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Like many others, my wife and I enjoy
watching response videos on YouTube.
You know, those videos where someone shows
a clip and responds to it, shows another clip
and responds to it.
I've actually thought about doing those myself.
If you think I should do response videos comment
below and let me know.
Maybe give some examples of videos that you
think I should respond to.
We enjoy watching them because it gives us
a chance to see what arguments people are
making and how good they are at making them.
We also get a chance to see how well people
communicate with one another, and nobody's
perfect at doing that.
But something that we've noticed is that when
it comes to Christians defending their faith,
they're not always the best at it.
Some are really good, some are okay, but some
have views that are—well—weird: earth
is flat, space is a lie, science is of the
devil, conspiracy theories... [sigh].
Like I said, we've seen many videos, and we've
seen Christian teachers, preachers, and apologist
(that is, defenders of the faith) run the
gamut from really good to really bad.
In fact, in some of the poorer ones, we've
seen things such as bad or outright erroneous
arguments, ad homimens or personal attacks,
bad attitudes such as rudeness or condescension,
and false theology or outright heresy.
Nobody's a perfect communicator, and we can
always improve our abilities.
Well, in this video, I want to offer eight
tips to help each one of us be able to interact
with and evangelize atheists or anybody else
for that matter.
Now, if you like to content on my channel,
be sure and subscribe, hit the bell icon to
stay notified, and give the video a thumbs
up, and if you want to share the videos, the
sharing information is just down below.
And you've probably seen me wearing this hat
a lot lately.
Well that's because I need a haircut, but
they're kind of closed thanks to everything
going on.
But if you want to get this hat, it comes
in various colors; you can get it on my website.
I'll put a card right up there.
And with all that being said, let's go ahead
and take a look at those eight tips.
Number one: don't presume the other person's
beliefs.
Just as no two Christians share identical
beliefs on everything, no two atheists have
identical beliefs.
How would you like it if someone who's a non-believer
came to you and said, "You're a Christian,
huh?
Well, you believe in a flat earth and NASA's
of the devil, because that's what I think
Christians believe."
I wouldn't.
Just because you're talking to an atheist
or responding to one of their videos doesn't
mean you should presume their beliefs.
You shouldn't impose beliefs upon them.
When you impose beliefs upon someone, presume
those beliefs, or worse, assume those beliefs,
then you're being dishonest, disrespectful,
and unchristian.
Also, when you presume someone's beliefs,
you're falling victim to the "straw man" fallacy.
Now, in a nutshell, the straw man fallacy
is when you ignore the statements or beliefs
someone actually has and create a character
or a caricature of those beliefs you think
they have, and argue against those instead.
Don't fall victim to the straw man fallacy.
Leave the straw man for the yellow brick road.
Number two: ask what they believe and why
they believe it.
This one naturally follows from the first
one.
Instead of presuming someone's beliefs, ask
them what they believe and why they believe
it.
You may be surprised to learn that they may
not fit into the mold that you have created
in your mind.
They may have a background and beliefs and
reasons that don't fit the idea that you thought
they would fit into.
So ask them questions; ask them what they
believe and why they believe it.
Number three: listen in order to understand.
As the person is sharing their beliefs and
why they believe them, listen to what they're
saying.
Don't listen, however, in order to argue with
them; listen to understand.
Now understanding something and believing
something are not one and the same.
You can understand a concept or belief and
not accept it yourself.
I'm a capitalist.
I can understand communism, but I reject it.
I'm a Christian.
I can understand Buddhism, but I reject it.
So you can understand something and yet not
accept the beliefs of that thing.
So when you're listening to the person, listen
in order to understand what they believe,
why they believe it, and where they're coming
from.
And speaking of beliefs, number four: know
what you believe and why you believe it.
It's pretty simple: if you want to share your
faith, you have to know your faith.
This means you have to spend time getting
to know what you believe and why you believe
it.
Tha means doing theological work.
You have to learn theology.
Pick up a systematic theology.
Pick up a good commentary instead of that
Joel Osteen book (please put down that Joel
Osteen book).
I'll put a link down below to some good commentaries
and theological studies.
You need to get to know what you believe and
why you believe it, so learn theology.
Number five: recognize you don't have all
the answers.
There are arrogant atheists out there, but
there are also arrogant Christians.
I've heard many Christians act as if they
have all the answers to everything when, in
fact, they didn't.
I've heard many Christians open their mouths
and insert foot (guilty).
We need to recognize that it's okay not to
have all the answers.
It's permissible to say, "I don't have the
answer to that right now.
Let me go do some more research and I'll get
back with you."
It's better to admit ignorance and a desire
to learn than it is to open your mouth, think
you have all the answers, and be proven a
fool.
Number six: share the biblical gospel.
I almost didn't include this one in the list
because it should be obvious.
However, with the plethora of false teachers
and heretics spewing the lies of the Word
of Faith theology and prosperity gospel, I
felt it was necessary to include this one.
Share the biblical gospel!
If you're not sure what the biblical gospel
is, then I recommended reading Ephesians 2:1-10
and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.
If you're not one to read those—though I
recommend you do—then here it is in a nutshell.
You and I are sinners condemned to death.
Jesus came and shed His blood on the cross
to pay for sin, and on the third day, He physically
rose again.
He is going to return, and all those who repent
and put their faith in Jesus are forgiven
and saved.
That is the gospel in a nutshell, but again,
I recommend you go and read those passages.
Number seven: share the gospel with confidence
and compassion, not condescension.
Remember what I said about arrogance?
It applies here.
Scripture tells us to share the gospel boldly
and with confidence, but it also tells us
to share it with grace and compassion.
There are some things you always need to remember:
while the atheist you're talking to may not
be a believer in Jesus, at one time in your
life you weren't a believer in Jesus either;
yes, it's true the person you're talking to
is a sinner, but so are you and so am I.
God loves that person.
God made that person in His image God wants
to save that person.
So, when you're talking to them and sharing
the gospel with them, do it with compassion
and grace while you're doing it confidently
and boldly; never condescend to them.
Number eight: show them God's love.
This tip stems from the previous one.
As you're talking to the person, let your
actions and your interactions with them show
them God's love.
Remember that "know, show, share" thing I
keep talking about?
Well, this is where "show" comes into play.
Let your actions show the person that you
love God and that God loves them.
Now remember, there are two commands straight
from God related to this that we must follow.
The first one is "love God"; the second one
is like it: "love your neighbor."
In John—actually, in 1 John—we learned
that if we say we love God but do not love
our neighbour (that is, we hate our neighbor)
then we're a liar and a hypocrite.
The way to love God—or one of the main ways
to love God—is to love our neighbor.
One way you can love the neighbor and love
the person you're talking to is to show them
God's love by listening to them, by asking
them questions, getting to know them, and
showing them the courtesy, respect, and dignity
that you would want them to show to you.
I hope this video has been helpful to you.
I hope these eight tips will help you as you
interact with and evangelize atheists (or
anybody else for that matter), even if it's
only by a response video.
In the meantime, please know that I love you,
Jesus loves you a whole lot more, and keep
knowing, showing, and sharing the gospel of
Jesus.
Have a great day and God bless.
If you enjoy the content on this channel,
then check out the merch, mp3s, and more at
JohnRothra.com.
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