to find a way to coexist, get along, and live at peace with others, and the

claim for any one person, religion, or system seems to fly in the face of those ideals.

When this text has spoken of salvation, the emphasis has not been on destination, but location. In other

words, it is not about how one gets to heaven, but how one can receive forgiveness, fellowship, and

restoration with the Holy Triune God from whom humanity has been estranged since the fall of Adam.

Certainly, this volume affirms the destination of heaven and eternal life; however, it also holds that

eternal life begins here on earth as individuals give their lives to Christ and are forgiven of their sins.

Some have made the case that Christianity not just proclaims Jesus as the only way to salvation, but it is

the only faith that is offering salvation (Migliore, 2004). Hinduism offers liberation from the death and

life cycle; Islam, the hope of obtaining the mercy of Allah through submission to his will; whereas

Buddhism’s goal is the emptying of self. Christianity, among the major religions, is unique in suggesting

that one can be brought back into right relationship with the God of the universe (Migliore, 2004, p.

318).

Religious Pluralism Religious pluralism is the concept that there are many ways to God, that one’s own religion probably is

not the whole story, and that other religions add to the full understanding. Religious pluralism will also

hold that differing religions, when considered carefully, are not really all that different. It is based on a

belief that two or more opposing beliefs can be compatible at the same time in the same way. According

to this view, ultimately, all religions say the same things or at least offer a piece of reality.

Pluralism is expressed contemporarily more as a strategy toward interreligious peace than as a

statement of belief about a particular religion. It is based upon a desire for harmony, absence of conflict,

and an underlying, and historically unsustainable, belief that all or most wars are the outgrowth of

religious disagreement. Christianity and the Bible are certainly for peace; however, it is a distortion of

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the Christian message to think that peace is of greater importance than truth. Throughout the Old

Testament, for example, there was a repeatedly failed practice of bringing in other gods and other beliefs

so that people and governments would be appeased, and time and again, the strategy failed.

Christian Exclusivism Christian exclusivism is the concept that there is only one way to God or to pleasing God. This is

sometimes referred to as a restrictivist, or essentialist, view. It should be noted that the religious

exclusivist phrase was coined in derision to the belief that there is only one way to salvation. It would be

too general a statement to say that all religions are exclusivist, but it would be fair to say that most

religions are going to believe themselves right, or they would simply not exist. Christianity, historically

and overwhelmingly, has held this view. Christians, during the time of the Roman Empire, for example,

were accused of being atheists because they believed in one Triune God, but did not believe in Caesar as

a god. They held an exclusivist view, even if this view would lead to their persecution or death.

A Christian exclusivist view continues to be the norm as some two billion of the world’s seven billion

people identify themselves as Christians (Pew-Templeton, n.d.). These people identify themselves as

Christians, and in so doing, identify themselves as not something else. They judge themselves to be

followers or adherents of Jesus of Nazareth. Like the followers of Christ nearly 2,000 years ago, many

present day Christians face death for believing that God demands their exclusive devotion.

Christian Inclusivism Inclusivism is also considered a Christian viewpoint, but it is plagued by some serious problems.

Christian inclusivism contends that while pluralism is to be rejected, so too should exclusivism.

Inclusivism posits that one could be saved by grace while never knowing that Jesus is the means of grace

through his sacrifice for sins, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. Despite what would appear to be an

overlooking of scriptural passages that would indicate exclusivism, inclusivism can be very appealing to

Christians because it seemingly meets a need to remain true to the gospel message while giving answers

to the difficult questions about those who have never heard the gospel (Morgan & Peterson, 2008).

Christian inclusivism, however, falls short of being a satisfactory answer when faced with the biblical

record that says that salvation requires calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10 English Standard

Version).

A Look at the Scriptures The heart of what a person should believe about God is neither the political climate of the day, nor the

designs of philosophy, but is rooted in what God has revealed in Scripture. With that in mind, what are

the key areas of Scripture that have helped to form the idea that Jesus is the only way? Most often, an

exclusivist position will be drawn from John 14, Acts 4, and Acts 17. Although this is far from an

exhaustive list, these passages do provide solid ground on which to explore for the purposes of this brief

treatment.

The Way, the Truth, the Life

In the Gospel of John, Jesus was comforting his followers. He discussed the afterlife and gave a

description of what it would be like to live with God. In the midst of this, one of his disciples confessed

that he neither knew where Jesus was going, nor how to get there. In response to that, Jesus said to him:

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you

had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have

seen him (John 14:6-7).

"I do not believe in religion, I believe in relationship," is a popular refrain, especially among

Christians. The trappings of a religion or the missteps of leaders distract many, and it can be

refreshing to find distance from the problems of fellow believers. Jesus said in John 14:6 that he

was the “way, and the truth, and the life,” and did not mention any church group in the statement

That said, the response of putting down religion likely will result in shutting down rather than

prompting discussion. Consider that, while you may be relying on that relationship with Christ, you

want to be able to introduce him to others and that might mean recognizing that not everyone will

be familiar with your terminology. Further, keep in mind that the relationship with God is

elemental, but the relationship with other believers is important, as well. Remember, the Bible is

not antireligious. Paul said that true religion is the care of orphans and widows (James 1:26-27).

Yes, it is born out of the relationship one has with Christ, but, nonetheless, it is religion.

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Had he only stopped with the first phrase, the door might have been open for broader interpretation.

One might then have concluded that Jesus is the way, but he never said that he was the only way,

however, in the next sentence, he declared that there is no coming to God, the Father, except through

himself, the Son. “John 14:6 is one of those verses that are difficult not because we do not understand

them but because we understand them all too well” (Kaiser et al., 1996, p. 500). In other words, it is not

difficult to understand what it means, but it seems controversial to a society that wants to include

everyone. The disposition of this text is that the Bible is God-breathed. It is authoritative and as such,

must be taken seriously. One attempts to understand it because a follower of Christ will need to follow

his direction, even if it is uncomfortable at times.

No Other Name

Another significant passage is found in Acts 4. In this chapter, Peter and John are on trial before the

Sanhedrin, a religious court, and, in the first question of the trial, Peter and John were asked by whose

authority were they speaking, teaching, and healing. Peter responded by saying that they were under the

authority of Jesus and that, "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven

given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Once again, there is little room given for other

teachers. Peter was speaking to a Jewish court and might have talked about being children of Abraham

or followers of Moses, but he pointed to the authority of Jesus as the only one by whom men and women

might find salvation.

Jesus Christ’s unique ability to save has been likened to that of a firefighter's ability to rescue victims

from a fire (Kaiser, 1996). Christ, like the firefighter, has the unique capabilities to rescue from disaster.

Those who are being rescued from the fire may not like the idea that they are helpless to save

themselves. Similarly, victims in the fire may not like being unable to choose who will bring them to

safety as well as being unable to choose how they will be brought to safety. Still, Christ, in one's spiritual

disaster, is like the firefighter, who is uniquely available, willing, and capable to free a person from his or

her demise (Kaiser, 1996).

Struggling with God’s Purpose

A common concern that is expressed regarding Jesus as the only way to salvation is the question about

those who have never heard the gospel. In what might look like an inclusivist position, 1 Timothy 2:4

states that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." But the very

next sentence in this chapter is a claim to exclusivity: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator

between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony

given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). God’s desire is expressed in that he “wants all people to be

saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

If a person were to stop reading at this point, they might wrongly conclude that Paul was illogically

proposing that salvation is both inclusive and exclusive in the same sense. In fact, God desires to include

all, but he desires to include them exclusively through Christ. As one reads on, Paul indicates that the

means of sharing the gospel for the purpose of salvation is one appointed to humans: “and for this I was

appointed a preacher and an apostle …” (1 Timothy 2:7a). This would seem to eliminate an inclusivist

position and provides insight into the missionary question of what happens with those who have not

heard the news that Christ has come to save them.

Christians historically and overwhelmingly believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that

has led to a remarkable effort to reach those who have never heard the message of salvation. For

hundreds of years, the churches of Europe and North America have sent missionaries to minister both at

home and in foreign lands. Today, the churches of the developing world have joined in and Latin

Americans, Africans, and Asians are going and sharing the message of salvation. God’s primary means of

sharing this message of reconciliation continues to be those who are his followers (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Ever bothered by the seeming lack of love, even in church? In fact, it bothers Christians, as well. In

a 2013 survey, only 53% of church goers responded, “I intentionally try to get to know new people I

meet at church” (Research: Church Relationships are Missing Something, 2013).

In 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul says that he might have faith that is capable of moving

mountains or the generosity that involves giving away his earthly goods, but without love, these

qualities do not bring him any blessing. Along with that, however, the early church leader James

was adamant that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). James talks in

that same section about caring for those who are without proper clothing or hungry and makes it

clear that it is not enough to simply say a blessing over them (James 2:18-26). Loving faith

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Faith The vast majority of the world’s population identifies themselves as having a faith of one sort or another.

Only in recent times have any significant numbers of people begun to view life from a worldview that is

devoid of any kind of deity. Yet, faith is often misunderstood as blind, simplistic, or an escape from

reality. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, attitudes about faith have swung from being

generally positive, or at least unobjectionable, to concerns that people of faith should be viewed with

suspicion.

The Textures of Faith It could be tempting to take Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the

conviction of things not seen,” as a definition of faith. What the passage does is frame and introduce a

gallery of people who lived by faith and who saw their faith rewarded by God. The exploits of the persons

portrayed would have been familiar to the original readers of the first century when the book was

written. Those named in Hebrews 11 range from Abraham, a spiritual giant for Judaism, Christianity, and

Islam, to Rahab the prostitute, a woman known for her role in helping to hide the spies sent to assess the

strength of Jericho. Faith is multifaceted and vibrant and that is evidenced in this chapter of Scripture.

Faith, at its essence, is a transfer of trust from one entity to some other entity. One might move their

trust from church to science, for example, or from an idea of a god-force to the God seen in the Bible.

Most often in the churches of the United States, one sees faith move from a dependence on one’s self to

dependence on God—from selfishness to selflessness.

Steadfastness

More than two billion people around the world profess to have faith in God through Jesus Christ.

International Christian Concern (n.d), however, estimates that almost a tenth of all Christians are under

persecution. Sadly, the words of a refugee Syrian Christian could be repeated in many other parts of the

world, “Where we live, 10 churches have been burned down. They started to threaten Christians in the

town we live. When the local priest was executed, we decided to leave" (International Christian Concern,

2013). For the majority of the world, Christian faith has come at little personal cost. Generally,

Christianity is respected and people are free to worship and to practice their faith, with virtually

unlimited access to the Scriptures and biblical studies.

It is natural then, that it is difficult to identify fully with the original audience of the book of Hebrews. In

the chapter that precedes the aforementioned and often-quoted single verse in Hebrews 11, nearly an

entire chapter is devoted to the steadfastness of faith. The writer addressed people who had been

ridiculed, people who had been imprisoned, and people who had their property confiscated (Hebrews

10:33-34). To these people, the author of Hebrews offered encouragement to live by faith and to

continue proclaiming their hope in God.

Clearly, there are people who do a lot of bad things in the name of religion, but there are many

more who do good because they are people of faith. When disasters strike, churches organize

relief efforts. In any state in the U.S., one will find that churches or denominations often founded

the hospitals and universities. The number of churches that quietly house groups like Alcoholics

Anonymous, halfway houses for released inmates, shelters for abused women and children, and so

on, is incalculable. In the developing world, it is often missionaries and other church-sponsored

workers who are the first on the scene when disaster strikes, and local Christian believers come to

the forefront to be a help of their neighbors. Common activities and programs, from drilling wells

to community gardens, come from a desire to see humanity flourish and live well because humans

A common and legitimate complaint is that there are religious people who are hypocrites. Well, of

course there are! A quick count in the book of Matthew will identify 13 times when Jesus talks

about or talks to people identified as hypocrites. It should not surprise one, then, to find hypocrites

among religious people today. It has been said that a church is rightly a hospital for the healing of

sinners and not a museum for the viewing of saints. Individuals looking for perfect people should

stay away from churches; however, individuals wanting to find people who have been through just

about anything and are learning to survive it, may find that their healing and flourishing will take

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For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive

what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my

righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are

not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their

souls (Hebrews 10:36-39).

There is a beauty in these verses that echoes through the centuries. On the one hand, they are being

encouraged that deliverance is on the way, and the author was fighting the same battles. On the other

hand, there is a tough challenge here, as well, reminding the reader that eternity is on the line. In

Hebrews 11, there are numerous examples given showing that God can be trusted to keep his promises.

The recipients of Hebrews, originally written as a letter, were not the first who had suffered, and they

could have the hope that God, who has brought his followers through impossible situations in the past,

could do the same for them.

Evidence or Evidences?

The Bible starts with the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Although there are great arguments for the existence of God, Moses, the author of Genesis, does not

appear nearly as concerned about explaining God’s existence as those who are trying to make sense of

God centuries later. The Bible's beginning presupposed God, simply stating what he did and not trying to

convince the reader, and the rest of the Bible continues in a similar way. In today's modern and moving to

post-modern age, people desire evidence along the lines of the television show, CSI.

What Christians have, though, are evidences rather than CSI-type evidence, which include things such as:

Portions of the Bible that date to within 30 years of the lives of the Apostles

More portions of Scripture than any other ancient work

Archeological ruins that correlate to descriptions in the Bible

References from the writings of other cultures that verify the existence of people like King David

Affirmations by people such as the historian Josephus of the historic existence of Jesus

These evidences are certainly not ironclad CSI-type exhibits that cause one to cry out that he or she believes, but a reasonable person should be willing to at least consider the evidences and conclude that

they are pointing in a direction, perhaps.

Reason

From the very beginning of this text, it has been pointed out that faith is at the basis of all worldviews.

While this is most evident in religion, it is clearly part of the other sciences, as well. In the field of

biology, there is an underlying faith assumption that systems will work in a predictable way. Engineers

design bridges with the faith that a particular set of calculations will always be true given atmospheric

variables and that the tensile strength of the steel used in the project will tolerate the loads. A

worldview, even if secular, is based upon faith in what has been observed.

Students often begin a Christian worldview class with the mistaken idea that they are going to be forced

to become Christians or receive a low grade if they do not parrot Christian ideas. Some students, upon

starting this text, may have expected a constant refrain of, “because the Bible says so; that’s why” as a

response to any number of questions. While it would be safe to say that the contributors to this text

believe the Bible is God’s Word, thinking that the big questions about life have not been put together

with the use of God’s Word and reason would be naive.

The ideas presented in this and other chapters are not original nor are they new. They have been

hammered out, debated, and borrowed. If something is true, it is true, and a Christian should be glad to

work through elements that are difficult. C.S. Lewis said, “Now Faith, in the sense in which I am here

using the word, is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing

moods” (Lewis, 1952, p. 140). A Christian worldview relishes reason and reasoned conversation. That

does not mean that some Christians will not feel inadequate to the task of working out some of the big

questions of life, but there is reason behind the fundamentals of Christian belief.

The Object of Faith

From the Christian worldview, faith is based upon God’s nature and past activity. That is to say, faith is

based less on the practitioner of faith and more upon the object of faith. Hebrews 11 presents faith as

something more concrete than what the popular concept allows, and it points to people who have lived

by faith as an example of faith realized. The first verse calls faith, both the “assurance of things hoped

for,” and, “the conviction of things not seen.” So from where does this assurance and confidence come?

There are 17 times in the Bible in which God is described as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why

would he be identified as such? It identifies God for what he has done. Just as people might present

themselves by where they have worked and what they have done, God is identified as the God of three

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important people to whom mankind can relate. Abraham was a convert from polytheism who trusted

God. Isaac was Abraham’s son and a person of faith who was himself the result of God’s faithfulness.

Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, son of Isaac, and serves as an example of how even bad character

can be transformed by God’s supernatural activity. God continues to work in the lives of people. A

common refrain from Christians is that they know God is real because of what he has done in their lives.

Reformer John Calvin describes the Bible as a self-authenticating book because as one steadfastly,

consistently attempts to live it out and to follow what God has presented over time, it changes one’s life

(Calvin, 1599/1845). Faith is anything but blind. History has seen God at work, and believers have seen

him at work in their lives.

Doubt People who study the Christian worldview are a diverse lot. Some begin the study as firm believers in

God, while others are culturally aware of the Christian faith and willingly call themselves Christians.

Others, who begin to investigate the Christian faith, have never seriously considered Christianity or,

perhaps, are opposed for some reason. Regardless of the starting point, it is clear that there will be

varying responses to the message.

Along the way, as faith is moved from a self-focused worldview to a God-focused worldview, there will

be questions. Perhaps it is over a six-day creation, a worldwide flood, or a Jesus being raised from the

dead. Whatever the place of difficulty, it seems that a God who has done the things he has claimed would

be up to an honest challenge.

Luke 1 presents two accounts of people who seemingly make statements of doubt, to whom God

responds in very different ways. First, when John the Baptist’s birth is foretold, his father Zechariah,

who in Luke 1:6 is called a “righteous” man, responds that because of the advanced age of he and his

wife, he could not be sure that the angel was correct. He was struck mute until eight days after his son’s

birth. The second case is with Mary when the birth of Jesus is foretold. She asked, “How will this be …

since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34) but there was no punishment. God was not being inconsistent. Both

made statements that could be understood as doubt, but Zechariah’s response reveals that he did not

believe, while Mary was asking in wonderment. Unlike Zechariah, who did not really believe John was

going to be born, Mary did not question whether God could do what he claimed he was going to do. She

merely asked how God would do it. One further recognizes that even in Zechariah’s case, his temporary

muteness led to even further glory being given to God (Luke 1:67-79).

A helpful way of thinking about doubt is that it allows individuals to find one or two things they can

really trust—not as an endpoint, but as a launching pad, which allows a thinking person with the desire to

embrace belief in a rational God to move from unbelief to belief. When Paul spoke to the most learned

people of the ancient world in Athens, the conclusion was mixed (Acts 16:22-34). He had laid out a case

for God, and it dealt with some of the great philosophical questions of the day, confronting the different

schools of thought. In the end, some mocked him, others believed, and still others committed to hearing

him again and keeping an open mind. People in the third group, perhaps, should not think of themselves

as not believing, but not believing yet.

Conclusion Clearly, the subjects discussed in the chapter are obstacles to many. The first obstacle covered dealt with

the question of Jesus being the only way to salvation and is embedded in the truthfulness of the

statement, and not in the concern that it is impolite to say that Jesus is the only way. The second

obstacle regarding faith, is best understood when approached from the biblical viewpoint of assurance

A very real and heartfelt critique of faith in general, and of the Christian faith in particular, is that

one way to test the legitimacy of a particular belief is to look at the lifestyle of the believers. It

does not take much searching on the Internet to come up with people who claim to be Christian

believers who have failed through greed, lust, or other less media-drawing ways. God does not

allow for a dichotomy between faith and action, and the word Jesus used for it was hypocrisy.

While these behaviors among Christians are detrimental to the faith of those around them (1

Corinthians 8:9-10) and could give pause for unbelievers, they should be seen in the context that

God is the object of faith and not the follower or would be follower.

An observer would be wise to remember that when a person claims to be a follower of Jesus but

has nothing to show for it, it does not mean that to object of faith is wrong. Rather, it is an

indication that the supposedly religious person is either a hypocrite, or not yet mature in what they

claim to believe. The actions of believers, ultimately, do not negate the object of faith.

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and substance (Hebrews 11:1), rather than a blind hope or wishful thinking. Faith, properly understood,

is based upon the work of God through centuries. The third point was that doubt is a part of the

Christian’s life, but it is not the end of a relationship with God, rather, it is an opportunity to continue to

investigate and seek the truth.

In the next chapter, the problem of suffering will be examined and it is an area of great difficulty at the

emotional level, as much as the intellectual. These are obstacles, certainly, but no reader of this text is

the first to ever seek to overcome them. Many have and will struggle with these concepts, but as the

writer of Hebrews 12:1 and 2 says, no one runs the race alone.

Chapter Review

Main Ideas There is a strong biblical claim that Jesus is the only way of salvation.

Among the religions of the world, Christianity alone offers reconciliation between God and

mankind.

Faith, while it can be as simple and pure as that of a child, is rich and vibrant.

Faith is the transfer of trust from one person or object to another.

Faith carries with it an element of steadfastness or endurance.

Evidences for faith are many and varied, but are not to be confused with proof of God’s existence

or the veracity of the Bible; ultimately, trust is needed.

Reason is an essential element of faith, as in a Christian worldview, God is approached with all of

the tools available.

It is not the fervor of faith, nor the passion of faith, but the object of faith that is most significant.

Doubt is a common factor for both those who are outside of Christianity and those who call

themselves believers.

Doubt should never be considered the end of an encounter of faith, but rather, as the launching

pad.

Key Terms Christian Exclusivism: The historical concept that Jesus is the only way.

Christian Inclusivism: The view that holds that one can be saved by Jesus Christ while perhaps

never knowing that it was he who saved him or her.

Hypocrisy: In terms of the Christian worldview, a dichotomy between one's faith and one's actions.

Religious Pluralism: A view that holds that all religions hold a piece of the puzzle.

Application of Knowledge Students looking for the smoking gun that proves once and for all that God is real, the Bible is true,

and heaven is waiting will be disappointed in this chapter. This chapter deals with obstacles to

wisdom—the art of living successfully—as very normal concerns in the course of one’s life. To

illustrate, imagine that a person is on a journey. Obstacles would not deter most people who have a

real interest in arriving at a particular destination. A tree that has fallen across the path, for

example, may be formidable. It may cause a few scrapes, and might require some creative ways to

get around or go over. It would not likely cause a serious person to turn around and abandon the

journey. It is the same with the obstacles in this chapter; there may be concerns about the

exclusive claims of Jesus, the nature of faith, or questions of doubt, but in the end, there are

answers for those who do not easily turn back.

Faith, while it can be as simple and pure as that of a child, is rich and vibrant. It is the transfer of

trust from one person or object to another. Today, it is more often than not a transfer of trust in

oneself to God. Faith carries with it an element of steadfastness or endurance. This has been seen

throughout the history of the church, including to the present day, as people in various parts of the

world are faced with persecution. Evidences for faith are many and varied, but are not to be

confused with proof of God’s existence or the veracity of the Bible; ultimately, trust is needed.

Doubt is a common factor for both those who are outside of Christianity and those who call

themselves believers. Doubt could be unbelief, as in the case of Zechariah, or it could be a case that

the person, like Mary, is in awe of how some amazing thing could come to pass. Doubt should never

be considered the end of an encounter of faith, but as the launching pad.

Questions for Re!ection 1. How can a person believe in Jesus as the only way to salvation and still be tolerant of other

worldviews?

2. Is faith real even if I am not emotional about my faith?

3. Can a person have doubts about the Christian worldview and still be a Christian?

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Resources for Further Reading Challies, T. (2011). Jesus Christ the only way and our only hope. In K. De Young (Ed.), Don't Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day (p. 129). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. Cosgrove, M. P. (2007). Foundations of Christian thought. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic. Kaiser, W. C., Davids, P. H., Bruce, F. F., & Brauch, M. T. (1996). Hard sayings of the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Migliore, D. L. (2004). Faith seeking understanding: An introduction to Christianity (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Morgan, C. (2008). Inclusivisms and exclusivisms. In C. W. Morgan, & R. A. Peterson (Eds.), Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism (p. 184). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Sproul, R. (2010). What is faith? Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Pub.

References Calvin, J. (1845). Scripture must be confirmed by the witness of the Spirit. Thus may its authority be

established as certain; and it is a wicked falsehood that its credibility depends on the judgment of

the church. In H. Beverage (Trans.) Institutes of the Christian Religion (Vol. 1). Retrieved from http://www.reformed.org/master/index.html?mainframe=/books/institutes/. (Original work

published 1599).

International Christian Concern. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.persecution.org/awareness/

Kaiser, W. C., Davids, P. H., Bruce, F. F., & Brauch, M. T. (1996). Hard sayings of the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press.

Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere Christianity (p. 140). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Migliore, D. L. (2004). Faith seeking understanding: An introduction to Christianity (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Morgan, C. W. & Peterson, R. A. (2008). Faith comes by hearing. Downers Grove, IL: InterVaristy Press, USA.

Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2014, from

http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/religions/christian

Persecution of Christians: No room at the inn: Editorial [Editorial] (2013). The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/23/persecution-christians-religion-editorial

Research: Church Relationships are Missing Something. (2013, April 25). Retrieved from

http://www.lifewayresearch.com/2013/04/25/research-church-relationships-are-missing-

something/