I recently came across this video that is about how people think about abortion, and how they can change their mind about it when they are helped to think about it in new and reasonable ways. It is a powerful presentation of how to talk to people about this difficult subject in convincing ways.

It is rather long (33 minutes), but well worth the time to go through the whole thing. Especially when you consider it as an example of how to witness to people about the person of Jesus, and how everyone should submit to Him in faith. Watch it carefully as an example of how to do evangelism.

This video provides some examples of how to reasonably speak to people about the truth claims of the Bible – in a way that gets them to agree with your assumptions about the world, ethics and the need for God. Talking about ethics is a most effective method of beginning an evangelistic conversation. It often seems difficult to know how to get people to come to grips with their need for salvation from their sinfulness. But if you can get them to agree on some basic ethical principles, it leads to the subject of the ultimate source of ethical standards – God and His word.

““Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, NKJV)

“Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.” (Acts 17:2–5, NKJV)

“Therefore he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:17, NKJV)

“And he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”” (Acts 18:4–6, NKJV)

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV)

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5, NKJV)

I recently received a link to this very well reasoned response to Stephen Hawkings newest book, The Grand Design. I had not previously heard of John Lennox, but his logical and philosophical response I believe is so well reasoned that it is worth posting, especially as a follow up to my earlier post on Stephen Hawking. Between the two videos below, it is rather long (about 26 minutes) – but I think it is a fascinating response and worth the time.

Creation of Adam

Ostensible [Neo-Evangelical] Conservatives Temper Longman & Peter Enns both have a difficult time with the biblical record of creation  – and while wanting to be faithful to the Bible (we should seldom try to read motives into other peoples’ statements – but I do so with a judgment of charity) they are in effect more faithful to the world’s conception of reality than Paul or Luke or Jude.

Open questions about whether the Bible actually means to teach that Adam was a literal father to all mankind (a highly “literalistic way of reading Genesis ,” oh, my – not that!), or whether there is possibly an evolutionary process, and the word Adam just stands for “mankind” in general? Hmmmmmmm. What else could be an open question?

Does God Talk to Us Through Fiction? Unpacking a Non-Literal Interpretation of the Bible

If there is real reason to doubt that God created a literal Adam from whom all mankind descended isn’t there also reason to doubt the Bible’s claims about the second Adam – Jesus the Christ, the God- man? Perennially, this has been the crux of the matter. Is Jesus who He claims to be? Is Jesus who the Apostles and the NT claims Him to be? If not, we remain in our sins for He could never be the biblical sacrifice for our sins, nor could He forgive sins. If Jesus is not God in human flesh – we have no hope in this world or in eternity. But if He is the God-man He is the Lord of all as the Creator-God, and the Lord and sustainer of all things. As J. Gresham Machen said in “On the Deity of Christ”:

But now is Christ our Saviour, the one who says, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” revealed as very God. And we believe. Such a faith is a mystery to us who possess it; it seems folly to those who have it not. But if possessed it delivers us forever from fear. The world to us is all unknown; it is engulfed in an ocean of infinity. But it contains no mysteries to our Saviour. He is on the throne. He pervades the remotest bounds. He inhabits infinity. With such a Saviour we are safe.

Baalism says the Sun married the Mud and the world came up. Egypt said so to. So does modern “science.” The difference is that what were personal forces back then are now impersonal forces. And that ain’t a dime’s worth of difference.

Although I have never personally encountered it, Open Theism is something that has been growing over the last several years. Some of the college students at church have been taught it at their “Christian” universities.

Books, articles and blog posts have been written to address the errors of Open Theism – A couple of which I can highly recommend:   No Other God: No Other God: A Response to Open Theism

No Other God: A Response to Open Theism by John M. Frame

Bound Only Once: The Failure of Open Theism (Paperback) by Douglas Wilson

Doug Hayes’ goodreads reviews >

Here is an three part audio series that I received from Uri Brito, Pastor of Providence Church, who is also one of the hosts of Trinity Talk, a live internet radio show on BlogTalkRadio. In the two part series below Joel Garver gives his interesting perspective on Open Theism.

Answering Open Theism, Part 1

Answering Open Theism, Part 2

Answering Open Theism, Part 3

The issue of Open Theism is one of those pesky problems in the church that first requires grounding the family of God firmly in a deeply Biblical, Confessional and orthodox understanding of who God is – so that they can readily see and reject it. When I first read about Open Theism I was astonished to hear that Evangelicals would be in any way tempted to believe such claims. It is an indication to how ignorant many of the Children of God are about God and His Word.

On May 14th I made a post about the coming of the documentary movie about the Doug Wilson and Christopher Hitchens debate about atheism.  Here is an interview of Doug Wilson by John Piper that wonderfully summarizes Doug’s goals, desires and thoughts about the movie “Collision.”

I received notice of this interview from American Vision