Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do we believe because we know the truth, or does our truth search for the faith to hold fast to it? The journey from atheism to belief is fascinating, sometimes even miraculous. Read the book and watch the film “The Case for Christ”, the story of Lee Strobel. He was an atheist trying to come to grips with his wife’s conversion to Christianity. As a newspaper reporter, he had to get all the facts. So he went to every expert he could find on every aspect of Christianity – anthropological, scientific, psychological – in the hope of discrediting faith. He was digging for the truth, and only when all exhaustive evidence stared him right in the face did he get down on his knees, hold his wife’s hand, and tearfully give his life to Christ.

Faith comes with emotion and feeling; a sense deep within us that what we dare to believe sight unseen is the only truth we can ultimately cling to. Most of the world’s great faiths share many truths, which is why they have survived. The full measure of the ingredients going into accepting that Jesus is Lord of all, Savior of all include faith, evidence and logic for converts like Lee Strobel. All that has been accomplished for us and for our salvation needed both the divine and human. Jesus is that unique, one and only God-Man. The Gospel accounts, especially Luke, employ all of the ingredients to convince any skeptic. For example, archaeologist W.F. Albright, who examined the painstaking accuracy of “Dr. Luke”. Dr. Wilbur Smith, a brilliant scholar attested to the historical and geographical accuracy of Luke.

The icing on the cake, the glue that holds it all together, is love. We can rest assured of the truth which sets us free from cynicism and hopelessness. Our faith convicts us of the belief that guides our life. We see the evidence all around us – all that is good in us as human creatures. Nothing is more important than accepting that unconditional love. It is a love that holds up as true, convicting, and affirming.

Pastor Art