What do I say when I get a tough question?

Have you ever been enthusiastically witnessing of Gods goodness, when all seems to be going well until your listener asks you one of those questions? You know what I mean when I say that. I am sure that you often get asked questions like, “Why did God create the Devil”? or perhaps, “Why does God allow so much evil and suffering in the world”? Quite possibly the most common question is, “Why would a loving God send people to Hell”?

It is true to say that the thought of having to deal with questions like these means that some people shy away from what Jesus commanded them to do, which is to share the good news. But in answer to that, we have some great promises from Jesus that we should remember when we take the all important step to witness for Him.

“But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” John 14:26

 “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict”. Luke 21: 15

The scripture above like all others is true. I can assure you that the Holy Spirit always turns up when you share the Gospel. It is amazing how it happens. He really will give you the words to say, as well as bringing scriptures to your memory. You will often finish talking and ask yourself, “Where did that all come from”? God always keeps His promises. He isn’t like you or me thankfully.

When dealing with any kind of objection there are a few very important points that you need to remember:

·        Whatever you are asked, make sure that you don’t look fazed or surprised. You will get asked some strange questions sometimes.

·        Always handle objections with the love of Jesus in your heart. Don’t be confrontational. Your listener must see the love of Jesus in you.

·        Reply with something like “Thank you, I am really glad you asked that question”, or perhaps “Thanks, that’s a really good question to ask”.

·        If you don’t know the answer, admit it and say that you will find out.

·        When getting the “Hell” question the answer I always give is simple and to the point. My reply would be: “Thanks, that’s a good question to ask me, because God didn’t create hell for you or for me”.

This answer usually means that the person you are talking to ends up with a surprised look on their face. You will discover that most questions asked are from a lack of knowledge. If the person asking had read the scriptures, there would be no need to ask the question because they would already know the answer.

If a person denies it, or doesn’t like your answer, it doesn't mean it isn't real

You could say something like this:  “Hell was originally created for Satan and his angels. In the future it will only contain those who join Satan in rejecting God. When a person believes that they don’t need forgiveness of their sin, they will end up joining the Devil who rejected God from the beginning.

“Let me ask, could you honestly believe in a God who would become a human being and then suffer at the hands of humans, and be killed by them, all so that His death could be the payment for their sins? That is an extremely loving thing to do.

“God saves people who deserve to go to a lost eternity - and to be honest, we all deserve that. Remember that the same God does this, also died for them. If they reject what God has provided, then what is God left to do”?

“Whether you believe in something or not does not change the fact of its existence. Jesus spoke often of hell and warned us so we would not go there”.

With all of this the best thing to do is to get out there and share Jesus. Have a look through my previous blogs and you will find lots to help you to be an effective witness.

God Bless.