Epilogue
A Good Read on Reasoned Faith
Bart Ehrman tells the following story of how he often begins his university classes:
The first day of class, with over three hundred students present, I ask: “How many of you would agree with the proposition that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?” Whoosh! Virtually everyone in the auditorium raises their hand. I then ask, “How many of you have one or more of the Harry Potter books?” Whoosh! The whole auditorium. Then I ask, “And how many of you have read the entire Bible?” Scattered hands, a few students here and there. I always laugh and say, “Okay, look. I’m not saying that I think God wrote the Bible. You’re telling me that you think God wrote the Bible. I can see why you might want to read a book by J. K. Rowling. But if God wrote a book . . . wouldn’t you want to see what he has to say?”1
We couldn’t have made the point better ourselves. The challenge for everyone who thinks the Bible is (or even is possibly) inspired by God is to actually read it. Before reading any books that seek to call it into question—before even engrossing yourself in books like this one, which argues hard for a defense of Scripture—read the Bible!
From the beginning of this book, we have noted the difference between blind faith and reasoned faith. We have constantly reminded you that Christianity never asks anyone to believe something that’s not true just for the sake of believing. But as you launch out from this one experience to the next adventure on your journey, we encourage you to take the comfort and confidence of a reasoned faith beyond the challenge of the skeptic and into the rhythm of your everyday life.
One danger—very subtle—of sinking so deeply into the mission of defending your faith is to reduce belief to intellectual acceptance. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Jesus rose from the dead, stated as if they’re each of equal importance and consequence. No, your faith in Christ is not only well placed because it makes reasonable sense, against all other worldviews and patterns of thought, but because this Jesus can change you and us and inspire us to lives that brim with our created purpose.
Reasoned faith is all-purpose faith. It not only operates from a school desk but from every place you sit and stand and live and interact. Use this fresh assurance in God and his Word to let it soak all the way through you—through your heart as well as your head. Submit to him with your whole being, allowing him steadily to mature you and prepare you for each new sunrise and opportunity of life, including the problems and the hard places.
And stay in the Scripture, not merely to prove it true but to show it alive and enlightening, transforming you into someone who thinks and acts and speaks and responds with Christlike character because of the Holy Spirit that works inside you.
The God whose eternal truth and nature stand behind the Bible is not only your champion as you claim that truth matters but also for your heart and soul as a devoted believer. Be his disciple as well as his defender, and you will love the places your reasoned faith in him can take you.
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32
Discussion Questions