I'm interested in Jesus, but I don't want to have to become a Republican.

Answer: Contrary to many media reports, the Christian community contains just as many Democrats as Republicans (Barna Report).

Jesus was offered the option of political power a couple of times. In one case, a crowd wanted to make Him king. His response was to slip away and spend some quality time with His heavenly Father; Jesus refused to align Himself with any political movement. Political parties are human institutions and subject to all the flaws and fickle goals of any other human institutions.

This does not mean that Christians are not politically active. As citizens of this nation, we are responsible to be involved in the democratic process. We are to attempt to represent Christ's compassion and justice, but never to confuse our civic duty with the deeper work of Christ's kingdom. Nor are we to tie the church to any one political agenda.

I don't believe organized religion is necessary.

Answer: If by "organized religion" you mean an impersonal, monolithic bureaucracy, then I share your desire to escape such an institution; but the church is something very different. A church is a group of people who have come together to worship God together, and to encourage and aid each other as they grow closer to Him. Jesus' intention in establishing the church was to create a community that would be united in love and service.


Of course, the church doesn't always succeed at this goal. This is because it is made up of people like me?people still struggling with their selfishness as they learn to be more like Jesus himself. It is not a lost cause, though. God's Spirit brings true change to those who follow God. It does get a little better each day as God leads us beyond our former limitations.


We are always reminded, however, that only God is perfect. We are still a work in progress. This isn't a copout that allows us to wallow in our inadequacies; rather, a realization which allows us to create a safe place for people to make mistakes. We are able to forgive much because we have been forgiven much. We are able to serve because God serves us. We are told that God gathers us together in a purposeful manner to form church communities, where each person's weakness is complemented by another's strength. God has created the church because love is an action that cannot be completed alone. God brings us together to learn love so we have something to give the rest of the world.

How can I follow a God who sends people to hell?

Answer: God's chief desire is that we would avoid hell. The Scriptures tell us that He sends Jesus into the world to save us from the consequences of our rebellion(hell) rather than to send us to hell (John 3:16-21).

Hell is to be separated from God and all the good He brings (that would include all good); it is the result of pushing God away from us. Jesus came into the world to bridge the gap between God and ourselves. His life, death, and resurrection brought us forgiveness and a way to come close to God.

God's final judgment on our life is not arbitrary. As judge, He brings to light our heart attitude toward Jesus. If we embrace God and follow Him, then that embrace is stronger than death. The result is heaven. If we push God away, He will not force Himself on us; He grants us our request. The consequence of that request is hell. Jesus has already done everything necessary to win us heaven. Now it's up to us. Are we going to return the embrace, or reject the offer? In the end, it's our response to that question that is on trial.

Why isn't it enough just to be a good person?

Answer: Christianity is not first and foremost about morality; it is about relationship. God is a person, not a thing, and desires that we relate to Him as a person. If He is the creator, the One in whom all things begin and in whom all things find their completion, then it is with Him that fullness of life is found.

The same is true about our future. Scripture describes heaven as the place where God is. It isn't some perfect amusement park that we somehow squeak into by the skin of our teeth. If we embrace Jesus now, then heaven is the place where that relationship continues without our current hindrances and ignorance. Hell is described as relational separation from God. It is the option for those who would not enjoy God's presence. Hell is a dead end, since further growth springs from intimacy with God.

What about all the evil done in the name of God?

Answer: The fact that people fail to live up to an ideal does not mean there is necessarily anything wrong with the ideal. It does mean that there is something wrong with us, though. Jesus was pretty straight with us about our shortcomings. God is perfect and demands perfection, but none of us live perfect lives; all of us are screwed up.

If we could get our act together, then Jesus would not have had to go through the pain and humiliation of His public trial and execution. Instead of just telling us to grit our teeth and try harder, Jesus told us we needed the forgiveness and power that His death and resurrection bought for us. It is because I can't live up to the ideal, that Jesus did all that He did.

Jesus also told us some people would try to use His name to justify their selfish acts. We don't need to look far to see those abuses. But we shouldn't allow the errors of others to disqualify us from the good that Jesus can do in our lives. Taking time to read the gospels helps us see how far those who have tried to use Jesus are from Jesus Himself.

Everything good can be used to evil purpose. Are we going to let other people's abuse separate us from the good that Jesus can do in and through us?

How can we say that Jesus is the only way to God?

Answer: There are good and bad directions.

We know that we cannot get from Portland to Seattle by car by driving south on I-5 and the Mount Rainier highway will not take you to Mount Hood.

In the same way, you don't become a best friend with Sally by spending all of your time with Jane. The way to God is through a relationship. God is a distinct individual, and He has chosen to relate to us through Jesus. Jesus is the infinite God, making a finite appearance on earth 2,000 years ago.

Jesus is God. Other suggested paths to God try to bypass Jesus, but if He is God, then these paths bypass God. It is hard to find God by avoiding Him. If Jesus had simply claimed to be a prophet it would be different, but He didn't. Jesus Himself claimed to be the only way that anyone could know God and find forgiveness. If Jesus isn't God, then we can just ignore Him, because He was a deluded man. The primary question is whether Jesus was who He and His disciples claimed He was. If He passes that test, then it makes perfect sense that He is the one way to God.

Why should I believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead?

Answer: There is little question that the story we have about Jesus is historical?the cities, politicians, and religious leaders He interacted with have all been confirmed historically. We have little reason to believe that the words of Jesus in Scripture are inaccurate, since they were passed on to us by the people who hung out with Him.

The resurrection is another story, though. We lack hard proof of it, but we do have evidence.

One piece of evidence is the reaction of Jesus' followers to His death. Their initial response to Jesus' execution was the same as mine would have been: disappointment. Jesus had been persuasive, but in the end, He couldn't deliver. Instead of demonstrating He had the power to overthrow evil kingdoms, He had been humiliated and killed. At that point, I would have cut my losses and split, which is exactly what Jesus' followers did. Some denied knowing Jesus in order to save themselves. Some denied their own identity. Others hit the road.

Yet something happened three days later. They turned around and came back together. They began to proclaim that Jesus had risen from the dead, even though that belief cost most of them their lives. Why? They could have been deluded, but they don't write like crazy people. Their writing has been the source of inspiration for billions of people over two millennia. That is an unusual response to deluded ramblings. Perhaps they made up the resurrection in order to bring social change. If so, they didn't understand their society very well. The Jewish people had rejected prophets before, only to realize their mistake later and embrace their teachings. But by declaring Jesus to be a risen Lord and Savior, the disciples made it more difficult for people to respond. There was an easier path to social change.

The disciples were ordinary people. It usually takes something extraordinary to inspire extraordinary acts from ordinary people. Something happened three days after Jesus was executed, that marked the lives of over 500 people. Although these changed lives are not certain proof of the resurrection, they should make us think twice about it.

If God is good and all-powerful,why is there still evil and suffering in the world?

Answer: The God of the Old and New Testaments is a not a God of confusion and chaos. It makes no sense that God would create humans with free will and then control our every action as if we were puppets. This means that our actions have real consequences, and we can hurt innocent people through our actions or inaction.

When humanity used its free will to rebel against God (Genesis chapter 3), it traded God's leadership for natural chaos, with all the uncertainty and suffering it brings. The evil in the world is the result of that rebellion. It's been said that the existence of evil says much more about humanity and our need for God than it says about God Himself.

God did not abandon us, though. Without Him, suffering is meaningless; an indifferent universe cares nothing about our suffering. Jesus, on the other hand, claims to be able to bring good out of even the worst situation. He can bring healing where it is needed. He comes along side to strengthen us in times of hardship and grief. He cares and desires to be let into our life so that He can bring comfort.

While God does not take away our freedom and our ability to make bad choices, He does give us the option of helping Him to bring healing to those around us. When we surrender to God, He gives us the power to serve in such a way that lives are changed, so that we can aid the suffering and bring freedom to those bound up by vice, addiction and pride.

As long as I'm sincere in what I believe, isn't that enough for God?

Answer: Sincerity is important. Peer pressure and a desire for acceptance are poor reasons to follow Jesus. God doesn't ask us to fake it; He desires a free and sincere obedience.

But sincerity should not be confused with truth. I can sincerely believe that the earth is flat, but I will still be sincerely wrong. Since all of my decisions will result in real consequences, I want to base my decisions on the best information possible. Walking off a 100-foot cliff will result in great pain, regardless of my personal belief concerning the law of gravity. If Jesus is the Son of God, if He really is the source of life and fulfillment, then I really do rob myself of joy, peace and deeper growth by walking away from Him. Our response should be sincere, but it needs to be based on truth.

Are people who never heard about God going to hell?

Answer: I can't give a definite answer to that question. I have to trust God's character and believe that He will do what is right. Does Jesus appear to people who havenever heard about Him in the last moments of their life, or just after they die, and give them a chance to respond? I don't know, but that wouldn't be inconsistent with His character. He desires that no one would be lost.

For us, though, it's a moot question. We are being given a chance to respond right now. If you still have questions, our church and many others have people who can help to answer them. We have heard, and that brings responsibilities.

This doesn't mean, however, that I don't care about those who haven't heard. If Jesus is who He said He is, then knowing Him now would enrich their lives.That is why Christians expend time, service and money to make sure that everyone gets a chance to know who Jesus is. The best response to such a serious concern is to be part of the answer.

What difference does Jesus really make in the end?

Answer: I was standing in downtown Seattle when a college student came racing up to a man sitting on a mailbox. "Am I first?" he asked. "I just ran 20 blocks to find you." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. The college student whooped with joy. He had heard a radio announcement that this man would be sitting on this mailbox holding tickets to a sold-out rock concert for the first person that found him.

The college student had taken the radio ad seriously, run across town, and won the prize. I wondered how many people sitting in the shops close by had listened to the ad and failed to win the prize because they didn't take it seriously. It made a difference to this student, though. He'd be taking a friend to a sold-out concert.

Jesus claimed that we cannot be complete unless we are connected to God. Two thousand years ago, God did everything necessary to bring us fulfillment and purpose. Since Jesus is the one who created us, He is our best advisor on how to live. He promises to love and forgive us, even though He knows our every weakness, mistake, and selfish act. He promises us that His Spirit will live within us, giving us the power to overcome our weaknesses. Every day, He works around us to try and get our attention. But the fruit of God's work comes to us only if we return God's embrace; He forces nothing on us. Unless we surrender to His love, we will never know the comfort, healing and empowerment that it brings.

God has made the announcement; we don't need to run 20 blocks to find Him, because He has been pursuing us in love. But we need to humble ourselves enough to ask for the envelope and receive it from Him. What's inside is much more valuable than a rock concert.