Religion and Theology

 A Search for the Spiritual Exploring Real Christianity

Introduction
James Emery Whites A Search for the Spiritual Exploring Real Christianity offered readers a concise tour throughout the common questions about the Christian faith.  It involved all that were significant to known for an unbeliever or any other Christian wanting to know the basics of Christianity.  It was viewed to be significant, especially for people who have not known Jesus and have not accepted him as their Lord and Savior because of the straight to the point and thoroughly explained case White had constructed for the spirituality of human beings and why Christianity remained relevant even after more than 2000 years.

Chapter 1  The Benefits of Becoming a Seeker
This chapter opened up the chapter with the story of Mark, a skeptic that was always trying to find the evidence for everything before he would believe in it, who was able to test and approve the Christian faith, in the end becoming a Christian. He presented anecdotes that represented most of the stories of unbelievers. White opened up the book with a story that was sufficiently relevant to clinch the hearts of those like Mark.

White followed presented the revelation that Sociologist Wade Clark Roof presented that this generation was one that was in search for purpose and meaning. They lived in a culture that was defined by spiritual seekers, questions, answers, and every other effort to fill in a spiritual void.  It was a time in history wherein people realized that what they were looking for was spiritual in nature that that their deepest desires could not be addressed by anything else in society.  The problem, as White described, was with the fact that people, despite their realization for a need for God and to claim the power of Christian spirituality, continually failed to do so because of a passive search to fulfill it.  White presented in this chapter the benefits of being a seeker, something that human beings were created to be.

According to White, as human beings, we are spiritual creatures. We are incurably religious.  Even if it did not manifest in Christian faith, this aspect of a persons being is real and could not be denied.  White placed it more accurately using Blaise Pascals words we have a God-shaped void in our lives that only be filled by God.  This tackled the innermost desires that most humans have to seek something bigger than their lives and themselves.  This was a desire that the Word of God could address in the constant times that God sent out an invitation for humans to seek him because it was how He had created them to do

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good to give you a future and a hope. When you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,  says the Lord. I will bring you home again.

White also pointed out that the benefit of being a seeker allowed one to have an open mind because someone who avoids the search will have no basis for what they believe in.  As the saying went, those who do not stand for something will fall for anything..  This was an amazing attribute of the way God created humans. It was sort of one of his ways by which God intended to reveal himself to humans, through their search for Him.  It was personal and at the same time it was based on intellectual honesty, as people who search decide based on what they conceived through their search.  White pointed out, If you think youre right, if you think you know Christianity is false, but youve never checked it out, you really dont know.

This was why it was important that believers should know what to believe and why they believe in it. When a person searches for truth and found it, it would serve as the most valuable foundation for faith. White attested to the test of what he should believe in, if its true, it will hold up. White presented a personal testimony of the kind of faith he wanted to have, something that could stand up even in the face of intense scrutiny.  It was not just about making a decision to embrace Christianity and giving ones life to Christ, it was about knowing why.  Most of all, the promise of the Bible was, if one sought, God promised that the seeker will find what he or she is looking for.

Chapter 2  How to Explore Christianity Authentically
In the second chapter, White took a bold approach to challenge seekers to seek Christianity in an authentic manner, in such a way that it addresses real concerns in a straightforward manner. He offered an exploration of the faith and not a hard sell of Christianity to unbelievers.  In his words, this book was designed for readers to check out Christianity for themselves.

It was significant for White to have the readers approach Christianity, as well as the contents of this book, with an open mind.  White stressed that an open mind was not about blinding accepting whatever one encountered.  It was significant for an open mind to evaluate opposing arguments, to possess healthy skepticism and to check the facts from personal study.  Thus, White described an open mind to have a balance between solid investigation and willingness to accept what one would find.

It was also important to know beforehand what one was looking for in order to have standards and expectations by which one would base ones discovery on.  However, one also needed to have fair expectations about it and not expect a quick solution to the worlds problems.  While the Bible promised eternal life and a new purpose for living, as well as experiencing the power and work of God in the Christians life, it did not mean that it promised a quick fix to all of ones problems in life.  Furthermore, White warned against expecting to find how Christianity could complement ones lifestyle, instead of changing it.  Whites straightforward declaration regarding the Bible, His truth is not designed to complement your life but to redirect it, change it and transform it.

In the effort to seek with an open mind, it was important to start with the source documents of the Christian faith, mainly the Bible.  Since Christians believed that God reveals Himself significantly in the Bible, it was important to start by studying the Holy Scriptures.  Even Jesus, when he was asked about the Christian faith, but he still emphasized on going back to what Christians considered as the manual for their faith.

White offered practical suggestions such as starting with the modern translation.  Not because there is less power in the other translations, such as the King James Version, but because it was just easier for the person of today to understand translations that they could understand.  The purpose of the Bible is for it to be understood. If the translation becomes a barrier and would prevent believers from reading the Word of God, the Bible becomes useless to them.  Furthermore, since it was a library of books, readers could choose where to first begin reading.  Common recommendations included the four books about the life of Jesus, Matthew, Mark Luke and John.   White went on to suggest other books and how it could help the person start exploring about Christianity using the Bible.

White also suggested on focusing on Jesus, throughout the exploration of the Christian faith.  He expounded on focus to mean that seekers must come in to terms with his identity.  Jesus was the only major religious figure that had the bold declaration that he was equal to God.  Thus, spiritual seekers must seek to prove this, in whatever way available to them.  Finally, White suggested the importance of finding a church that could help the seeker explore Christianity.  The church experience was described to be a significant part of the process because the seeker could interact with Christians, listen to their stories.  According to Whites analogy, Thus, finding the door to spiritual truth, opening it, and walking through it make up most of the significant journey you can ever undertake, for on the other side not simply spiritual life, but life itself.

Chapter 3  Is Somebody Out There
White opened up the third chapter with one of the most amazing stories by which people come to know God was that of former atheist and journalist Lee Strobel.  His story was one of the most remarkable journeys of faith, wherein he sought in the way he knew best, using his legal and journalistic skills. At the end of his investigation, his conclusion, It would take a lot more faith not to believe in God than to believe in God.

After White presented the prerequisite for seeking Christianity, from the point of view of unbelievers, he began with the initial discussion about the existence of God.  This, in itself, would require numerous theological and philosophical debates to cover, but White was able to present the essential concerns in defense for the Christian faith.  While others would argue that one could not prove that God existed, others will argue that one could not prove that God did not exist.  Thus, it was more difficult to meet at a common ground with the idea that scientific methods could fix everything and test if God existed, once and for all. However, White pointed out to believers and non-believers alike that there are things that one could not prove in terms of science, but continued to be real in societys perspective, such as love and freedom.

White continued to discuss the different ways to know that God existed, using arguments such as cause and effect, design and order, human personality and choice.  White went on to discuss basic principles from Thomas Aquinas regarding the proofs for Gods existence. White used scientific laws and principles to prove that God existed, such as the second law of thermodynamics and presented the need for an ultimate cause.  Furthermore, he also provided significant illustrations about the proof that there is a God because the universe and everything in it were the way they were and that it was impossible for everything to come together by chance.  The precision of the human body, the solar system, the animal kingdom and the way everything else worked pointed towards the existence of an Intelligent Designer.  Furthermore, there was order in the world and an invisible force governs everything.

The human personality was another proof that White offered because of the capability of human beings to think, reflect, feel and reason.  Each person was not just made unique by the external features of the body, but by the different set of personalities that people had.  Thus, it showed that a God existed to have been the origin of the persons thoughts, feelings, and reason.  This was not something that could have been caused about by a blast from huge masses. It needed to be from something more than that.  The personalities of humans pertained also revealed something about God.  The desire to be loved, the kindness, the generosity, and the inclination for beauty all came from God.  At the end of the day, it was the persons choice to believe, based on the pieces of evidence presented to him as to the argument if God existed.

Chapter 4  What is God Like
There were many conceptions about what God is like, depending upon whose perception was considered.  There had been many real perceptions of God based on subjective ideas, feelings and experiences from different peoples lives.   A common view about God was that he was viewed like, what White called as a cosmic cop. This view was created in the context that His interaction with the world was mainly about maintaining law and order.  He punishes crime or sin in the lives of people.  He was someone waiting for people to make a mistake. While it was true that God was the God of justice, truth, right and wrong, this was not all that he was.   In fact it was the complete opposite of a cop, God is slow to anger, compassionate and gracious, and abounding in love.   The fact that people to be stern, insensitive and rigid towards human weakness viewed God did not reflect the God of the Bible. Perhaps, it would be worthwhile to mention that most people view this because Christians reflected such a God in the way they turn self-righteous and condemn other people for their sins, which was something Christ never did.

Another popular view about what God was like was the celestial Santa Clause.  People view God like a grandfather figure that smiles at everything and gives people what they wanted.  Thus, they come to Him with a list of needs and wants that they think they were entitled to.  They view God to be convenient, comfortable and sate.  Santa seemed to be too nice and jolly to do anything else, and this was how they viewed God.

The Bible says something different. While this may present an ideal view of the God people want Him to be, it still fall short of who He truly is.  He was represented, in C. S. Lewis The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, as Aslan, the King.  The Santa Clause image fell short because it lacked the reverence that was due to God.  This should not be discounted into something like a mythical figure like Santa Clause.  One should not mistake God to be any less than the King of Kings. No one, no matter how powerful on Earth or holy, could be worthy to stand in front.  It is only because of His grace, that Christians could come to Him in a personal manner. White, the way Lewis described Aslan, a representation of Jesus, was not someone safe that people could take for granted to ridicule, nevertheless, He remains a good God.

Another misconception about God was the fact that He was a tyrannical ruler. The only way to please Him was through service and that people needed to work for His love.  However, this was not accurate.  While Christians are called to live their lives according to Gods will, they are not slaves they are children of God.  God becomes their Father because of Jesus Christ.  This meant that the Christian is the recipient of Gods special affection and is heir to His kingdom.

It would also be a mistake to think of God as a big man.  While it was true that God was all-powerful, he was not a man or a very advanced person.  He is eternal, immortal and the only God.  The Bible often used physical imagery to illustrate Gods personality.  However, He is not made of flesh and blood and His nature is incomprehensible to humans.  This is not to mistake Him for The Force.  While some images of God were too humanistic, some were said to be inhuman.  Some believed God was merely an energy or a force that moves people and operates according to the fate of the universe, making God an it, instead of a he.   According to the 10 commandments, it was a sin to distort the image of God and to make Him less than what He is or for humans to have a false image of who He is.  In a significant effort to show mankind who He is and what He is about, He sent Jesus, to be human and divine to show the world that He is and what He is like.

Chapter 5  Why the Life of Jesus Matters
White dedicated three chapters that directly focused on Jesus.  He began with establishing the significance of Jesus in history and in the world.  It was important for him to set the stage for the readers to actually grasp the reason why Jesus existed and the impact of his life on humanity. It was not just Christians that made the subjective interpretation that Jesus was God in human form.  It is something that can be found in his declarations when he spoke about his identity numerous times in the Bible. When he was accused of being demon-possessed, he answered, I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death, he went on to declare that he came before Abraham, even if the was not yet anywhere near old age to make it logically possible.

Jesus Christ referred to himself, as I Am.  This was something that God also used when He was conversing with Moses.   The scholars of the Scriptures knew this and this was why they accused him of blasphemy, because he outrightly said that he is God through that declaration.

There were numerous ways to respond to Jesus claims of being God.  Others simply referred to him as a liar. Then, it would mean that someone who taught about the standard for integrity and honesty was a big liar.  Furthermore, when he was mocked, beaten and tortured, he was offered pardon if he denied he was God.  White argued that if he were a conman, he would have denied it to save his life. His life depended on it, and he still chose to lie Others say that he was just a good man, maybe even worthy to be a prophet of God.  According to C.S. Lewis, as quoted by White, But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.  His life mattered because Jesus was who he said he was, God in the form of a human.

Furthermore, the way Jesus lived his life takes away the excuse the were only human.  Jesus was human and he did not sin.  The way he lived his life showed the standard for the way people should live their lives.  This was something that was possible if people chose to follow Jesus and depend on him to have the life that was meant for each one.   His life also mattered because of the teachings that were captured by the four Gospel writers.  People were described to be amazed by his teaching because he provided with the people an encounter with the truth.  This was something that people recognized.

Chapter 6  Why the Death of Jesus Matters
White discussed the common Christian claim that Jesus died on the cross for you, without having to explain why there was a need to die and why he had to die for humanity. This made it important to explain to seekers what sin is in order to give meaning to Jesus death on the cross.  White presented the Greek interpretation for the word sin and it did not come out as being evil or doing bad things.  Instead, it meant, to miss the mark.  The illustration for sin was someone missing the target even by an inch or a mile it was still considered as sin.

It was important to take note that the Bible declared that all have sinned and fallen short of Gods glorious standards.  Thus, everyone has missed the mark and no one is exempted from sin.  Furthermore, sin was not just failing to be perfect, it was about conscious decisions to disobey God and the choice humans make against their souls to go against the moral law and will of God.  What made Jesus death matter was the fact that the wages sin (singular, which meant it took only one sin to commit) is death.  Death here speaks about eternal separation from God, in Hell. It also talks about how sin breaks the relationship people had with God and the intimacy that was intended between Him and His creation.  Sin was simply about a rebellion against God and His character.

White also explained about the practice in the Old Testament wherein the payment for wrongdoing was the blood of an animal.  Despite the fact that the sin of mankind deserved death, God loved the world so much that it allowed payment through the blood of a sacrifice. To the wisdom of God, this allowed people to see the severity of their sin, through an act that was messy, gruesome, and costly, because sin is messy, gruesome, and costly.  However, the standard for animal sacrifices was also high and only those without blemish or mark could be offered.   Jesus served as the perfect sacrifice, the only without blemish or mark, because he was without sin.  He served as the fulfillment of the sacrifice that was needed for mankind to be forgiven once and for all. There was no need to sacrifice any further after him because when Jesus sacrificed for the sins of man, he offered himself.  This was something that humanity did not deserve.  They were worthy of death but received mercy and death was not given.  Furthermore, grace was even offered because of Jesus death on the cross to bridge the severed relationship between God and man.  White also discussed the power of Jesus death to restore humanitys relationship with God.  White stressed, Christs death on our behalf  if accepted  is what bridges the gap between God and us that was created by sin.

Chapter 7  Why the Resurrection of Jesus Matters
White presented the importance of the resurrection of Jesus in such a way that Jesus life and death would be meaningless to Christianity, if he was not able to rise on the third day after he die and overcome death.  It was because death could not hold him down that he has victory over sin and over everything the Enemy. The resurrection made the historical event complete.

It was because Jesus resurrected that people can place their trust on him.  No one could trust a defeated God.  It was the resurrection that validated his claims when he was on Earth that He was both God and man, because if he was not who he claimed to be his body will remain dead.  There were claims that came out that the apostles simply stole the body and lied about Jesus resurrection.  However, Biblical accounts would show otherwise.  White pointed out that from a frightened group of cowards, they became radical revolutionaries that were willing to risk their lives in order to spread the message of the risen Christ.  This would not be logical if Jesus did not rise from the dead and they were dependent on a lie.  Furthermore, the Pharisees even asked for more guards for the tomb in order to prevent this very thing.   Apostles were willing to be martyred in order to spread witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

White continued to discuss other theories that attempted to discount the resurrection of Jesus, such as the swoon theory, wherein they say that Jesus did not really die on the cross but fainted from the exhaustion, pain and loss of blood. But medical experts defended the claim that Jesus did die on the cross.  The Book of Luke revealed that when the spear pierced Jesus, water and blood spilled out.  Medical analysts described this as the postmortem separation of blood into clot and serum, which proved Jesus was dead.  There were those that believed in the resurrection, not initially because the Bible said so, but on historical evidence alone.  Thus, Strobel was right that it would take more incredible to believe Christ did not rise from the dead than to believe he did.  White noted, it would have been more incredible for death to have a hold on him, since he was God in human form.
In order to answer the big so what after everything that happened and to really give meaning to Jesus life, death and resurrection, White presented the major point of the resurrection is the fact that God could give mans life victory, in the same way that Jesus overcame the cross.   No matter how dire ones state in life is, God could take this life and resurrect it and give it a new beginning.  Everything Jesus did was for mankind to be resurrected, in terms of forgiving mans sin and giving man a new life.  

Furthermore, the resurrection of God mattered because it gave power to the living.  Jesus victory on the cross gives Christians the victory they need to overcome every aspect of their life. White pointed out that there are many self-help books, seminars and retreats that tell people what they should be doing to have a better life.  However, these resources could not give people the power to do it.  The Bible promised that Jesus was the source of the power that would enable people to change their lives and live the way people are supposed to live (not miss the mark), and live victorious lives.
Without resurrection, there would be no hope for life after death.  This meant that life would have no purpose and meaning, if we would simply cease to exist after death.   Without hope beyond death, everything else runs out of momentum and sinks into nothingness. In short, the resurrection gives man something to live for and that everything must be done for the hope of the future in heaven.  It is through the resurrection of Jesus that a new life and a new hope are available for those who receive him as their Lord and Savior.

Chapter 8  The Bible
White also gave special attention to the importance of the Bible.  He gave numerous practical and just plain out undeniable reasons why Christians depend on the Bible tremendously for their faith.  It was out of the disputes against the use of the Bible as the basis of Christian truths. White revealed numerous points as to why it was integral to the Christian faith.

The first reason White provided was the fact that Jesus endorsed it.  He related it to how endorsements written by famous people and experts in a field sold books credibility. Thus, Christians found Jesus as the most credible person to endorse it. There were numerous instances wherein Jesus spoke about the eternal nature of the Word of God, which could be found in the Bible. Jesus endorsed the New Testament when he personally handpicked its authors.

The second reason that was popularly given but is nevertheless important for Christians is the fact that the Bible is inspired.  Inspiration meant that God used people to write the books of the Bible, however, they were moved by the Holy Spirit to do exactly what he wanted. White described the Bibles perception as to what it meant to be inspired.  It showed that it was God that placed the words in the minds of the Scripture book authors.

The Bible was also special because it claimed to be true. It was not just a mere collection of human opinions, it was declared to be true and trustworthy.  It was Gods direct words to humanity.  It was a means for Gods revelation.  Revelation in Latin meant drawing back the curtain and was often used to describe the Bible. God uses the Bible to reveal himself and his truth about himself, which could not be known otherwise.  It opens the eyes of mankind regarding the purposes, will and nature of God.  It could give guidance about virtually every aspect of human life.

Aside from the different things that described why the Bible special to Christians, White also presented a case as to how people could believe it.  White challenged the seeker to examine the credibility of the Bible, starting from the text itself. He addressed the questions about reliability and credibility.  There were proof in the text itself because of over five thousand handwritten manuscripts of the New Testament, in comparison to the 10 good manuscript of Caesar of the Gallic Wars. Yet, the world does not doubt the existence of Caesar. There were different translations because the Old Testament was written in the language of Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek.  There is a careful and tedious process in each of the Bibles translation, all for the purposes of reaching the language of different peoples.

The Bible also had historical credibility. This supported the fact that there is textual evidence for the credibility of the Bible.  The Bible is open for any examination for the historical credibility of the Bible.  White pointed out that the Bible had stood firm, even in the face of outside examination because of the overwhelming archeological evidence in support of the Bible.  Sir William Ramsay was one of the archeologists behind this and eventually became a Christian.  The Bible also possessed authoritative credibility, in such a way that what it says comes true.  If it did not have authoritative text, it would be weakened.

Furthermore, there were also claims that the Bible lacked internal credibility because it contradicted itself.  However, the truth of the matter is the Bible is consistent in its message from start to finish.   There were different ways by which this could be done, such as reading the document according to the context of its culture in order to understand the actual meaning of passages.  Thus, there were different ways to address and dispute that the Bible is full of contradictions.  White conceded that the Bible could be difficult to understand because it reflected different places, histories, languages and culture. However, the essential teachings and issues of the Bible left little room for confusion.  White quoted Mark Twain when he said, Its not the parts of the Bible I dont understand that disturb me, and rather its the part of the Bible that I do understand that disturb me.

Chapter 9  Why is There So Much Suffering
In a fallen world that is filled with suffering, White acknowledges the emotional pain that comes with the suffering that people witness in the world.  The worldview was based on the seemingly contradicting nature of God and the realities of suffering in the world.  However, White straightforwardly pointed out that the question about the existence of pain and suffering in the world should not depend on the Christian faith alone and it should be asked in all the religions should try to present an explanation of this.

The common line of thinking is if God is all-powerful and he could do whatever he wanted and yet he is also thoroughly good, why do bad things happen moreover, why do bad things happen to good people Since bad things happen, it was either God was not good or that he is not all-powerful.

White offered the reality of free will as a response to the question about God and His nature, with regards to suffering.  God made human beings to have free will in order for the relationship to have willing.  People needed to choose to love God, otherwise the relationship they have with God would have no meaning.

However, there were consequences of free will. The significant consequence of free will is the fact that people can choose to reject God.  This was what Adam and Eve did when they sinned and this is what people do when they continue to sin.  There needed to be consequences, otherwise they were not real consequences.  White quoted Philip Yancey in Where is God When it Hurts, the existence of suffering served as a scream to all of us that something is wrong that the entire human condition is out of whack.  This revealed that God was not the author of sin and suffering, it was humans. It was not a question as why did God allow something to happen instead, it was about why humans allowed it to.

While the free will could end up with terrible consequences, God determined that the gift of free will was worth giving.  If God steps in to stop the consequences of mans choices, it was similar to taking away the choice, thus the free will. White pointed out that God did not let the perils of authentic love hinder him from loving.  This meant that God is present in the suffering. The Bible says He cares about mans pain.  The good man, according to the Bible, does not escape all troubles but Gods help is available for them to be victorious over them.  White posed the question about how suffering will drive a person, away from God or to God.

Chapter 10  There Cant Be Only One Way
White tackled the common misconception that all roads led to heaven and that any spiritual journey a person is on, regardless if it was rooted on Christianity or not, would ultimately the same.  White pointed out that if this were true, there was no need for seekers to seek out for the spiritual truth they were looking for.   However, White also pointed out that if the idea of multiple paths toward God turned out to be wrong, the consequences would be wrong.  Thus, there was still a need to really determine if it was a sound idea to pursue a certain path that one could justify ones faith for.

White discussed that now more than ever there have been so many religions.  There is a belief that all religions are the same when it came to their basic principles. The religions of the world did have common denominators, such as the belief that there is a higher power, the existence of an afterlife, and the need for spiritual enlightenment.

Thus, there formed the misconception that any religious faith can be selected and was not important, than making sure one achieved spiritual development. White pointed out that when it comes down to the similarities of the world religions, there would be significant contradictions that would hinder the reconciliation of these beliefs.  In all this contradictions, somebody is right and somebody is wrong, therefore, one could not accept the fact that everyone believed the same thing.

There is also the belief that as long as one was sincere in ones faith, it was all that matters.  White argued that if this was the case, it was not what one person believed that mattered, it was only about how one believed it and one could be sincerely wrong about it.  Valuing sincerity was different from making sincerity as the only basis for spiritual truth.

Furthermore, there was the discussion that there should be no religious group that should think it is better than any other.  It was one thing to avoid persecution of people that did not have non-Christian beliefs, however, it would be a different issue to acknowledge that every religions belief was valid.  There was also the problem of the rejection of an absolute truth and the belief that truth was relative.   White pointed out that there was not any choice from a wide array of options that could produce the same result and experience, thus truth could not be relative.

Jesus bold declaration was that he is the way, the truth and the life and that no one could come to the Father, except through him.  The Bible declared that salvation could only be found in Jesus.  It was also not true that Christians are divided within themselves.  White defended that there is a unified set of beliefs, with diversity in the expression of faith.   The remaining question was, what about everyone else who was not a Christian White explained that no matter how good a person is, the Bible taught that no one is truly good.  Thus, no one could be in a position wherein he or she has a better relationship with God, because of his or her own goodness. The fallen nature of man revealed that no one is good.  Thus, it is only through Christianity that one could receive the grace to be good and righteous in the eyes of God.

Chapter 11  Disappointment with Christians
White narrated of the familiar story of the perfect bride, in her perfect dress and wedding, who threw up all over her and her entourage.  This was a fitting symbolism for the imperfect nature of Christians, despite the fact that there was an illusion of perfection because of what this faith stood for.  At the end of the day, humans are still frail, weak, and they make mistakes.  There is such a high standard for Christians that imperfection breaks through cynicism is thrown towards the Christian faith.

White dealt with the reality of this through a discussion of the real nature of Christians, because they are humans and because they live in a fallen world.  He acknowledged that some Christians are immoral. Even in the church of Corinth were said to have sexual immorality among them. There was also some Christian that had a spirit of intolerance for others.  They could be judgmental, unloving and even hypocritical. At the end of the day, people still need to be more like Jesus in the way he viewed and had compassion for other people, not because it was forced or required, but because of an overflow of Gods love in their lives.

There were also Christians, in their attempt to hold true to Gods distinction for those who are His and those who are not, turn into strange people.  While others become too uptight for others to be attracted to their company.  White acknowledged this truth and admitted that felt turned off by Christians before he became a Christian himself. However, while some people find that an out of synch approach to life was what worked for them, not all Christians were like this.
 Jesus did not call his followers to be weird. In fact, Christians in the early church enjoyed the favor of all the people because they were not strange, as White placed it, they were different but never repulsive.  Aside from the fact that the world could be disappointed with Christians, the world could also be disappointed with the Christian church.  White described how some people could view the Church to be boring, burnt out, bickering, beaten up, and as a business.

There was a need to deal with the disappointment that people had with Christianity.  Bottom line was Christians are not perfect they are just forgiven.  White pointed out that while Christians chosen a life to follow Christ and dedicate their lives to him, there was nothing that said they would turn into perfect and sinless beings.

Furthermore, no matter how dysfunctional a church was, it was the most authentic expression of a community. It was not a cult.  It was a community of people who are encouraged to be real and open for the care, love and support of other Christians.  Moreover, White declared that Christians should not stand in the way of seekers relationship with Christ.  At the end of it all, its between the seeker and God.  The real issue was about Jesus, not the weakness of the humans and the church that served him. Bottom line was, while Christians may disappoint you, Christ wont.

Chapter 12  But Will it Work
White started this chapter with the acknowledgement that life is difficult.  Thus, this led seekers to begin their spiritual search for the discovery of truth, not the discovery of coping strategies.  It was a real concern for seekers.  The honest reality was not the fact that if it was true or not, because it would not mean anything at all, if it will not work in their lives.  If Christians would be asked if Christianity worked, Christians would answer with a resounding yes but would quickly add that Christianity isnt true because it works it works because its true.

In reality, Christianity offers practical relevance for human life.  Jesus came to give people life, an abundant life, no less. Thus, Christianity was aimed as providing for the life the God intended for His people to have. Through Jesus life, he was able to demonstrate who Christians were meant to be and how life can be if it was lived surrendered to God.

Christianity also offers a relevant handbook for life, the Bible.  The pages of these books were used even in self-help books because of its practical and relevant advises that it had for every aspect of life.  It was as they say the basic instructions before leaving Earth. It also provides power to those who believe in God.  The same power that was in Jesus and his apostles more than 2000 years ago is available for Christians.  The Christian faith is also credible because of its track record in changing the lives of millions of people throughout time and history. If it did not work, these peoples stories would not be available to testify to just how much Christian faith does wonders in the lives of humans. Christianity based its trust on God, an all-powerful, all-knowing being with an everlasting love for humanity.  His faithfulness to His people shows enough reason why Christianity worked.  The question if Christianity worked was addressed by the answer yes, it worked because Christianity is true.

Chapter 13  Stop Signs for Seekers
White described in this chapter the fears that seekers may have for making a spiritual commitment.  Since Christianity, more than anything else entailed a personal relationship between the believer and Jesus Christ, it required commitment.  Thus, commitment could be accompanied by fears and anxieties that are related to the decision of to commit.

This was why it was important for seekers to truly study, understand and evaluate the spiritual patch, by which they would take.  Even Jesus was clear on this.  He did not want people to commit blindly, naively or superficially, instead he wanted people to make a decision based on their willingness to count the cost.  It was a choice to turn away from either the commitment or the fear of the commitment.

Unanswered questions are a major factor why seekers are unable to become believers. However, the problem is the truth about God could never be completely understood.  Thus, there will always be unanswered questions.  The goal of our spiritual search was never to find all the answers, but to find enough.

A loss of control was also a significant hindrance for most people. They fear that if they follow God, they would have to give up control over their lives.  Self-control was ultimately a driving force in their lives. Most of life is spent trying to get away from the control of others.  However, they needed to view it as gaining direction. Its about trusting the one to be in control to do a better job. When the person knows the person leading, freedom is experienced.  True freedom could only be experienced when it is God directing our lives.

Another thing that prevents Christians from committing is the fear that there would be no more fun.  They have a misconception that Christians who were serious about their faith is extremely boring.  However, Jesus was not like this at all.  The promise of Jesus was a life to the full.  A full life is anything but boring.

They are also scared that they could not keep it up.  White said this misconception goes against two important truths.  The first truth was that becoming a Christian was not about committing or following through.  However, the beauty of Christianity is that he just wants to let him start where you are. Another missed truth is the fact that you are not instantly transformed.   The Bible says that its a process.  God continues to work on the person.  It is by Gods grace that Christians can keep it up.

Finally, the biggest mistake is the stop sign that Christianity can wait.  The thought that there was no need to hurry existed because there was no sense of urgency. Jesus always lets his followers know that the stakes were high.  People should not leave without missing out on people. Sometimes, there were just no second chances.

Chapter 14  When the Search is Over
Each search has an end.  White offered readers two options.  They could reject Christianity and say that Jesus was insane or a liar, and pursue some other faith. On the other hand, they could abandon their spiritual search as a hopeless cause that could never lead to truth.  Furthermore, they could become a Christian.  White provided significant steps that, in a way, jumpstarts one into ones Christian walk.  First step was to own up to the truth about ones self. The third step is to believe the message and receive the gift of Eternal Life.  Many people have sought the truth.  The power of searching for the truth and asking for the truth more often than not brings the seeker to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, because he is who he claims he is, the only truth, the way and the life.

Conclusion
White provided a relevant way of explaining and reaching out to skeptics and other unbelievers regarding the saving grace of Jesus and the gift of salvation. He was able to distinguish key questions regarding the constant sources of confusions that non-Christians have.  They also receive logical answers to questions such as the significance of Jesus death and why there was suffering in the world.

White presented what could be one of the most pertinent books about exploring Christian spirituality as it related to the universal needs of human beings. It explains about the basic tenets of faith in the context of the personal relationship that Christians have with God.  Furthermore, it highlights the importance of God in peoples daily lives, which is made more significant by modern world that is driven by humanistic desires.

This book could be widely appropriate for unbelievers.  It answers the most important and valid questions they have towards Christianity with simple truths that they could easily understand, without being scholars of the Bible or philosophy.  It was also something that could remind Christians as to how they could mirror Jesus in their lives and how they could have an answer for their faith, which is what the Word calls for each believer to have.  Second, it was to be willing to repent and be changed by God.  Step three would be to believe the message.