The Mysterious Path to Belief
By James W. Sire
It should go without saying that we cannot induce a person to faith, piety, commitment or regeneration. Intellectual agreement is neither faith nor conversion. It may—in fact, it should—lead to faith. But often it doesn't. As the apostle James says, “Even the devils believe” that God is one, but their response is existential fear, not faith. They “shudder” (Jas 2:19).
The path to belief is mysterious. Sometimes facts and reasons stare us in the face. We can see them, even agree with them. Yet we turn away and don't act as if we knew them at all. At other times, we hear an argument and see the evidence, and before the case is fully made, something clicks. The penny drops. We find ourselves convinced and act accordingly. There are many reasons for this, but in any given instance we may not have a clue. Why did we fall in love—or out of love? Why did we think a particular politician was such a Godsend? We voted for him. When and why did we change our mind? Why don't we vote the same way a second time?
[C. S.] Lewis, describing a time when he was a theist but still not a Christian, makes this fascinating comment: “I was driven to Whipsnade one sunny morning. When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Yet I had not exactly spent the journey in thought. Nor in great emotion. . . . It was more like when a man, after long sleep, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.”
Roy Clouser recounts a similar experience: “A woman I know had been an outspoken atheist for years. She surprised me one day by speaking about God. When I asked how she came to believe, she said, “Nothing really happened, I just woke up one morning and it all looked true. I have no explanation.”
Apologists as apologists are themselves not present in the process of a person's coming to belief. From the perspective of both the apologist and the believer, belief seems to be something that just happens. An apologist who has the joy of seeing a skeptic make the step to faith after reading one of his or her books or listening to a talk or participating in a conversation must not attribute the cause to the aptness of his or her apologetic. Rejoicing with the angels is quite enough.
. . . Sometimes after I have made an apologetic presentation, someone will say, “You have given all sorts of reasons why someone should believe. But I haven't heard you speak about the Holy Spirit. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in your apologetic?” My answer has been rather cryptic: “The Holy Spirit is nowhere and everywhere in my apologetic.”
On the one hand, unless I am specifically talking about the doctrine of God, I do not mention the Holy Spirit directly. Nor do I imagine that once I have reached a certain point in my presentation I reach for a pitcher of the Holy Spirit and pour him into the bowl of the auditorium. There is no way I can release his power into the argument and the audience. The Holy Spirit cannot be manipulated. To try to do so is blasphemy. He plays no role that is under my control at all—ever!
But on the other hand, I desire the Holy Spirit to be everywhere in the apologetic. And he is. He is preparing those he has been calling to himself long before they hear anything I might say. He is in me as I prepare and make the presentation; he is in the presentation, and he is present to those who listen. He is the secret ingredient in every apologetic. He is the One who enlightens and brings people to faith; he is the One who lives in each believer to confirm that faith and foster spiritual growth from spiritual birth to eternity.
Of course, prayer before, during and after one's presentation is always appropriate. But there is no particular “Holy Spirit way” for an apologist to prepare, no special “Holy Spirit technique” by which the presentation can be bettered. The Holy Spirit is nowhere (never to be used) and everywhere (always doing his thing).
* Excerpted from James W. Sire, A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics (IVP Books, 2006). Find it at InterVarsity Press, Amazon, and other major booksellers.
— James W. Sire (1933-2018) was a widely respected apologist, author, and lecturer who worked for more than thirty years as senior editor at InterVarsity Press. His many books include Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept, Apologetics Beyond Reason, Habits of the Mind, and the seminal text The Universe Next Door, which has sold nearly 400,000 copies.
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