Nancy answers this question on Moody Radio with Kelli and Steve
I spoke early morning in a high school to a Christian group of students about the uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth. I talked about Jesus being God, who came as a man to earth to die for all the sins of all humankind. I shared that He had no favorites and loved all those whom He created by opening the door for all to come to Him and trust Jesus as the Savior.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
I spoke about Jesus of the Bible being different from other religions’ gods. The biblical Jesus is not another prophet, a wise man, a spirit guide, or a god. Jesus is the incarnate God. He is The Truth, our Hope, and the giver of eternal life. There is no person, past, present, or future, for whom Jesus did not die to take away the penalty of their sins. Jesus’ message is not exclusive but inclusive. Salvation is for all who believe in Him.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
It was a good morning of challenging the minds of these postmodern students who struggle with accepting that anything is true and therefore struggle with anything that offers eternal hope and peace. They asked many questions and left with much to think about.
A few days later, it was reported by some students who stopped to listen to some of the student’s questions for giving a “hate speech.” The leader of the ministry was terrified that we were reported. Why should we be surprised? Scripture warned us that persecution could follow when we speak the Truth about Jesus. I, however, was happy that they stopped by to listen and clearly got the message that belief in Christ is the only way to know Truth and Hope and be promised eternal life when we die. God takes advantage of these times to get His Word out to those who would never choose to go to an event where the gospel is preached. The administration ended up dismissing the charges.
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12
We live in a postmodern age where no truth, which means reality, exists. Discussions about such claims are not allowed, except their own, which include, “There is no God, nor is there truth.” Discussions about such ideas are not permitted. Such a belief is what is called the new tolerance.
According to writer D. A. Carson, “tolerance” has changed from accepting that people have different views, some of which are wrong, to agreeing that all views are equally true.” He says that “tolerance currently occupies a very high place in Western societies: it is considered gauche, even boorish, to question it. Carson argues that the “new tolerance” is socially dangerous and intellectually debilitating and leads to genuine intolerance of all who struggle to hold fast to their beliefs.”
It works like this: Someone might say, “Many religions lead to God; there is no one true religion.” or, “What is true for me should be true for you.” A person expressing a different opinion or disagreeing would be labeled a bigot or judgmental. This view is prevalent in schools, the workplace, families, and politics.
Proverbs 18:2 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”
Not everyone embraces the new tolerance. The good news about this confused generation is that most want to know God, if there is one. They want their lives to matter, and they want to be mentored. We are all human beings born in the image of God. Within all of us, God planted a soul that yearns to know God. We can choose to believe in the One True God of the scriptures or in the gods of other religions that are false idols, who cannot fulfill their promise of Heaven when they die. With so much confusion, we must be prepared to know what and why we believe in the Christian faith and how to share the gospel with those seeking Truth.
Keys to talking with Postmoderns who do not know Jesus as their Savior is to develop non-confrontational relationships with them.
- Tell them you would like to learn more about their beliefs and make time for the
- Don’t lecture but find out more about them; if they don’t believe in God, ask them why.
- Most have a story that no one has asked about.
- Be a great listener, and show compassion.
Know what you believe and be open to answering a question about God or some other topic of the Christian faith.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. “(1 Corinthians 15:58).