But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ...
Now suppose I am a skeptic, and ask you why you believe in Christ, what will your answer be?
I am posting this thread because I am not sure about what to answer.
Believing IN someone includes believing what he says.
I believe what Jesus said.
Why I believe it?
It really is based on authority of Christ.
If that be some guy on a street corner who has some interesting ideas, I would ask him "How do you know?"
Christ established his teachings upon his authority, since his teachings cannot be "double-checked", such as the after-life.
His authority was manifested in miracles of tremendous proportions and quality.
That points to the Supernatural.
Somehow, generations and generations of societies accepted it.
They even changed the calendar with BC and AD.
Authority of Christ is tremendous.
Then, once I accepted his authority (and that happened seemlessly over time), I began "listening" while reading the Bible.
YET, when I started reading the Bible I did not know that Jesus that was mentioned there was indeed Jesus Christ.
(I came from a Communist background).
Yet these words somehow influenced me. Somehow I saw a deep truth in them. THEN I saw that it was Christ who spoke them. (The binder of the Bible stated "The words of Christ in red letters").
That was a "one-two" punch.
Listening to someone who you know is important, brings faith into that someone.
But listening to someone who you know is important in spiritual (Supernatural) matters, brings spiritual faith.
Such a faith somehow penetrates one's heart.
Is Jesus important?
He was important enough to influence the world.
Did miracles occur?
According to his enemies (the Pharisees of the times) they did, as recorded in Talmud.
Did Jesus come from God?
He said so. And there is no reason to think that it was not so.
Miracles, his own testimony about himself, inflence on the world, subjective testimony of millions of Christians, proclaim that Christ is important in a Supernatural sense.
That should lay a foundation in listening to his words, taking them to one's heart and consequently believing with one's heart.
And once one believes with one's heart, salvation is just a heartbeat away.
Thanks,
Ed
