J. Warner Wallace is a decorated and well-respected cold-case homicide detective from Los Angeles County, popular national speaker, and best-selling author. Many will recognize him from his appearance in the movie God’s Not Dead 2. In addition to his ongoing nationally recognized work with cold-case investigations, he has also spent his time applying his skills as an expert detective to investigate the claims of Christianity. He is the author of Cold Case Christianity, God's Crime Scene, and a daily blog.
In this episode, J. Warner discusses his career in law enforcement, his journey from atheist to Christian Apologist, the question of whether cops can be Christians, and more.
Here are some key takeaways from the interview:
On the objection of cops believing in God because of the presence of evil, Jim says, "The cops that are out there that think they have just seen too much junk to believe in a loving God have probably spent more time thinking about the junk than they have been thinking about the nature of why God might allow that."
He goes on to say that God is a loving Father who allows certain things because He is operating in view of eternity. "We are eternal creatures that start here and end…never. God has plans that extend beyond our 90 years on this planet. God has eternity in mind." Just as a father doesn't buy his daughter everything she wants or doesn't stop her from learning certain lessons "the hard way," God has our eternal best interest in mind.
Is being a Christian compatible with our identity as law enforcement officers?
We are in the culture, uniquely positioned to enforce the moral laws of God.
We are case makers with the unique skills necessary to make a case for God.
We are in the unique place of having a job that still has the attention of the culture. The culture is still interested in what we do. Just look at the shows that are on tv.
For those of us who are Christian cops, what approach do we take to reaching our brothers and sisters?
Don’t argue politics and hot topic issues that are contentious, especially on social media. It seems there is no longer a “reasonable middle.” We are so divided and polarized as a nation. Instead of addressing those extremities, address the heart of the issue, which is, "Do they trust that the Bible is reliable, and do they take it seriously?”
Shift your priorities, and invest the time in studying why Christianity is true, why the Bible is reliable, and develop a strong case so that you can answer the questions others will present. Take something off of your plate in order to put on something better.
Earn the right to be heard. Be excellent at what you do as a cop. Be a hard worker that others respect and will look to.
Share what you believe. It’s not enough to earn the right to be heard. Once you have earned that right, you have to speak up and answer the question, “Why are you a Christian?”
Watch J. Warner Wallace's scene in the movie God's Not Dead 2:
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