How to Share the Gospel With An Agnostic
Basic Description
Someone who calls themselves agnostic believes there is no proof for the existence of God, so you could say they neither believe or disbelieve in God. In other words, God could exist, but no one can currently prove that.
Questions You Can Ask
- Have you had any sort of religious background?
- How did you arrive at the spiritual place you find yourself now?
- Do you ever secretly wish you could know for sure that there was a God
who loved you? - What would āproofā for Godās existence look like to you?
- Are there things you believe in that have not been proven to you?
- Do you think people are basically good? How do you explain the presenceĀ of evil in the world?
- Have you ever thought about the possibility that you might be wrong aboutĀ what you believe about God? (Be ready to answer this question yourself!)
Areas You Can Admire
- Their willingness to ask honest questions about life and God.
- Their belief that much truth can be discovered.
- Their belief that people should treat each others with fairness and justice.
- Their desire to be a good person.
What An Agnostic Believes
About Agnosticism:
An agnostic believes that their belief system is the most rational and reasonable worldview, sometimes because of the ‘damage’ done by religion throughout the centuries, but mainly because itĀ seems to be the most consistent with the observable world according to the scientificĀ method. However, they are usually open to the idea that God could possibly exist.
About God:
This person believes God can’t be proven or disproven, so in the practical sense they basically don’t believe in God.
About the Trinity:
Like God, the reality of the Trinity would be a possibility.
About Jesus:
An agnostic believes Jesus was either just an ordinary person, or never existed at all. They will oftentimes refer to the ‘Jesus-Myth’ or ‘Jebus’ (a sarcastic reference to Christ).
About the Bible:
This person believes the Bible is a collection of myths, half-truths, and lies designed to lead ignorant people astray and give power to religious leaders over the masses.
About the Afterlife:
The agnostic believes the reality of the afterlife is a possibility, because it can’t be proven or disproven.
About Salvation:
In an agnostic’s mind, there is no need for salvation from sin and hell.
What the Bible Teaches
About God:
God identified Himself as “I Am” (Exodus 20:2) – meaning He is the self-existent (had noĀ beginning or end) eternal Creator of the universe.
About the Trinity:
There is one God and yet three Persons (Isaiah 45:5; Deuteronomy 6:4; James 2:19).
About Jesus:
Jesus is fully God and fully man. He is not just an enlightened man. He is the God of theĀ universe (John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 10:30. Compare Titus 2:13 and Isaiah 45:21), and He isĀ equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
About the Bible:
The Bible alone is the word of God. It is without error. It cannot and should not be added toĀ or subtracted from (2 Timothy 3:16-4:4; Revelation 22:18-20). It backs up its claim as theĀ word of God with accuracy, historical correctness, and fulfilled prophecy.
About Salvation:
Every person born on this planet is born into sin, is destined for hell and needs a Savior.Ā Salvation is by faith in Christ on the basis of His death on the cross. Good works orĀ self-denial have nothing to do with being saved (John 3:16-17, 36; 6:29, 47; Romans 4:1-5;Ā Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Those who trust in Christ alone as their only hope of salvation spend eternity in heaven; those who reject Christ spend an eternity in hell. (John 5:24-30; Revelation 20:11-15).
Things to Remember
- Don’t argue over whether or not God can be ‘proven’, because that usuallyĀ puts you on the defensive, and the bottom line is you can’t really ‘prove’ GodĀ in the scientific method sense.
- Focus on the observable evidence of God that is built in to creation like how ‘fine tuned’ the universe is to support life, otherwise we wouldn’t even exist. This fine tuning simply could not have happened by accident. For example, the earth is the perfect distance from the sun. If it were just a few miles closer, we’d all burn up. A few miles further out, and we’d all freeze to death!
- Try to work what is called ‘Pascal’s Wager’ into the conversation – whichĀ goes something like this:
- It makes more sense to believe in God than to not believe. If you believe,Ā and God exists, you will be rewarded in the afterlife. If you do not believe,Ā and He exists, you will be punished for your disbelief. If He does not exist,Ā you have lost nothing either way.
- If they ask questions like: “How do you know which god is God?” – focus on the claims of Christ as being the only way and proving it by coming back from the dead. Remember to bring this up as a conversation starter, and not as an intimidating threat.
- Bottom line with an agnostic: Remember that you cannot argue someone to faith in Christ, but you can (and should) live in a Christlike way so those around you sense something different, which opens the door for you to explain the ‘evidence’.
For Further Research
- Pick up a copy of Greg Stier’s bookĀ Dare 2 Share Field Guide
- Check out the Evidence of God in Creation website