Don Stewart :: What Objections Do People Have about Becoming a Christian?

There are a number of objections that people make to keep them from becoming a Christian. They include the following.

Objection One: I Don't Need It—Christianity Is Just A Crutch

"Life is fine the way it is. I have no need of anything. I can stand on my own two feet. I don't need Jesus Christ." However, we all need Jesus. God is not a luxury He is a necessity. You may feel fulfilled in your present lifestyle, but that satisfaction is at best only temporary.

Jesus said.

For what advantage is it to a person if they gain the whole world, and they are destroyed or lost? (Luke 9:25).

You may have everything material and emotional in this life, yet you may lack the most important thing of all, knowing God personally through Jesus Christ. Maybe you do not have a lot of earthly possessions, but you still have peace of mind in your simple lifestyle. That's fine. You still need Jesus Christ. If you feel Christianity is just a crutch, it must be said that all of us use one kind of crutch or another to get by. Admitting the need for Jesus is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of wisdom.

Objection Two: There Are Too Many Hypocrites

One common excuse that is used to reject the Christian faith concerns the number of hypocrites in the church. A hypocrite is an actor, a person who puts on a false face. He says one thing, yet he does something else. Examples of hypocrisy, both past and present, are readily pointed to, many of which involve people in the ministry. This supposedly invalidates the Christian faith.

Yes, there are people today who go to church and are hypocrites. Their lives are inconsistent with what they say they believe. This, however, does not invalidate Christianity. It just demonstrates that some people who claim to be Christians are hypocrites. For every example of a hypocrite, a counter-example of someone living consistently with his Christian beliefs can be observed.

Part of the problem is the failure to distinguish between hypocrisy and sin. All Christians are sinners but they are not all hypocrites. A person becomes a Christian by admitting they are a sinner and with God's help they try to keep from sinning. Jesus had some very strong words for those who were practicing religious hypocrisy:

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in (Matthew 23:13).

Objection Three: I'm Already Good Enough

Why should I become a Christian—I'm already good enough to go to heaven. I've never killed anyone; I've lived a decent life. If there is a heaven, I certainly deserve to go there. This view misses what the Bible says about a person's relationship to God and heaven and how to get there. The Bible clearly says, in many places, that good works are not credits toward heaven. Jesus' disciples asked Him what kind of works would get them approval from God:

"Then they said to him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent" (John 6:28, 29).

Paul wrote.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).

We hope that you're not trusting in your good works to get to heaven. None of us, no matter how good, can make it on our own.

Objection Four: I'm Not Good Enough Yet

"I'm not good enough now to be a Christian—I still have some bad habits. But when I stop doing these things, then I'll be good enough to be a Christian." Unfortunately, a lot of people hold the view that being a Christian is the same as being a good person. They observe their lives and see some habits that are not consistent with what they think a Christian should be and think that only when they change their lifestyle can they become a Christian. This involves two misconceptions. First, a Christian is not a "good" person. A Christian is someone who is a sinner and who has admitted that fact, and has asked God for forgiveness. Second, no one can or ever will be good enough to be a Christian. Merely breaking a few bad habits does not make a person acceptable to God. God's standard is one of perfection. The only way to approach God is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Objection Five: I'll Never Be Good Enough

Another excuse people use to keep from becoming a Christian is that they will never be good enough. They feel that their lives have been so ruined that God could never forgive them. Others believe that they do not have the ability to be a Christian or live the Christian life. They mistakenly think God doesn't want them. Fortunately, there is good news for both types of people. No matter how bad you have been, no matter how much you have ruined your life, there is still forgiveness available. Jesus Christ said,

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

He also said.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).

What great news! You have not passed the point of no return. God can and will forgive you if you ask Him.

There is also good news for those who do not feel they have the ability to live the Christian life. The Christian life is not a difficult life to live—it is an impossible life to live. You cannot do it. It must be lived through us by the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells each believer. It is God working through us who makes it possible.

Objection Six: Maybe Someday I'll Believe, But Not Now

Whatever the excuse may be, these people are not yet ready to become Christians. The problem is that tomorrow never comes. We all believe we will live a long life but which of us can say how long we will live? Jesus gave the following parable:

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).

We do not know when it will be our time to die. The Bible encourages us to trust Jesus Christ now and not to put it off. Do not wait until the eleventh hour to repent—you might die at ten-thirty!

Objection Seven: I Don't Want My Life Changed

"My life is fine the way it is." People like these realize that becoming a Christian would mean a changed life. Some people would rather continue in their sins. Jesus said,

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).

People whose highest goal is to give themselves pleasure are called hedonists. Hedonists will sacrifice anything for their own selfish interests. However, rejecting Jesus Christ to wallow in sin is self-defeating. While securing pleasure for a season, these people are storing up an eternity of judgment and separation from God. Since accepting Jesus Christ is the ultimate satisfaction for any human being, hedonists owe it to themselves to consider Jesus' offer of the free gift of salvation and the genuine joy of a fulfilling abundant life in Christ. Wouldn't it be worthwhile to think about exchanging the transitory pleasures for an eternity of happiness?

Objection Eight: I Don't Want To Believe

When it comes right down to it, many people reject Christ simply because they don't want to believe. It is not that they cannot believe; they will not believe. One of the miracles Jesus performed was raising a man named Lazarus from the dead. The religious leaders who knew of this fact not only wanted to kill Jesus for this they wanted to kill Lazarus also. They wanted to destroy the evidence! Their unbelief certainly was not because of lack of evidence.

A Christian friend of mine has a radio talk show in which he interviews a variety of guests. He told me that over the years, he has had occasion to interview dozens of atheists, and agnostics. He always asks them the question, "If I could prove to you, to your satisfaction, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that He did come back from the dead, would that make a difference in your attitude toward Him?"

Almost everyone he has asked has said no, it would not make a difference. As with the religious leaders of Jesus' day, these people do not have a problem of the mind, they have a problem of the will. No matter what the facts may be, they refuse to believe.

Objection Nine: I Don't Want To Be Religious

Many people believe that becoming a Christian involves adapting a restrictive lifestyle. Since this is what their idea of a Christian is, they do not find Christianity appealing. Unfortunately some Christians give this impression. Jesus, however, said that He had come so that we might have life abundantly (John 10:10). Rather than being a dull, boring life, the Christian experience is one of adventure and fulfillment. It's exciting being a Christian! We have the freedom to be the person that God has created us to be. While it is true that there are certain things that God command us not to do these commandments are for our own good. Jesus said.

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

Objection Ten: What Would My Friends Think?

"If I become a Christian, I would lose my job my wife would leave me, my friends would think I'm crazy." This excuse is common, but it is not valid. We're always afraid of how the other person is going to view what we are going to do. People might think we've gone off the deep end. We don't want to risk that, so we remain in our secure position, even though we know it isn't right. Any division caused by serving Jesus Christ is based upon who is following the truth and who is not. Jesus made it clear that those who follow Him are seeking the truth: "

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

What kind of friend is it who rejects you because you find peace, joy and satisfaction? A real friend will be happy for you. The Bible makes it clear who your real friend is: His name is Jesus:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

Objection Eleven: I Don't Understand The Issue

Sometimes people do not become Christians because they do not understand what it is all about. The ignorance can be self-imposed or merely a lack of information on the subject. Self-imposed ignorance about Jesus Christ is common. People do not know about Jesus because they do not want to be responsible to Him. Moreover, the Bible teaches that this ignorance is something that the unbeliever is actively participating:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of humanity, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).

There is another type of ignorance where people are unaware that it is possible to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. They think Christianity is just another religion, practiced by going through the motions. It is a ritual, a set of laws. There are many who are still unaware of God's gift of salvation.

Objection Twelve: It's Not Relevant

"This is the twenty first century. How can someone who lived two thousand years ago have any affect on my life today?" People feel they have more important things to do then worry about the identity of Jesus. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If Jesus Christ is the Lord of the universe, and if eternal happiness and peace with God is only available through a personal relationship with Him, then there is nothing more relevant to your entire existence. It does matter.

Although people come up with a number of excuses concerning why they don't want to believe in Jesus, none of the excuses are any good.

Summary

There are a number of common objections that people offer when confronted with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Some feel they do not need Christianity because it is just a crutch for the weak. Others believe there are too many hypocrites in the church. There are those individuals who believe they are already good enough to get to heaven. Others feel they are not good enough yet but someday may be good enough. However there are those people who think they will never be good enough to reach heaven so they do not try. The message of Jesus is often rejected until some later time in the future. There are certain people who do not want their life change. Consequently they will not listen to the life-changing message of Jesus. Some admit that, for whatever reason, they just do not wish to believe in Jesus. There is also the worry that a person might have to be religious if they become a Christian. Some people worry about what their friends would think. There are those who do not really understand the issue at hand. Finally, there is the objection that the Christian faith is not relevant any longer.

All of the objections have answers to them. The problem is that many people will not take the time to find the answers. Whatever the case may be, no one has a legitimate excuse for rejecting the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.