Christian Challenge

There are two ways to reject Jesus Christ. The first is verbal and direct — to openly declare your disbelief. The second way is more subtle — to reject Christ by the way you live your life, even though you may still verbally claim to believe in Him.


There are many reasons people give for rejecting Jesus. Here are a few of them.


1) People who claim to be Christians don’t live like it. (Gandhi said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”)


2) The church has done and sponsored a lot of evil, persecution, and war during its existence.


3) You can’t scientifically prove that Jesus is God and/or that God even exists.


4) I want to do my own thing, follow my cravings, and Jesus would get in my way.


5) I am not intellectually convinced that Jesus is who He is claimed to be.


6) The historical evidence is not good enough for me.


Are any of these legitimate reasons? Numbers 1 and 2 reject Jesus because of what some of His self-proclaimed followers have done. But that doesn’t have anything to do with who Jesus is or what He is like.


Number 3 overlooks the fact that Jesus is now with us as the Holy Spirit. The spiritual world cannot be disproven by materialistic science.


Number 4 is to put your feelings and desires above finding and following truth.


Number 5 is to put understanding and reasoning above truth. For example, it is like saying, because I don’t intellectually understand the concept electricity I refuse to use it in my home.


Number 6 is usually not completely honest. The historical evidence for Jesus is as strong or stronger than the historical evidence for many other people who we believe in without doubt.
So is there a legitimate reason for rejecting Christ? I believe there is.


If you sincerely seek to know the truth about Jesus and to do what He says by reading through the New Testament with an open mind and heart; and if you sincerely try to live by its principles in your life, yet nothing begins to change you and to convince you of Christ’s reality, then I believe you have a legitimate reason to reject Him.


Let me repeat: If you give Him an honest opportunity and Jesus doesn’t prove Himself to you, then I believe you have a legitimate reason for rejecting Him. Jesus proved Himself to me!


Also, if we give Christ the opportunity, He will prove Himself in church meetings. Read about how to have a Jesus demonstration Sunday. Or come and see one in action at Nashville's Spirit-led, participatory church -- The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207, Sundays @ 10:45 am. and/or Thursdays @ 6:30 pm.