Question:
There are two guys at work who have been talking about my faith. One is agnostic and one is into evolution. The evolution guy is definately seeking God. He asked for a Bible and stuff. He was saying stuff like he doesn't believe that there's a God that could creat the earth and stuff. The other guy said that he hates everything that has to do with religion.
My first question is: how do I respond to this?
The second one is: how do I not freeze up when I'm talking to them?
Thirdly: Do I say anything at all, or do I just be there friend and let my life reflect Christ
Answer:
Originally Posted by joyforjesus215 There are two guys at work who have been talking about my faith. One is agnostic and one is into evolution. The evolution guy is definately seeking God. He asked for a Bible and stuff. He was saying stuff like he doesn't believe that there's a God that could creat the earth and stuff. The other guy said that he hates everything that has to do with religion.
My first question is: how do I respond to this?
The second one is: how do I not freeze up when I'm talking to them?
Thirdly: Do I say anything at all, or do I just be there friend and let my life reflect Christ Luke 12
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Answer:
Okay... but take some ammunition, share your testimony.
To your "anti-God" friend, you can also try to explain the difference between "religion" and what true Christianity is supposed to be.
Even apologize to him on behalf of those people who in the past may have harmed him in the name of religion or God or Jesus.
Ask your evolutionist friend where everything came from to start the big bang. 2 seconds before the big bang, where was everything?
The physical universe is not eternal, so when where and how did it start?
While the Bible is not a science book or an instruction book on how to build the universe, it does parallel what scientists tell us about the universe.
Science tells us that the universe is composed of matter and energy existing in a space-time matrix.
In the first 3 verses of Genesis, we have the same thing:
"In the beginning [time], God created the heavens [space] and the earth [matter].
"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
[This is basically the same thing scientists tell us of the singularity that existed milliseconds before the "big bang". All the matter and energy and space compacted into an infinitely small space. It would have no shape.]
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
[Energy. The Hebrew here is talking about the actual physical quantity of light, and not a light source such as the Sun.]
If you can get him rethinking the Bible, then that is a start.
Then you can switch over to the New Testament. John would be great as it speaks of Jesus being the One who did the creating in Genesis 1.
Good luck. I am sure that you will get more (and better) advice than this from other posts.
Answer:
Good luck. I am sure that you will get more (and better) advice than this from other posts. Your advise was great!
Any one else have any advise too?
Answer:
Originally Posted by joyforjesus215 My first question is: how do I respond to this?
Just tell them what you know and what your thoughts on the issues are. Don't try and use lengthy apologetics and theology but speak what you are thinking and be real.
Originally Posted by joyforjesus The second one is: how do I not freeze up when I'm talking to them?
Do it more. I used to freeze up when public speaking, after doing it for a while, I came to enjoy it.
Originally Posted by joyforjesus Thirdly: Do I say anything at all, or do I just be there friend and let my life reflect Christ
These are your friends right? I would say, don't be pushy but don't keep it a secret. Be yourself. If religion is something that you enjoy talking about then talk about it.