Using the Knowledge of Our Psychology for Apologetics

 

 

 

I’ve tried out many therapies, philosophies, and lifestyles in pursuit of peace-of-mind and self-acceptance. Each one had left me more discouraged and broken than I had been. These might have given me a temporary ego-boost, but they were always followed by a crash. They were like any artificially induced high – always required greater doses. Only in Christ did I find what I was looking for, even though coming to a true relationship with God requires painful humbling. And why shouldn’t it, if this relationship brings us into contact with the Creator and Sustainer of this universe!

 

What does this say about Christ and the teachings of the Bible? Does faith in Christ provide evidence that He is the Truth or just a helpful myth? Perhaps He has simply provided a set of comforting beliefs that have little to do with reality. As one atheist told me, “I’d rather be correct than comforted.”

 

I told him that I agreed. I needed to know that I had come to the Truth and not merely to a set of beliefs that worked for me. After my years of hoping and searching, I didn’t want to be disappointed again. I needed to know that I had finally come home to the One who had created and loved me. Therefore, I asked, “Did the comforts I received from believing in Christ through the Bible also provide evidence for the reality of Christ?”

 

I had experienced many miracles, which had reassured me that God was with me and even loved me. However, it was difficult for me to believe this amid my suffering. During one church service, the people took turns going to the podium to proclaim the many wonderful things that Jesus had done for them. Meanwhile, I was squiring in my seat feeling very unloved and thinking, “Jesus has done absolutely nothing to relieve my suffering. He must hate me, as I also hate myself.” I wanted to flee from the church. However, I thought I heard a voice telling me to wait for a minute. This was the only time that this had ever happened to me, and so, out of curiosity and desperation, I waited.

 

After a minute, someone embraced me from behind in the most loving way. I turned around to see who it was, and there was no one there, absolutely no one! Instantaneously, I knew that it was Jesus reassuring me of His love, as I burst with joy.

 

However, to savor this moment, after church I took a walk along the river. But then, my skeptical nature kicked in: “How could this have possibly been Jesus! Perhaps there is a natural explanation for what I had just experienced.” However, I knew what I had experienced. Although I was prone to negative thinking, I was never prone to the positive thinking, least of all that someone loved me, as much as I had wanted to believe this.

 

There were also many other miracles during this time of extreme torment. I am reluctant to share them, since many of my readers are like me and will think, “Why hasn’t Jesus given me such miracles? Is it because He doesn’t like me as much?” I can only answer, “God knew that I needed them as I continued to endure His cleansing fires.” However, those extravagant miracles ceased about 40 years ago. Perhaps, by then, I was ready to walk by faith and not by sight.

 

Nevertheless, I would continue to doubt many things, even the miracles, thinking that perhaps there were naturalistic explanations of which I was not yet aware. As a result, my lingering doubts urged me to seek objective truths, of which there are many, like the ubiquitous evidences of design, the origins of the cell, DNA, life, freewill, consciousness, the immutable and elegant laws of science, the fine-tuning of the universe, and irreducible complexity. As a result of this quest, I had written two prior books about the proofs of the Faith: Why Believe that the Bible is the Word of God and a soon to be published book on theistic proofs.

 

Nevertheless, my quest for answers continues. The secular world has also been providing “answers,” which suggested that Jesus is irrelevant. I needed to know that Jesus is the all-sufficient Truth, as He had, in many ways, claimed:

·       Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

 

Some Christians are not plagued with doubts as I have been. However, these tormenting doubts have always forced me to dig deeper. It is a well-documented fact that the truths of the Christian faith have transformed millions of lives and even nations, as Jesus has also transformed my life, even though through the fires.

 

Is this evidence for the truth of the Faith? I think so! The fact that something (humanity) functions properly and produces fruit suggests that it is in harmony with reality. Let’s take the one example out of thousands. Does a successful airplane flight imply something about reality? Undoubtedly! It implies that science had been able to master the laws of aerodynamics and gravity (reality) to accomplish this flight. Perhaps the Bible also embodies truths that had enabled me (through the working of the Spirit) to grow past my depression and panic attacks. Perhaps it also contains critical knowledge about the human psyche that enables understanding, growth, and successful outcomes, as the plane also embodies the necessary scientific truths to make a flight possible.

 

Besides, if the vehicle of Christianity is no more than a fairy tale, I would eventually crash. It would be like flying a plane blindfolded so that I could imagine any delusion that I might find relaxing. Imagination has its place but not in flying a plane or riding a bike, which requires accurate visual feedback. Instead, a successful flight requires an accurate knowledge of the landscape and the instrument panel.

 

Life is the same way. To navigate, we need the knowledge of our abilities, limitations, and the terrain, like a pilot who needs to know the capacity of his craft and the weather. Fantasy might be temporarily comforting, but it will not serve us well for long. It will not help us navigate the subtleties of relationships or office politics; nor will it help us set realistic goals or equip us with an accurate self-estimation so that we can know our limitations. It might be fun to fantasize on being a world-famous homerun-hitter but to act upon such a fantasy is another matter.

 

I have become convinced that the Christian Faith is not a fantasy but a reality, an accurate roadmap which enables us to successfully navigate, as the Bible consistently affirms.

 

To demonstrate this fact, I compare the insights of secularism with the insights of the Bible in hope of demonstrating the superiority of a Book completed 2000 years ago. I hope to show that secularism has only been able to produce sub-standard imitations of what is needed for human thriving.

 

How curious that an ancient Book contains the very wisdom we need to optimally navigate the twists of this life! It would be like expecting a buggy whip to assist us in driving our Mercedes. Absurd? To the max! But the Bible continues to build culture and to transform lives.

 

I think that this says something about the Truth of Christ and the teachings of the Scriptures. It is my hope that this book will also convey or reinforce this Truth to you, the reader.