Lee Strobel News

It's an invaluable tool for Christians to reaffirm their own spiritual conclusions, as well as for their seeking friends who are in the midst of investigating where to invest their faith. Here's a quick description of the faith paths:

The Relativistic Path. This approach is tempting for many people in our increasingly postmodern world, where “I have my truth and you have yours.” Somehow the followers of this path assume that whatever they decide to believe will magically become true for them. Even though this approach doesn't work in any other area of life, they convince themselves that it will be trustworthy in the spiritual realm.
The Traditional Path. Many people merely accept the spiritual tenets passed down to them through their parents. We can see this in the way that Christians tend to beget Christians and the way that Islam is spreading largely through high birth rates among Muslims. Because of family loyalties, these traditions can have a strong hold on people. Of course, the beliefs we inherit from our parents may or may not be correct. Clearly, they need to be tested to see if they're based on reality.
The Authoritarian Path. This is similar to the traditional path, but in this case people submit to the ideas of an influential and sometimes forceful teacher or organization. Sometimes this comes in the form of cult-like sects that are very controlling toward their adherents. Or the authority could be a particularly mesmerizing communicator. Again, these teachings may be right, but the credentials and claims of these authorities need to be carefully assessed.
The Intuitive Path. Some people rely on their instinct – sort of a gut feeling – to tell them which direction they should go in their spiritual life. This “sixth sense” has proven helpful to them in other areas and so they naturally trust it when considering spiritual realities. Unfortunately, without the right kind of discernment this approach can take them to some dangerous destinations.
The Mystical Path. Believing God communicates to them in direct ways, some rely on supernatural “tuggings” to guide them to the right faith. A good example is Mormonism, where missionaries routinely urge people to read the Book of Mormon and see if God confirms its truth through a burning in their hearts. First John 4:1 offers critically important advice in this regard: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
The Evidential Path. Here, people use logic, facts, and real-world experience to test the claims of truth. This approach can be applied to the other spiritual paths to determine whether they're leading to the right results. In addition, the evidential approach is especially useful in figuring out whether Christianity – or for that matter any other spiritual point of view – is based on reality or wishful thinking.

As Mittelberg explains in his entertaining book, each path has various strengths and weaknesses in guiding people toward spiritual conclusions.

Mark's book makes a great “Spiritual Stocking Stuffer” for this holiday season. He wrote it not only for Christians, but especially for your friends and family members who are looking for clarity in their spiritual lives. You might want to get a few copies and give them to friends at Christmas – the time of year when people tend to be more open spiritually.

When we help seekers diagnose which path they're treading, assist them in avoiding its pitfalls, and expose them to the logic and evidence that uniquely support the Christian faith, we're introducing them to the only spiritual option truly qualifies to be called the way, the truth, and the life.

If you'd like to see a short video of me interviewing Mark about his book, click here: www.ChoosingYourFaith.com

To obtain copies of Choosing Your Faith, visit your local bookstore or click here.