I just watched part of Tim Keller’s DVD series, The Reason for God, based on his
book. He sat down with
six people who have objections to the Christian faith, to dialogue with them.
The session was unscripted, insightful and fascinating.
The best moment for me was when one of the skeptics asked
Dr. Keller if he was open to the possibility he might be wrong about
Christianity. He responded that he has two basic reasons for his faith: rational
and existential. He said that though he was confident in the rational
arguments, it was possible they might be shaken. But for him the existential
reasons– his experiences of the presence and power of God over the years since
he has been a Christian – were unassailable.
Our experiences need to be rooted in the truth of Scripture. But Keller is right – obeying the gospel truth leads us
into life experiences that are powerful and unassailably
wonderful. To tell an unbeliever about these is like trying to describe a
sunset to someone born without sight.
Still, Dr. Keller’s video made me want to write down some of
the “experiences” that make me love being a Christian. This post is longer than
I prefer, even though I tried for just the highlights. There’s so much I love
about being a Christian!
- Experiences of Christ’s presence. When you pursue Christ, sometimes the reality of His glory and greatness and beauty floods your soul. It’s almost a sensory overload. Often I feel His presence in corporate worship, praising Him with hundreds of others. Other times it's when I'm sitting quietly by myself in prayer. And I can say, gratefully, Yes, He is altogether lovely (Song of Solomon 5:16).
- Experiences of being loved and cherished. How Christ would choose me, love me, die for me, desire fellowship with me, all the while knowing my sins and failures, is more than overwhelming. To feel His love, to know Somebody (the greatest Somebody of all) actually treasures you and gave His life to make you His is to say with the Psalmist, Your steadfast love is better than life (Psalm 63:3).
- Experiences of protection and provision. My family and I have had many times over the years when our Savior has protected us and provided for us. (I wrote about His provision here.) He watches over us, like a Shepherd cares for His sheep. How wonderful. The promise is true: my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
- Experiences of direction and guidance. In the long journey of my life, Christ has consistently led me - through His word, the counsel of others, and circumstances. As David said, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). The most viewed post on this blog is The Oranges, the true story of how Christ showed my wife and me He wanted us together.
- Experiences of purpose and mission. Since becoming a Christian so many years ago, I’ve never doubted God had a purpose for my life. Following Christ isn't easy, I've found, but it's almost always interesting. The search for meaning is a pretty short one when you serve the Lord who commanded, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
