Did Adam have a belly button? Where did Cain get his wife?
And exactly where was Lazarus before he came back to life?
How do I find my life by losing it, how can the first be last?
These are a few things I would like to ask.
God, if you’re the same as Jesus, and he’s the same as you,
All those times he prayed, who was he talking to?
The Father, Son, and Spirit, perhaps the greatest mystery …
If you are one, God, how can you be three?
One of my closest friends in ministry, Don Sanders, wrote that song. I always smiled when I heard him sing the toe-tapping, lighthearted tune, but it raised some serious questions. Sometimes God doesn’t make sense, and our human reason leads us to draw contrary conclusions from what we read in Scripture. In fact, I would venture to say that the more we get to know God, the more we realize how much we don’t know and understand.
Have you ever been challenged by someone who doesn’t believe what you believe? I thought it was my responsibility to prove to them that I was right. Many times those conversations turned into arguments. The more I felt threatened, the more defensive I got. Over time I realized that it wasn’t my job to defend God. He’s pretty powerful and can take care of himself. My responsibility was to be prepared to give the reason for the hope that I had in Christ, present the truths of Scripture and then act like I believed them myself, and love them. The Holy Spirit worked out the rest.
Charles Spurgeon said it best. He stated that the defense of the gospel was analogous to that of an army attempting to defend a lion. He said, “Well, I should suggest to them … that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best ‘apology’ for the gospel is to let the gospel out.”
I find that many times Christians try to put God in a box. They try to explain away every mystery and make sense of all aspects of God. When it seems like God is stepping out of the box, another set of explanations are arranged to shove Him back in. Any time their view of God is challenged, they take a defensive posture and tune out the other’s perspective.
Don’t tell my wife and children, but I have a confession to make: I don’t know everything. I’m okay to live in a world that is not black and white, because the alternative is a world filled with color. Sometimes God colors outside the lines of the box you created for Him. There are some non-negotiables that I believe — such as Jesus being the only way to salvation and Scripture being the inerrant Word of God. But there are other attributes of God that are mysterious to me. These great mysteries compel me to journey with Jesus and conform my life to His likeness.
A few years ago, I was left with more questions while my friend Don had his answered by Jesus face to face. As I spoke at his funeral, I looked into the eyes of his beautiful young family and silently wondered, why? One day, they will all be answered. But as I continue to journey, I choose faith in the One who defeated death. It’s more reasonable than my own reasoning.
— If you struggle with sharing Jesus with someone close to you, consider reading “Close Encounters” by Lee Clamp, available at BaptistCourier.com/publishing.