Over the course of the Christian life, there will be times when spiritual issues come up in conversation with non-believers. This happens when you purposefully share your faith in evangelism, for example. But most of the time, spiritual matters will come up in conversation quite naturally, at a community function, while working in the backyard, during a coffee break at work or playing sports. But, along with these opportunities comes a certain kind of fear, the fear of being asked a question we can’t answer!

Fear can paralyze us because we “just know” someone will ask or say something that will leave us speechless. It’s like getting your face rubbed in the mud—not a pleasant feeling! Only later do we think up the perfect response—but it’s too late.

We fear because we mistakenly think there are hundreds of questions, and we must be theologians to answer every objection successfully. After 50 years of being a Christian and witnessing to all kinds of people, both young and old, I have found relatively few questions keep coming up—and there are good answers and responses to each. If we can master how to deal with the most common questions, we will be much further down the road in being effective witnesses for Christ.

Our ultimate goal is to be channels of the Holy Spirit to reach people’s hearts. Winning an argument will not necessarily convert a person. But the Holy Spirit wants to use our answers to reach people’s souls (John 16:8)! In this brief essay, we want to deal with these questions in a way that will help remove the intellectual barriers that stand in the way of the unbeliever’s heart.

We must “prepare [our] minds for action” (1 Peter 1:13) and “be ready in season and out of season” (II Tim. 4:2). First, in preparation, we note a few foundational principles that are helpful in our responses:

Don’t argue – the goal is not to win an argument. A person can have all the correct answers and know the truth and still be lost for eternity. Satan is an excellent example of that. Sometimes people like to argue and are not serious about spiritual things. But, underlying their outward appearance is a soul that wrestles with separation from God. They might not put it in those terms, but they may be experiencing guilt, loneliness, fear, defensiveness, insecurity and a drive for things that make them feel significant, like sex, money, status, popularity, etc.

So, the goal is to be a channel of God’s Spirit that reaches into their soul. Dealing with their objections and questions must never be a debate or competition. Eternity is on the line for the person’s soul! This is one for whom our Lord Jesus Christ died. Win arguments – NO! Reach souls – YES!

Sometimes, the objection raised is different from the real issue. It could be a concern for something deeper. For example, someone may say, “I couldn’t believe in a God who would send people to hell.” Before you launch into a long sermon, you might ask the person, “Why do you feel so strongly about that?”

If he says, “It just doesn’t make sense,” then it is probably an intellectual issue. If he dismisses something that you say with, “My church doesn’t believe that,” then the problem is one of authority. If the objection is something like this, “My father died last year, and if what you are saying is true, then he is in hell,” that is an issue that requires compassion and a careful response—but there are some things you can say even in that case.

If a person laughs off your response, you know he hasn’t given it much thought and meant it as a flippant remark to shut you up. You are best not to pursue answering that any further.

God can use your boldness to affect bystanders. It takes extra courage to respond if an objection is raised in a group setting, for example, at work or during a community gathering. But, God can use your boldness to speak to anyone present since you will have done something that everyone recognizes takes much conviction, to speak up when you know it goes against the crowd. That lends credibility to your witness. I still remember young people who witnessed to me in high school and university, ones I laughed at. And I remember at the time secretly admiring them for their boldness in standing up for what they believed.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t worry—just don’t fake it! People can spot a phony a long way off. Simply say, “That is a very good question, and I don’t know the answer to it. But, I’ll tell you what, give me a few days, and I’ll find an answer and get back to you.” Then, keep your word and do it!

Some people mimic what they have heard others say. For example, we have all heard someone glibly throw out the statement: “The Bible is full of contradictions.” This is the most common “objection” to Christianity raised, but the easiest to respond to. Very few people who make this statement have ever looked to find out for themselves. A simple response is, “That’s interesting, I have been reading the Bible for ___ years, and I haven’t found any contradictions. Sure, there are some things that are hard to understand, but that is to be expected when talking about such an important subject.” If appropriate, you could ask the person which “contradictions” are the most bothersome to him or her. Many times there isn’t anything specific. But, if there is, you would do well to interact with them, provided this is a legitimate concern they have.

Some people respond critically or harshly in front of their friends but differently when alone. In this case, find a time when you can discuss the person’s objections with them alone. For example: “You brought up some interesting concerns the other day about my faith. Could we have lunch together? I’d like to interact with you about those things, in a way that we can really understand what each other is getting at.”

What, then, are these most frequently asked questions? From my experience they fall into five categories. They may be worded differently than below, but if you can work through responses to each of these, you will be able to handle most situations.

Keep in mind, these are the initial or “barrier” questions raised by non-believers. As the Lord begins to work in their heart and they begin to genuinely inquire about your faith, there will be more in-depth questions that follow.

In developing responses, there are three things you should strive for:

• Find out the real concern being raised in each situation.
• Understand what the truth of the word of God has to say about these issues.
• Learn how to effectively communicate that truth in ways that the non-believer can understand.

The questions or objections fall into these categories, with some Scripture passages to help you prepare for a response to each:

About God

You cannot prove God exists. Isn’t He whomever you want Him to be for you? (Rom. 1:19-23, Gen. 1:1)

If there is a God, how come there is so much suffering in the world? (Gen. 6:5, 9:11, Matt. 11:28-30, Luke 4:16-19)

How could a good God damn someone to hell for eternity? (Jer. 2:19, 2 Peter 2:20, Hab. 1:13, Rom. 2:4)

About the Uniqueness of Christianity

Is Jesus really God? (Col. 1:19, 2:9, John 1:1 compared with Isaiah 42:8, 43:11, 44:6)

To say Christianity is the only way is narrow-minded. Don’t all religions really believe the same basic things? (Prov. 14:12)

What about the native in deep, dark Africa who has never heard of Jesus? (Rom. 2:12-16, Heb. 11:6, John 14:6)

About the Bible

Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself? Have errors? (II Tim. 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21)

Doesn’t science contradict the Bible? (Gen. 1:1-2, John 1:1-5, Col. 1:17)

I simply do not believe the Bible. (John 7:17, 12:46, 1 Cor. 1:18)

About us

I am or can be good enough to get to heaven. (Luke 18:10-14, Matt. 9:13, Rom. 3:10-11, Rom. 3:23, Luke 13:3,5, Jer. 17:9)

I am too bad to be forgiven. (I John 1:9, Is .1:18, I Tim. 1:13-15)

Miscellaneous

Doesn’t God help those who help themselves? (Rom. 3:10, Is. 64:6, Matt. 15:25)

Isn’t the church full of hypocrites? (Is. 45:22, Matt. 24:51.) We’re all hypocrites – some of us attend church – it is a good place for us to learn not to be hypocrites.

I have my own religion. (John 14:6, 20:31, Mark 16:16, Prov. 16:25, John 12:48)

Books that provide some answers to these questions:

Answering the Tough Ones, by Dave De Witt

I’m Glad You Asked, by Larry Moody, Victor Books

Know What You Believe, Paul E. Little, InterVarsity Press

The above doesn’t answer every question but it is a start. Certainly those who have studied or read widely from atheistic or agnostic beliefs may have more questions and objections, but with time, practice and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, you will grow in your ability to field even those issues.

As with everything else in life worth doing, responding to people’s objections or questions about the Christian faith takes work and time. Like riding a bike – early on in your learning process you fall quite often, but you keep getting back up and trying again. Before long you are racing down the street, hopping over curbs – even maneuvering down a set of stairs at the local park. Obstacles that may have been barriers before are not as difficult anymore.

It is the same way with defending what we believe. With practice and persistence, we can learn to effectively respond to most objections and concerns raised against our faith. And in the process, we can begin to reach the souls of men and women for Christ.