I thought the first post I put on this blog would be discussion-oriented. Now, normally this would go on my personal blog, but I thought “Hey, what the heck, we need to use this thing.” So here I am.

Now, the issue at hand. My question may seem a little outrageous at first, but I want the readers to examine it carefully. I’ve recently been curious as to why my generation seems to be opposed to the idea of ‘forcing beliefs on someone.’ Now, I’m not talking about laws, or codes, or government, or society, or any of that right now. That’s for another time.

Here’s my question: if you knew that someone could accept the gospel truly in their heart through you forcing your beliefs on them, would you do it? I’m not talking about someone deciding to imitate you and not having a real heart change. I’m talking about you talking to them and talking to them and even debating with them until they realized that the Gospel really was beautiful and were reborn. I know the typical response to this would be: “Doesn’t the Holy Spirit bring the change? We really can’t make someone become a Christian.” I would agree with you. But ‘living out our lives’ and ‘showing compassion’ are really not any more powerful than intellectual discussion without the Holy Spirit’s action.

I know I’m playing devil’s advocate here. I know that I sound like a grumpy grumpskins right now. But I want us to examine what it is we don’t like about the idea of intellectual arguments with unbelievers who will respond to intellectual arguments. If that will bring them to see the Gospel as beautiful, then why are we opposed to it?

Jimmy Needham has a lyric from a song that goes a little something like this:

We pass out paper facts all week but they won’t come around
We can debate theology but they won’t come around
apologetic reasoning but they won’t come around come around
there’s only one way they’ll come, and it’s love

I don’t think Needham is wrong here, but I can’t help but think to myself: showing love to someone has no more innate power to save than intellectual reasoning. Furthermore, showing love to someone doesn’t always have to mean living a nice, compassionate life and giving someone a pat on the back. Showing love to someone can mean going head to head with them intellectually if that is the best way the will be brought to a place where they see the Gospel as true and beautiful. I don’t want this to turn into an Armenian/Calvinist debate, so let me just set my view here: I pray and worship God like a Calvinist, but preach and proselytize like an Armenian. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit brings the change, and I know that. But I’m puzzled as to how our generation thinks that intellectual reasoning can’t bring people (through the HS) to a place of repentance. Yes, intellectual reasoning can only go so far. But so can compassion. Nothing against showing love to someone, and I’m not trying to be Scrooge here, all I’m calling for is a matter of perspective. If a person I know is an intellectual and reasons more on that plane, that’s where I’ll target them. If a person will respond better to compassion and niceness, I will target them there.

¹⁹Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Let’s not forget that ‘showing our faith’ (also ambiguous.. what the heck does it mean?) is one way the Holy Spirit can use to bring change in a lost person’s heart. Intellectual/apologetic reasoning might be another. Friendship might be another. Logic might be another. Let’s not limit God first of all, and let’s not limit what he can do in us either. So to Needham’s lyric I’d have to respond:

We pass out paper facts all week but they won’t come around
We can debate theology but they won’t come around
Apologetic reasoning but they won’t come around
Showing love to them and they won’t come around
There’s only one way they’ll come, and that’s the love of God.

Yeah, I know I’m being all crazy YRR up in here. I’m just trying to create some discussion and give my position. Intellectualism gets a bad rap from a lot of the young crowd these days because many think it can’t do the same things that showing outward, obvious compassion to someone can. Neither can do anything without the Holy Spirit. And yes, while 1 Corinthians 13 is true, ‘having love’ doesn’t have to mean stereotypically what it usually means. It is possible to debate with love. Many people I know and I’ve heard have come to faith in Jesus Christ through logical debate and apologetics. It’s the way their mind works.

So here’s to befriending people and showing niceness to them with love for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God, and here’s to intellectual apologetic debate with love for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God. Both need the Holy Spirit, and both can be just as glorious if God works through them.

-Riley