I was having a conversation with a friend of mine concerning my belief in Jesus Christ. My friend’s comment to me was one I heard before as he stated, “I’m happy that your faith works for you but I’m not interested.”
His comment points to a fundamental flaw in his understand as to why I’m a Christian. The assumption he is making is that given the numerous belief systems worldwide I have come to a sort of pragmatic conclusion that Christianity suits my interests best. This simply is not true.
The real question that needs to be asked is what does the statement “works for you” mean? It may imply that my faith makes me happy. C.S. Lewis answers this best by stating “I did not go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”
I am not a Christian because it makes me happy or comfortable. Nor am I a Christian because it makes me popular. More and more Christians are despised by society as culture changes its morals and Christianity does not. I am also not a Christian because I get the hope of eternal life. This is a great promise in my faith but Islam, Mormonism and Hinduism offers similar promises. I’m not a Christian because it’s easy to follow. My faith instructs me to endure unjust punishment without retaliating as well as to forgive and love my enemies. This is no easy task.
If any of these things is what my friend meant by “works for you” than I can say quite confidently that my Christian faith doesn’t work for me. One might ask, “Why then be a Christian if it doesn’t work for you?” Why…? because it’s true. Christianity is true when compared to all other belief systems. It’s truth is evident historically, philosophically, coherently, theologically, rationally, and empirically regardless of how I feel. For me to claim Christianity false is as nonsensical as claiming the sky isn’t blue because I don’t like the colour.
John 14:6 Jesus replies, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”
Article by Pastor Mike Kiewitt, Community Baptist Church, Clearwater, B.C.
