Jesus described His followers as the “light of the world.” It is our calling and privilege to shine the light of God’s truth into the darkness of unbelief and The Lie. We do this by our lives, of course. But we must also shine the light of truth with our words, and here we need to be especially careful.

The Scripture has a good deal to say about talking with unbelievers. We must be gentle and reverent; we must use soft language and show respect; and we must help them see the contradictions in their worldviews without falling into those contradictions ourselves. We must, in other words, reason and discuss and dialog with our unbelieving friends about the truth of the Christian worldview. Merely quoting Bible verses at them will not communicate.

We must keep the Gospel ready at hand, and be prepared to support our own views with Biblical documentation, when necessary. But sound reason and winsome conversation are extremely important in making the case for a Christian worldview. Are we up to the challenge? 

Resources for this topic

“I'd Like to Have an Argument, Please,” by Greg Koukl

“Let Us Reason,” by T. M. Moore

“Reasoning with the Unreasonable: Come Now, Let Us Reason,” by T. M. Moore

“Whatever You Say: Does Believing Make It So?” by Charles Colson

“A Skeptical View of Christianity,” by J. Budziszewski

“The Stories We Live By: Common Ground,” by Charles Colson

“Faith and Reason Trump Scare Tactics,” by Phillip W. De Vous

“Mind in Motion,” by J. I. Packer and Jerry Root

“Borrowers and Lenders,” by T. M. Moore 

Our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing, can help you to understand the importance of ethics and equip you to talk and reason with other about this important issue. Order your copy today from our online store. 

Activities

1. Ask some unbelievers you know whether they are interested in talking about their own views on matters of life, culture, ethics, and morals. Explore those views a bit. Then ask them under what conditions they might be willing to discuss such matters with a Christian, so that both positions could get a fair hearing. Share your findings with some Christian friends.
2. Find out if your church provides equipping for its members so that they can talk with unbelievers about their worldviews. Talk to your pastor or church leaders. Share this week’s Two-Minute Warning with a group of church leaders and lead a discussion over what your church can do to help its members become more effective in talking with unbelievers about the Christian worldview.
3. Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.
 

A conversation starter

Here’s a conversation starter you can use with your unbelieving friends: “As a Christian, I’m very interested in learning more about the beliefs of people from other worldviews. What do you believe about the big questions in life – where we’ve come from, why we’re here, and what’s to come of it all?”