We have an interesting topic in modern cultures. Have you ever heard of “Intelligent Design”? Imagine looking at a beautiful sunset and believing that only God could make that.

There is a division in modern thinking between people who believe in God and those who believe that everything we see, including ourselves, came about through a process of natural evolution. The latter group sees no reason to believe in God.

Here is a small example, in a very extensive debate, about the two opinions:

By insisting that god had to create the universe and life via magical incantations, instead of the processes uncovered by cosmology and evolutionary biology, they make their god so much smaller and insignificant than it could be. Is not a massive expansion of spacetime, followed by condensation of gas into stars and stars assembling into galaxies, supernovae spreading heavier elements into the cosmos, enabling the formation of our solar system, so much more impressive and grand than a mundane “let there be light”?

Read the full discussion: Why Evolution is considered more scientific than intelligent design

Feel free to read more, if you have the patience. Their basic argument is that they can’t see God or prove that God exists, so they can’t believe in God. They can’t believe in something that is invisible.

Brace yourself; that is a logical argument, and as believers we should have an answer. Jesus Himself taught that no one has seen the Father:

Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. (John 6:46–47)

The Believer Scale

Here is one way to think about this question: Where would you place yourself on a scale of belief?

There is a model of how humans behave in a belief system. This could include any religion or political persuasion. It is 40 / 40 / 10 / 10. These are essentially percentage numbers. This is more like sociology than math, but it’s a good model to understand. It can clear up a lot of confusion and arguing.

One expert looked at one religion, which I will not name, but the analysis was:

• About forty percent of the followers were dedicated converts who truly believed.
• Another forty percent were members of the community and didn’t usually rebel. Maybe membership was good for business or gave a good personal reputation.
• About 10 percent tolerated the beliefs and participated in the community but were more interested in other areas of life.
• And then there were the rebel ten percent who were cynical and rebellious. They probably belonged because their parents required it, or their reputation and job security depended on their membership, but they didn’t like it.

These percentages are only approximate, but they provide a framework for thinking about the different levels of commitment people may have within a spiritual community.

I am writing as a Christian who has been involved in church leadership and Bible study groups. These experiences have convinced me that leaders need to understand who is genuinely following and who may simply be participating outwardly.

What message do we need to give these people? Which category best describes the audience we are addressing?

I have also travelled through all of these categories in my lifetime.

Sometimes we have revivals in churches, and then the first forty percent of sincere spiritual converts can grow to fifty or sixty percent or even more. That group could find new spiritual life. Think about it:

There is a story in the Bible, where a man spoke to Jesus about spiritual truth and Jesus told him something radical.

I believe this man belonged to the second 40-percent category: he participated in religious life, but his wealth and social standing appear to have been especially important to him:

If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19: 21 and 22)

I think that the rich and religious man was told to become a spiritual follower of Jesus, which is the first forty percent.

We should also know that Jesus told his followers in the first, spiritual category:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

These words speak directly to the modern debate between believers and atheists. We may not be able to prove God’s existence simply by pointing to the universe, but we are called to reflect God’s character through our lives. The rich man was challenged to make that kind of commitment, but he walked away.

It’s easy to show that God exists. Believe and let you light shine. You will win the argument.

This is a lesson every believer should remember.