“The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints”

I was persuaded into buying this book when someone posted it on Facebook as it’s currently only 99p on Kindle. A couple of days before, I’d had a really awkward 30 minute train journey sat next to an ardent (and argumentative) atheist who spent the entire journey trying to pick holes in my faith. All I can say is I really wish I’d read this book before that encounter and not after.

The book is compiled of two parts; a list of commonly held doubts or questions about the Christian faith, and refutations for those doubts, followed by a list of reasons why we believe. It was written in a really accessible and straightforward way, so it would be perfect for non-believers as well as those who just want to know how to speak to them.

I highlighted so many key verses while I was reading this book that it’s hard to pick out just one or two, but I think these are the ones that stuck with me the most:

“C.S. Lewis gives us another metaphor for knowing the truth about God when he writes that he believes in God ‘as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else’.”

I’ve heard this quote a few times in the past, but it’s a perfect explanation to give to someone when they ask you to explain why you believe.

“Sin is not simply doing bad things, it is putting good things in the place of God”

I’ve never really thought about it like this before. The word “sin” to me always brings to mind being ‘naughty’ or disobeying commands, but putting things like money, possessions, fame or popularity in the place of God and worshipping them is exactly the same.

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued and that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time”.

As a Christian reading this sentence, it just reminded me of how loved I am as a child of God and how no matter what I may feel, I can be confident in this identity.

As I said before, this book is still 99p on Kindle at the moment, so I’d highly recommend it if like me, you’d like a bit more ‘oomph’ behind you when you’re talking to people who don’t believe, especially those as forceful as my lovely train companion!