Yes, his mind was not changed toward theism (let alone the Gospel), yes, he’s still a confident atheist … yet this act of kindness from a believer very well could be the planting of a seed that the Holy Spirit will use to later bring him to faith. May we pray this happens. Sometimes the best apologetic for our faith are not air tight logical arguments (though those are necessary for removing stumbling blocks and giving clear testimony to the Gospel) but genuine kindness and care for the souls of others. Our hope for his salvation is not in his “decision” or will to believe, for they both are in bondage to the blindness of sin and the hardness of the wrath of God that rests on him even at this moment (John 3:36). Our hope in evangelizing and apologetically defending the faith lies in the power of the Holy Spirit to grant those we come into contact with the eyes to see Him, the ears to hear Him, and a new heart that is submissive and responsive to God. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:8 … and the reason this is so is because God is sovereign in salvation, not us.
(Thanks for sending this my way, Ryan McCarthy)
Rory Baker
I used to be a pretty avid watcher of his “Bullshit!” series (think “Mythbusters” but not exclusively scientific and with Penn & Teller’s flavor of adult humor) until most of the episodes wound up turning in to a big attack on Christianity. I don’t know if that’s how they chose to air the episodes or if that’s how Showtime opted to run them. But I like Penn & Teller, and I find a comfortable familiarity with their sense of humor.
It was good to hear this.