“What is faith?” asked the Sunday school teacher. A young boy answered in a flash, “Believing something you know isn’t true.” There are many people who feel this way. They believe that Christianity is a collection of myths or fairy tales with no rational basis.
Christianity is true and rational. It can be successfully defended. The case for Christianity is built on three things.
The first is personal experience. One of the strongest evidences for the validity of the Christian faith is its record of changed lives. Since Jesus arose from the dead, people of all ages and nations and backgrounds have met him in life-changing experiences. The conversion of the apostle Paul is a classic example (Acts 26). I have personally experienced this life-changing power myself. This record of achievement is evidence that Christianity is true. No person who has experienced it can doubt it.
The second is historical fact. Jesus was a public figure who lived at a definite time and place in history. The events of his life, including his resurrection, were common knowledge. They did not happen in secrecy or seclusion. The facts about Christ could have been easily checked by anyone who cared to do so. We, of course, cannot talk to the eyewitnesses today, but we do have reliable historical records in the gospels. This is exactly the same kind of evidence we have for any other historical event. The Gospel rests upon an objective historical foundation. It is as much a matter of fact as it is a matter of faith.
Finally, it is based on fulfilled prophecy. Hundreds of years before Jesus came, the Old Testament prophets foretold of the Messiah. These prophecies were common knowledge in the first century. When Jesus came, his life fulfilled all of them. The gospel of Matthew was written to show this. Prophecy is the work of God, as only he can foresee the future. Therefore, fulfilled prophecy is a strong evidence for the validity of the Christian faith.
This case for Christianity makes faith reasonable. However, becoming a Christian involves not only intellectual acceptance; it involves the surrender of the will. By faith you too can experience Christ.