The University Front: Why It’s Important

The gospel was planted in my heart and mind when I was a young boy, but it seemed it never took root, even though it sprung up for awhile. Now don’t ask me as to how God’s electing purpose works out in each individual because I don’t have the details. I honestly don’t know if I was saved from then on and just entered a long “backslide” into sin, as I always felt conviction is my willful sin, yet continued to pursue it, or if I were not saved at all then. Either way, and we can argue about this another time, I had no life change after my altar call experience.

Eventually parents will recognize their children enter a stage filled with constant inquiry. Questions such as, “Why does it do that?” followed with “But why?” are experessions of the child trying to understand the way things work. Well, I had questions; lots of questions and no one could provide exhaustive and adequate answers. I was 12 at the time and I was somewhat mature for my age so language and vocabulary wasn’t a problem, it was just that I lacked the right answers.

Now this may seem controversial, but a worldview in which no one can explain it is not a very appealing one and it’s not a biblical one. Yes, of course we’re not told to understand God THEN repent and believe, as I can hear the fundamentalists arguing while calling me a heretic, but Peter himself has told us to defend the faith, being ready to give an answer for our hope. So do we dismiss Peter as a high intellectual who trusts solely in his arguments? No, rather we recognize the ordained plan of God being brought about by individuals including apologetic dialogue.

One of the major things that brought drew me to God, whether I was saved or not, was a documentary I watched on evolution. In my junior year I had deeply planted my feet into fascism, evolution, admired Adolf Hitler and saw sex, drugs, etc as just lifestyles. This documentary literally shattered my belief in evolution as it presented scientific evidence to suggest a Creator. Now, I’m not an evidentialist in my apologetic approach, I firmly believe that presuppositions are the problem of how one views this world, but this film did not convince me on a logical/reasonable ground that God exists rather, it revealed to me that it’s how I interpret the evidence.

Even after watching the film, I still had to deal with the evidence that seemed to suggest that we do evolve and that all living things have a common ancestor. It was clear to me at that point that I couldn’t be so sure about what I believed, not because it was about reasonable vs unreasonable but it was about presupposition vs presupposition. I had never had anyone tell me what I saw in this film and it revealed the error in my worldview. I’m not supporting the idea that we’re regenerated by intellectual argument, but I am showing it’s importance in that it’s plants a seed; a seed of Truth.

Our colleges are the last line of intellectual confrontation. Most adults have a downward slope in their interest in studying, as their now in their current profession and have a bought the idea that grade school through college is enough; just make money and have fun now. Our public education system is a sham, the curriculum is liberal and the standards have fallen so low for the sake of leaving no child left behind. College evangelism gives us the opportunity to let people hear things they will not normally hear; the gospel and a proper view of the world.

I’ve had many experiences in Athens, Georgia where individuals have said, “I’ve never had anyone be able to answer that”. Of course no one repents on the spot and admits recognition of their error, and maybe some don’t even remember the conversation due to the alcohol, but we can plant the seed of Truth. One thing you may realize when you begin confrontational evangelism is that it’s not what you expect. Most new evangelists think their going to have the full attention of the lost and it go smoothly, but this is hardly the case. Evangelism requires lots of patience and it helps to have knowledge on a wide variety of issues.

Looking at evangelism through the lens of human effort would bring one to the conclusion that we should be prepared, as Peter said, to give a defense. It’s not our job to regenerate sinners but it is our responsibility to not slack in our learning. No one ever gets too old or too smart to learn news things. If you know that individuals are going to have questions about science, philosophy, culture and government, things that have to do with our life, then why wouldn’t you want to seek out Biblical answers? If your conclusion is one of contentment in ignorance, under justification of sola fide, then you probably shouldn’t be an evangelist.

College campuses are an important front and it is crucial that we fight for it. Most college are recognizing the effects of evangelists by increasing the law enforcement officers, changing their patrol routes and encouraging stricter enforcement of free speech, public disturbance and creating an aggressive environment. I give you my honest word that I’m not like the one’s on YouTube who desire to stur up conflict through calling people names and intentionally saying harsh things. My desire is to see sinners saved from the wrath of God while pointing them discipleship in a Christian worldview.

I hear a lot of talk about how poor the public education system is and how ungodly it has become, to which I agree. So I must ask, what are we going to do until we get rid of it? Beside homeschooling our children, can’t we attempt to reach out to others by taking a weekend to evangelize or even communicating through the Internet? The more soldiers we have on this front the more likely, I believe, that God will brings sinners to repentance. We are not the cause of regeneration but we are the means and failing to see this will result in another generation of secularism.

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