In a California community college a Christian student was preparing himself for his career. At the college were a number of students who did not believe the Bible, and they took every opportunity to make fun of the Word of God.
One of the professors also took part in these discussions and tried to rob the Christian of his faith in God. On one occasion, after severe abuse had been heaped on the Bible and on the student who defended it, the professor suddenly declared: “The only way to settle this matter is for this Christian to write an article in defense of the Bible and its teachings, and I will choose another from the class to present the other side.”
The professor, of course, was careful to select one of his best students, one whom he thought capable of refuting any argument his opponent would advance.
The date for the contest was set. Both students set to work preparing for the debate. The Christian student sought wisdom from God as he searched the Word of God. The unbelieving student also read the Bible, perhaps more studiously than he had ever thought of doing. In fact, he found himself pouring over the Book far into the night as he sought for evidence to prove the Bible untrue and contradictory.
The day of the debate arrived, and the classroom was filled to capacity with an expectant crowd. After the usual preliminaries, the professor called on the Christian to take the floor and present his findings. Calmly, with dependence upon the God of the Bible for help, he walked to the platform and read his paper. It was composed largely of actual quotations from the Book itself. He made few comments, because the passages quoted were clear in themselves.
The professor now called upon his favorite student to read his paper in refutation of the one the Christian had prepared. Silence gripped the audience as the champion of atheism walked briskly to the front of the room. He too faced his professor and fellow students calmly as he began speaking: “Honored professor and fellow classmates, I thought it unnecessary to prepare a paper on the issue at hand and will give you, orally, the result of my investigation. First, let me assure you, I have spent many hours searching through the Bible in an exhaustive manner for evidence of its untruthfulness. I read the New Testament through three times and the gospel of John sixteen times. I searched carefully for possible contradictions, but found none. The more I read and studied the Bible, the more I became convinced that it was not of human origin . . . I seemed to be reading a Book written directly to me and for me. I saw the sin and folly of my life, and I am now a firm believer in the Bible as the Word of God. Not only do I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, but I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour!”
Imagine the electric effect of this young man’s confession upon that body of students as well as upon the professor who had counted so much upon his defense. After a painful silence while the professor struggled to regain his composure, the class was quickly dismissed.
Have you, like the college student, read the marvelous gospel of John sixteen times—or even once? Have you, like this young man, discovered your “sin and folly”? God’s Word declares: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). Since you and I have sinned, we need a Saviour. How wonderful to read in this same book that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).