https://youtu.be/HiGjtQEVpuw

We discuss Dr. Lutzer’s new book, We will not be silenced.

https://youtu.be/HiGjtQEVpuw

Dr. Page, the best guy to see on the worst day of your life, and welcome to life’s about living. I have with me today, Dr. Erwin Lutzer. He’s been a pastor for years. He is the director of running to win.

He has a new book called, We Will Not Be Silenced. I want to just kind of begin this conversation talking a little bit about the psychology of atheism. Many people say that Christianity is a crutch, a psychological crutch. I want to see what dr Lutzer has to say about that.

Dr. Lutzer:

Well, first of all, the issue is not whether or not Christianity is a crutch. The really issue is, is it true? Is it based on truth, because we don’t want to play around in illusions. I say to all those folks.

What we have to do is to investigate the evidence, but you know speaking about atheism. First of all, atheism is irrational. We talked about that in a previous segment. Okay, but more than that. What I’ve learned doctor is that there are atheists.

Atheists are atheists because of anger. I’ve, never yet met an atheist who wasn’t angry at god. He looks around and sees the evil that happens, and he says you know if there’s, a god and all this is happening.

I’m out of here. One time there was a um, a man who came to our home uh to do some fixing. He was a handyman and of course i witnessed to him about the christian faith, and he said this to me. He said if there’s, a god i’ll, go to hell and i’ll, defy him forever.

Oh really. Wow. And I said to him: well, I guess you can do that. There are a lot of people who seem to be in line with you. I think you will have plenty of company. But I said uh think of how foolish that is number one.

God is not going to be put off. God’s, not going to say oh, what am i going to do with this person? Who’s? Defying me? You know it’s possible that a row boat can try to take on an aircraft carrier, but it’s rather foolish.

I said here’s, a better decision. Why don’t you flee to Christ, who died to save us from the wrath to come and who bore? God’s wrath on behalf of all those who would believe on him. Isn’t that a much better idea, rather than to say that you’re, not going to take advantage of what God has provided now.

Christianity is narrow. The way to heaven is narrow, as Jesus said, it’s narrow, but it is available to everybody. So admit your sinfulness and believe on Christ, as your savior and you’ll be exempt from the wrath to come.

Now he didn’t do that. But here’s my point. Atheism really is a heart issue. It is not an intellectual issue. Here’s another thing about atheism that is so critical for every skeptic to believe.

If you don’t believe in God there’s, no hope that there will ever be justice brought to the evils of this world. Because evils of this world cannot be used for a higher purpose in the neighborhood. Where we lived, there was a Jewish man who was an atheist and sometimes we walked together. We fell into step, going to the train or whatever, and I said to him, “Aren’t, you troubled by the fact that Hitler will never have to give an account for the evil that he did?

He’s, going to get away with it and everybody who does evil is going to get away with it. And he said, “Yeah that is very troubling.” That’s why those who believe in Christ and who believe the bible have hope. We believe that this isn’t the end. That injustices will be addressed and throughout all of eternity we will sing, just and true are thy ways: thou King of saints.

So if you want to have the belief that there’s, hope for the future, that even the evils of this world can be used toward a much better higher and by a sovereign God, you’d, better, come to believe in God.

You’d, better, come to believe in christ because that’s. The hope that you have when you do, dr lutzer, i just have one more question. I want to ask you, so we’ve, been talking about your book. We will not be silence which is available on amazon um.

Dr. Page

You know, and I really like that point about the fact that atheism is essentially not intellectual. It is an anger, repressive, psychological response. It’s, not necessarily an intellectual response. That’s, just a smoke screen. But why are people so hostile to Christianity? I mean you know: people aren’t really that hostile towards Buddhism or Islam or whatever.

But when we start talking about this exclusivity of christianity, seeing about people there’s, just this there’s. This angry repressive response. Why is that?

Dr. Lutzer:

Well, there are two reasons why people are sometimes angry at Christianity.

One is because christians haven’t really been that nice, and so the idea is you know if that’s, a christian i don’t want to have anything to do with him or her. The other reason has to do with the issue of truth.

The idea that the way to heaven is narrow is offensive and the reason that it is offensive is everybody thinks that they have and that they’re, actually good people. I’ve talked to hundreds of people in my life I’ve, never met a bad person.

He’s all well. You know i’m, pretty good, and so, if god grades on the curve, I should be able to make it. This idea that i’m a sinner and cannot contribute to my salvation and must only receive it freely as a result of a gift.

You know that runs very counter to human nature. It does because we all want to think that we can contribute. Be not that bad and the reason we think we’re, not that bad is we judge ourselves by our own standard? It’s like a little boy who said I’m 10 feet tall and he was according to the ruler that he made.

So we like to make our own ruler, and we like to say you know, i’m. Really this good person, god’s standard of holiness, is so high and he so hates sin that if we understood how sinful we are through and through and even on our best day, our motives are often mixed.

We’d, understand why he cannot receive one little shred of our own righteousness because it is all contaminated that’s, why only the righteousness of jesus christ meets his criterion so when we admit our sinfulness and put our faith in christ, We receive righteousness from christ is a free gift.

We are welcomed as sons and daughters of the most high, and that is the best news your listeners will ever hear.

Dr. Page:

Dr Lutzer. That is good news. It’s, interesting that um. Yes, christianity is exclusive and there is a one way, but the good news is that god has made a way and that’s.

The thing that i think so many people don’t want to uh. They try to repress even psychologically. We Will Not Be Silenced, by Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Go and get this book. I think you’re gonna be encouraged in your faith.

Also gonna help. You understand what’s happening in our culture today, and maybe some of the uh, the the thinking and some of this, the thoughts behind this that are undermining our society and our culture.

Dr Lutzer, it was fantastic having you on the show and having you on life’s about living. We hope to have you on sometime. We appreciate all that you’ve done. We appreciate the fact that you are challenging the way that people think thank you so much and remember.

If i might say the book is available on amazon, we will not be silenced. We will not be silenced by Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Please text lal to 66866 to join our podcast and our show Dr lutzer. Once again it’s been an honor.

Thank you, connect with us by texting lal to 66866. If you’ve missed an episode that you enjoyed and want to share it with a friend or family member. You can find it on our youtube channel life’s about living or you can find it on our website.

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https://lifesaboutlivingshow.com/2021/02/21/dr-erwin-lutzer-discusses-culture-on-lifes-about-living/