Nicky Gumbel comments that people make all sorts of excuses for ignoring the claims of Christianity. Here are six of the most common ones:
- ‘I have no need for God.’ When people say this they usually mean they are quite happy without God. What they fail to realise is that our greatest need is not happiness but forgiveness. It takes a very proud person to say they have no need of forgiveness.
- ‘There is too much to give up.’ Sometimes, God puts his finger on an area of our lives which we know is wrong and we realise that we would have to give things up in order to enjoy this relationship with God through Jesus. But we need to remember: a) God loves us. He asks us only to give up things which do us harm. b) What we give up is nothing to what we receive. The cost of not becoming a Christian is far greater than the cost of becoming a Christian. c) What we give up is nothing compared to what Jesus gave up for us when he died on the cross.
- ‘There must be a trap/catch’. Sometimes people find it hard to accept that there is anything free in this life. They think it all sounds too easy; there must be some hidden trap. However, what they fail to realise is that although it is free for us, it was not free for Jesus. He paid for it with his own blood. It may be easy for us. But it was not easy for him.
- ‘I’m not good enough.’ Not one of us is good enough. Nor can we ever make ourselves good enough. But that is why Jesus came.
- ‘I could never keep it up.’ We are right to think we could never keep it up – we cannot by ourselves. But the Spirit of God, who comes to live within us, gives us the power and the strength to keep going as Christians.
- ‘I will do it later.’ This is perhaps the most common excuse. Sometimes people say, ‘I know it’s true – but I’m not ready’. They put it off. The longer we put it off the harder it becomes and the more we miss out. We never know whether we will get another opportunity.
Source: Nicky Gumbel, 30 DAYS: A Practical Introduction to Reading the Bible, 2006, Alpha Publications, p.30-31