#72: How Would You Respond to This Cry for Help (part 4)?
This is the fourth and final note regarding Christopher’s journey and struggle with faith. [1] He writes, “I want to be a Christian. I want to have a strong and sober faith. I want to be able to cling on to the hope that Christ offers . . . [but] I cannot seem to find God.”
Last month we examined Christopher’s second paragraph regarding his “intellectual and spiritual journey.” I surmised that he is in step four of the five steps towards belief as outlined by Evert and Schaup. [2]
This month we examine portions of Christopher’s third paragraph and a subsequent discussion between he and Dr. Craig concerning the elements of faith.
I have decided that, despite my doubts and questions, . . . I want to be a Christian. I want to have a strong and sober faith. I want to be able to cling on to the hope that Christ offers . . .. Yet, . . . despite all my prayers and investigations, I cannot seem to find God. Or rather, God, for one reason or another, will not reveal himself to me. To him I confess my sins as humbly as I can manage; I share with him my hopes, worries and dreams; and with him I contemplate his goodness, his righteousness, and awesome power. But he is hidden from me . . .. When it comes to faith, I do not want to sacrifice reason for hope, nor hope for reason. Ideally, it’d be best to have both.
Christopher says he “want[s] to be a Christian.” Praise the Lord! But what does this mean? He believes that God offers “hope.” I might ask, what is the hope you think comes with being a Christian? He might say something concerning the comfort it provides in the midst of his “worries and dreams”, or that faith brings feelings of peace, relief from anxiety, and a better ability to cope with this world. This would not be an uncommon hope in today’s feelings-based, anxiety-ridden culture.
I would share that while those often result from belief, they are not what it means to be a hopeful Christian. He must understand and embrace—with his heart, soul, and mind—the gospel. It’s not clear that he does because he never mentions it in his letter. I need to explain it. He must understand that he and this world are fallen—sin is pervasive and, despite what many say today, we are not basically “good persons.” And that by his own efforts he is unable to stop sinning; that complete forgiveness can only be given by Jesus; and that he is totally dependent on the saving grace of Christ for salvation. This is the gospel and belief in this good news is what makes us Christians.
Unfortunately, even after having given our lives to the Lord, we don’t lose all our anxieties and gain peace and security in this world. Christopher only needs to look at the lives of the disciples and the persecution believers experience around the world today. I would say to him, though, that there is hope . . . but that hope lies in the love and knowledge that we are forgiven and will be with the Lord someday and in eternity—in the new heavens and new earth. Only there will we finally experience life without sin and eternal peace in the presence of our Savior.
Finally, Christopher and Dr. Craig share their thoughts on the elements of faith: in Latin, notitia, assensus, and fiducia. First, faith requires notitia—knowledge. One must know what the gospel is and what it means. Clearly, faith has a “what” component—what it is that makes one a Christian. Second, faith requires assensus—assent or agreement that what we believe is true. It’s one thing to know what Christianity is about, it is another to know why it is true. The first two elements are largely intellectual, the mind components of Matthew 22:37. Unfortunately, while many Christians understand what they believe, they cannot explain why. This is where apologetics can be helpful.
The first two elements, however, are not enough—even the demons know who Christ is and believe (James 2:19)! The journey to faith must move from “belief that” to “belief in.” The third element, fiducia, is a volitional, heartfelt belief. It is complete trust in the love and saving grace of our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior. Unlike the demons, it results in a change in one’s heart—a soul regenerated by the Holy Spirit—that causes one to want to know Jesus and to become Christ-like.
Note: For a further explanation of the elements of faith, I recommend this six-minute video of R.C. Sproul:
Christopher believes, though, that he only possesses notitia. He says he understands what it means to be Christian but does not yet possess assensus. After having discussed the gospel (and any other propositions of our faith he is unsure of), I would continue discussions as to why the Christian worldview must be true. In Christopher’s previous paragraph he said he seeks evidential and rational understanding—apologetics may help him secure assensus by examining the why behind the what.
Perhaps this is all we can do for Christopher. God will simply remain “hidden” until the Holy Spirit acts. After having gained notitia and assensus . . . and expressed repentance and desire to follow the Lord . . . maybe all that we can say to Christopher is to be patient, to pray, to abide in the presence and comfort of believers, and to ask for the Holy Spirit’s regenerative act.
This ends our examination of Christopher’s plea. We don’t really know him very well; we only know what he shared in his letter. Perhaps my view of his condition is not correct and my evangelistic approach would not be helpful. Regular interaction—through discussions, questions, and prayer—might better reveal how best to help Christopher. I hope, though, that these discussions over the last four months have given you some insight regarding how one might engage and help someone on their “intellectual and spiritual journey” to Jesus.
Have a blessed Christmas, Doug
Academic & Military Outreach Director, AoM
“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect . . .” 1 Peter 3:15
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[1] Christopher wrote a letter to Dr. William Lane Craig on August 25, 2024. The note and Dr. Craig’s response were posted online on August 29, 2024. You can read the letter and Dr. Craig’s response here:
https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/can-an-agnostic-be-a-christian?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=%C2%A0READ%20DR.%20CRAIG%26%2339%3BS%20RESPONSE&utm_campaign=WU%20-%20Aug%202024%20-%20Wk%204
[2] I Once Was Lost—What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus, Don Everts and Doug Schaup, InterVarsity Press, 2008.