How do you deal with people who object to your faith?
Notice I didn’t say the objections – I said the objectors. The people themselves. Because here’s something worth learning early: it is one thing to have good answers to objections. It is another thing entirely to have a good approach to the objector. You can win the argument and still lose the person.
So let me give you three things you can put into practice immediately the next time someone pushes back on your faith – maybe by telling you that Christians are all hypocrites, or that the Bible is full of contradictions.
Tip One: Listen and Empathize
Start by listening. God gave you two ears and one mouth, and that ratio is worth remembering. We should be doing far more listening than talking. And as you listen, empathize – genuinely try to understand the other person’s perspective, put yourself in their shoes, look for common ground, and wherever you honestly can, agree with them.
Let me show you how this works with one of the most common objections out there. Someone says, “I can’t believe in your Jesus – you Christians are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.”
That’s a strong charge. A defensive reaction would push back hard. But watch what happens if you lead with empathy instead:
“If I’m understanding you right, you’re saying there are Christians who don’t practice what they preach – who say one thing and do another. Honestly? I agree with you. In fact, let me go even further: there has never been a single Christian who perfectly practiced what he preached. The gap between what the Bible calls us to and how we actually live – that gap is exactly what hypocrisy is. So yes, Christians can be hypocritical, just like people in every walk of life can be. But you know what? That’s one of the very reasons people need Jesus. He’s the only one who was never a hypocrite – not in thought, not in word, not in deed.”
Here’s a detail that makes the point land even harder. Our word hypocrite comes from the Greek hypokritēs – and it originally meant a stage actor, someone who performed behind a mask. The truth is, every one of us puts on the mask at some point. Only Jesus never did. When you answer the hypocrisy charge by agreeing with it and then pointing past yourself to the only sinless one, you’ve turned an accusation into an open door.
Tip Two: Restate the Objection Without Judgment
Here’s the second move. When someone raises an objection, restate it back to them – without judgment.
Suppose a person says, “As far as I’m concerned, the Bible is just a crock of lies. It contradicts itself – I can’t believe any of it.”
A defensive person fires back: “The real reason you don’t believe the Bible is that it calls out your sin and shows you what you really are.” Maybe that even contains a grain of truth. But think about what it does to the conversation – it slams the door shut.
Now try restating it instead: “I’d imagine there are parts of the Bible that are hard to swallow, places that seem difficult to understand or piece together. Is that where you’re coming from?”
Do you feel the difference? You haven’t conceded that the Bible is false. You’ve simply shown the person you’re actually listening – that you want to understand their perspective before you respond to it. As Proverbs 15:1 puts it, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Restating an objection without judgment is one of the simplest ways to give a gentle answer.
Tip Three: Help Them See Another Perspective
The third move is this: gently help the person see another viewpoint – God’s viewpoint.
The unbeliever is certainly entitled to his own perspective. But so is God. And one of the most loving things you can do is help someone understand how God sees things – especially when it comes to how a person can come into a relationship with Him.
So what is God’s perspective? It’s not complicated.
It starts with an honest look in the mirror. Every one of us is a sinner. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.” Or as Romans puts it, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And here’s what raises the stakes: God is infinitely holy. He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. Habakkuk 1:13 says to God, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor.” God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. He has zero tolerance for sin.
So there’s the problem. We have a sin problem, and we have to deal with a holy God – and on our own, we are completely stuck.
But God resolved it Himself. He sent His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world – and Jesus was no mere Jewish carpenter going about ordinary business. This is the sinless, impeccable Son of the living God. He intentionally went to the cross to die for your sins and mine. And He didn’t stay dead – He rose victorious over the grave, and He is alive today. The promise is simple: if you come to Him with genuine, saving faith, He will never, ever cast you out.
What Will You Do With Jesus?
Well, let’s gather it up. When someone objects to your faith, don’t aim only at the objection – care for the objector. Listen and empathize. Restate what they’re saying without judgment. And gently help them see God’s perspective. Do those three things, and you’ll keep the door open long enough for the gospel to walk through it.
But let me turn the corner here, because everything I just described as God’s perspective isn’t only something to share with a skeptic. It’s a question that lands on you, too.
You’ve just read how God sees it: you’re a sinner, He’s holy, and on your own you can’t bridge that gap. But Jesus already bridged it – He lived the perfect life you couldn’t, died for your sins, and rose again. And the promise stands for you exactly as it stands for anyone: come to Him in faith, and He will never cast you out.
So here is the oldest and most important question there is – the one even Pilate had to face: what will you do with Jesus?
You can study Him, admire Him, argue about Him – and still never come to Him. Don’t make that mistake. Becoming a child of God isn’t about church membership or religious effort. It comes down to one decision: receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, trusting in His death and resurrection for you.
Don’t leave that question unanswered. Settle it today. Come to Him – and step into the relationship with God you were made for.
