7. John Ortberg’s Thoughts on Death and Doubt

Paul’s words — “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain” — confront us with life’s deepest questions. But what if we struggle to believe? Through C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, George MacDonald, and others, we see that even when certainty wavers, we can choose to live as if the gospel is true. Faith is not just mental assent; it’s the decision to live a life worth following, even amid doubt and darkness.

00:00 — What does “to live is Christ, to die is gain” mean?
01:05 — Why is it harder today to believe in life after death?
01:36 — What do we really know about what happens after death?
02:24 — C.S. Lewis on doubt and faith in The Silver Chair
03:36 — Is the Christian story just a fairy tale?
04:25 — Puddleglum’s answer: why I choose faith anyway
06:05 — Tolkien, courage, and fighting on the losing side
07:06 — George MacDonald: why I would live my life believing
08:24 — Would you still follow Jesus even if you doubted?
09:28 — Why living as if Christ is true is the only way worth living
10:24 — How to keep going with faith through grief, doubt, and loss

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF