K. Scott Oliphint - Know Why You Believe

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C. S. Lewis

Toward the end of World War II, C. S. Lewis delivered a lecture to the Oxford Socratic Club titled Is Theology Poetry? The epigraph to this introduction is taken from that lecture. Only Christianity can shed light on everything we think, ask, live, or do. This is Lewiss succinct response to the question, Why Christianity? In one short statement, he says volumes.

Any parent knows the why question can become exhausting. Children have an innate ability to ask itover and over again. Theyre not taught to ask it. Parents spend no time instructing them about the meaning and importance of asking it. Children just by nature ask it and ask it and ask it again.

Why do children instinctively ask why? Answering this question could never end. If we answer by saying, Children instinctively ask why because it is in their nature to do so, it raises another question: But why is it in their nature? And on and on it could go.

The reason the why question begins at an early age is because we are interested in the reasons for the things in our world. We ask the why question for mental and practical relaxation. What we are after in asking why is a place of rest. We want to be able to live our lives, do our work, watch the news, and relate to others, all the while recognizing the meaning of what were doing and why were doing it. We want more than simply to do things. We want to understand things.

This is why Lewiss quote is so striking. It is a sweeping conclusion to the why question. Christianity, for Lewis, is not simply one thing among many things he believes. Instead, he is saying that he believes in Christianity because it enables him to see everything in a proper light.

Christianity is a way of seeing. It provides a foundation for everything we think, do, and believe. It gives a proper perspective on us and on the rest of the world.

Think of reciting the Apostles Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The question is, Why do we believe those things?

The following chapters discuss why Christians believe what we do. The chapters also include objections from those who challenge our reasons for believing what we do. At the end of each chapter are questions to expand understanding of the reasons we gave, followed by suggestions for further reading.

The source of the topics we will discuss is the Bible. Everything we discuss in this book depends on how we view the Bible. The first chapter in this book is foundational.

We can trust the Bible to give us truth. The Bible not only is the source of what Christians believe, but it also points us to everything else in the worldand beyond! It points us to the way the world is, to who we are, and, most important, to who God is.

We could think of the Bible as the eyeglasses through which we see everything. If our eyesight is poor, no matter how wide we open our eyes, we do not have a clear view of the things we see. But through the 20/20 vision of the Bible, we can see clearly.

Christianity is not a religion that has its primary source in nature, or in experience, or even in an individuals salvation. The source for Christianity is the Revealer, Jesus himself, who has much to say about nature, experience, and salvation. Our salvation is not something we can earn through works or that we deserve. Christianity comes to us as a gift from God.

The Christian religion stretches all the way back to the beginning of time, where Scripture began. Christianity encompasses the entire history of redemption before the time of Christ, and it tells us a good deal about what we can expect now and in the future.

This is why the quote from C. S. Lewis is so helpful: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. Christians today dont believe Christianity because theyve seen Christ, or his miracles, or his resurrection, or God. Christians believe because of the testimony given to us in the Bible. And through Christianity we are able to properly see everything.

We begin the book with a discussion of the various things the Bible teachesabout God, about Jesus, about miracles, about life after death. We also show how we should think about the Bibles teachings in light of what science is telling us about our world. Each of these topics deserves an entire book. We establish some of the main things that need to be considered in light of the Christian faith.

We make one concession: There is no amount of evidence, or discussion, or argument that will, by itself, change anyones mind to a belief in Christianity. Christianity is a religion of faith, knowledgable faith. Christianity is properly understood only by knowing and trusting in Jesus Christ.