Belief

I found out a while ago that they're gonna come out with a new Indiana Jones movie. Now in 2 of the 3 previous flicks, the Ark of the Covenant and the chalice of Christ were the artifacts being hunted, and were eventually discovered in the movies. Well, I don't know what relic Harrison Ford will be chasing in the 4th installment, but there's a hard truth to face. The Ark of the Covenant, the chalice of Christ, and even Noah's Ark could all be found tomorrow; and there would still be people who would not believe. Unbelief is not an intellectual problem requiring better evidence; it is a moral problem requiring heartfelt repentance.

I am Exhibit A. I was a card-carrying agnostic for the first 23 years of my life. I looked at the evidential proof in favor of Christianity and found a way to deny all of it without much trouble. But as I was being drawn into an eternal relationship with God, I looked at the evidence anew, and came to believe. This didn't happen because the raw evidence in favor of Christianity had somehow become tons better than it was before. Instead, what changed was my own orientation to the evidence, which is something only the Holy Spirit can do. I had new eyes to see, and a new heart that was willing to believe. Neither Josh McDowell, the cosmological argument, or some great existential epiphany did this to me. It was simply the quiet yet unconquerable work of God to draw me to himself. Belief is indeed a gift that is given. I rejoice in the evidence God has given us of his existence and the trustworthiness and necessity of giving our lives to Christ as the world's singular hope for redemption. But I can rejoice in the evidence while recognizing it for what it is - a tool that God uses to fortify the faith of his own, and even a tool to grease the skids toward belief. But there's a difference between the instrument itself, and the one who operates it. I am a Christian today not because of evidence, but because of God's gracious election of a sinner who once loved darkness and now loves the light. Evidence alone won't convert anyone.