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I became acquainted with Michael Green in 1970 from reading his book
Evangelism In The Early Church. It was thorough, biblical, and just what I
needed at that time in my studies and spiritual life. His credentials are
outstanding, from a Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, where he teaches
evangelism and New Testament Studies, to Regent College, Vancouver where he is
professor of evangelism.
Avoiding Jesus is a book that you will enjoy reading, at least from the view
of knowing how to answer skeptics, cynics and the curious. Green, who has
ministered globally, states that no matter where he is, he finds that men and
women tend to come up with the same answers and almost universally is the notion
that “Oh, but all religions lead to the same God.” “If not that,” said Green,
“then ‘Oh, I have not time for religion.’” Most the responses range from
shallow, to escapist, to not wanting to take the time to investigate the truth
of Christianity or any other religion.
It makes an enormous difference if there is a God or not, says Green. We
cannot bury our heads in the sand. I would add, we cannot do the same by not
knowing how to share the Gospel with those kinds of people.
This book contains 12 responses, excuses, or attempts to ignore the truth.
More specifically: I’m not the religious kind. You can’t believe in God these
days. All religions lead to God. I can do my best. No one can do more. When
you’re dead, you’re dead.
You will find him responding to the scientist who sees no need for God:
“There is nothing in the scientific method that can either demonstrate God’s
existence or disprove it. But for what it is worth, the basic presupposition of
the scientific method strongly supports the existence of the mind behind
matter.” Or to the person who says “if you are right about Jesus, are other
religions all wrong?” To which Green says, “By no means.” But you will not find
God revealed in any other religion in fully personal terms who rescues us from
sins and self-centeredness. The idea “I must earn or pay something for my
salvation” is present in one way or another in all other religions. There is a
universal feeling that we must do something to earn our salvation. Green
responds by using Jesus’ description of our human condition. The good religious
Pharisees failed at earning God’s pleasure, forgiveness, and salvation.
After going through argument after argument with the skeptics and cynics,
Green concludes, “If, in Jesus, God himself has come to look for us, it clearly
will not do to imagine that as long as we are sincere, it does not matter what
we believe. Nor will doing our best solve our problems.” Of course the answer is
Jesus Christ.
This book is worth reading and using in a study group, especially for parents
and youth workers to use in ministering to youth and in other small group
settings to train people in knowing how to share the Gospel, clearly and
biblically.
- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator
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