"I have studied the Bible and I know what God has to say. My faith is strong and my salvation is assured. What else is needed?"
We must be equipped to share our faith with the lost of this world while there is still time.
What are the reasons that people give for not giving their lives to Christ? Is it likely that others will be convinced of God's truth simply by observing your faith?
Perhaps you did not need to reason out your faith. Maybe you were raised in a Christian home with a strong family and have seldom doubted the truth of the Bible. What about those without your advantages? What about those who need strong, rational support for such a life-changing decision?
I have no doubt that there are sincere unbelievers that are simply waiting for someone to offer them a good reason to follow Christ, and perhaps some evidence to support that decision. Are you ready to present it?
Paul defended his faith. All Christians are commanded to be ready to give an answer, or "defense," for the reason of their hope in Christ:
Acts 22:1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you..."
The word here for "defense" is apologia, meaning "a speech in defense of what one has done, or of truth which one believes."
The formal use of this word is used by Paul in Acts 22, "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you..." and in 1 Cor. 9:3: "My defense to those who examine me."
The Bible commands us to defend our faith
1 Pet. 3:15 "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence..."
Apologetics implies a reason. Peter uses the word defense (apologia) in 1 Pet. 3:15 like advice from a lawyer in responding to an accusation from the court: "Why are you a Christian?" You may have heard the preacher's phrase "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would you be convicted?" In this case, the meaning can be "If you were on trial for not being a Christian, could you prove that you were?"
Link - http://home.houston.rr.com/apologia/sec1p3.htm
3 comments:
I really like the last statement - "If you were on trial for not being a Christian, could you prove that you were?"
Tough question to answer honestly.
cas
i agress cas - the last statement was a good one.
i also like how it mentions - believing because you were brought up in a christian household. is that really a good reason to believe? maybe. but then it would reason that someone who was brought up in a non-christian household could say the same about the reason they believe in their faith. as a christian, we may dismiss that as adequate "reason" to believe something.
While reading the link attached with the study, the concept of using the term "defending" rather than "witnessing" really struck a chord. Defending implies effort in constructing an arguement, while witnessing could imply more of an emotional arguement.
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