Class: Investigating and Defending the Gospels #9: When do we have enough evidence?
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12092015InvestigatingAndDefendingTheGospels#9DonRuhl
Purpose: How to determine when there is enough evidence to make a conclusion
Investigating and Defending the Gospels #9
When do we have enough evidence?
Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • December 2, In the year of our Lord, 2015
- What persuades you, may not persuade another person.
- What led you to believe in God, the Gospel accounts, creation, et al.?
- The film, Patterns of Evidence, showed me that dating biblical events or biblical books is important, although I never used to think that way.
- Is there enough evidence to persuade someone that God exists, that Jesus is the Son of God, that the Bible came from God, et al.?
- Do we need to know everything before we can come to a conclusion?
- What more could we possibly show someone that would persuade him?
- Will we always be able to answer every question?
- Matthew 27.42 shows the enemies of Jesus demanding yet another sign.
- Scripture provides enough information:
- Deu 29.29
- Luke 16.27–31
- People doubt for various reasons:
- Rational – They have reasoned through the evidence, but do not see what we see, or they believe an alternative explanation exists.
- Emotional – They think badly of God, the Bible, the church, or something that has turned them off.
- Volitional – They have decided that they will not accept any evidence.
- Can you make a decision without all the facts?
- We do it all the time.
- We get enough information that we can make a reasonable decision.
- Mr. J. Warner Wallace uses a puzzle to illustrate the point.
- Can you assemble enough pieces to know what the total picture is?
- How do you answer someone who says evil denies the existence of God?
- They argue
- that if He is all-powerful, He would stop the evil;
- that if He is all-loving, He would stop the evil.
- Since evil exist, they conclude that either
- He is all-powerful but not all-loving, or
- all-loving but not all-powerful,
- in both cases denying that He is God, or
- simply that He does not exist.
- The response:
- How do we determine what is evil?
- Will the standard of right and wrong change with society?
- Evil exists because man chooses to do evil.
- Love necessitates that man have a choice, otherwise, his love is robotic.
- God will stop evil
- 2Pe 3.1–13
- Think of heaven and hell.
- Why do they exist?
- If God stopped evil now, He stops all things earthly.
- Do atheists want God to stop them when they do evil?
- They argue
- We make decisions without knowing everything, because
- we can gain enough evidence that it overwhelms us,
- showing the way to decide.
- Do not get discouraged.
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