The most convincing argument

Why am I a Christian? I believe that salvation is a gift of God and is not something that I can achieve or even come to terms with in my own power alone. Humanly speaking though, what convinced me that Christianity is true? How did I come to be certain that this is not just some made up religion used as a crutch for weak people?

There is much supporting evidence:

• Creation. Complexity, design, and beauty in the Universe
• Entropy. Things get worse over time.
• Archeological sites confirm many questions regarding Biblical authority.
• Old Testament prophecies predicted with accuracy and detail future events hundreds of years before taking place.
• Jesus’ birthplace, death, manner of death before that manner was invented, ministry, resurrection…etc was also predicted long before he had arrived on the scene.
• There are extra-biblical accounts that confirm Biblical ones.
• The Bible, though written over a span of one thousand plus years and with 40 authors is incredibly cohesive and without contradiction.
• The fact that Christianity happened.
• Christianity answers philosophical questions better than any other worldview as to: morality, meaning, what it means to be human, why is there pain in the world.  

There is my short and rather lacking list of arguments for Christianity, but I have a confession. Though they are each convincing (and most necessary to a true faith), none of them convinced me that Christianity is true. Collectively they enforce and strengthen my faith—but they alone did not win me.

The most convincing argument is my Dad. He is a man who really believes this stuff, and anyone who knows him would agree. As a kid I spent a lot of time watching my dad, observing him maybe unintentionally to answer the question—does this Christianity thing actually work? Sure it is believable and makes sense, but does it work? Well, I will tell you that I have seen it work! It has worked in our family and in my parent’s marriage. My dad is a man who has been completely changed by the Word of God and I cannot think of a moment where his life has negated his claims. I can attest to the fact that the man people see at church is the same man that I see at home, and THAT is a convincing argument.

Your life is the most convincing argument you have. Conversely it can be the greatest argument against the faith you claim. It is a profound disgrace that many who claim the name of Christ do not live accordingly, and untold masses have rejected Christianity for that reason alone.

People are watching you. Is your argument convincing?