Dig Deep and Defend
And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
I Peter 3:13-17 NKJV
If God is so loving then why does He allow evil in this world?
How would you answer that?
I have prayed for 30 years to God to save my kids from drugs and He hasn’t!
How do you answer that?
Why would anyone want to be a Christian.
There are so many other religions, so many other gods. What is so different?
It’s all the same god, right?
What’s your answer!
For any one else that has made the confession of faith in Christ alone as their Lord and Savior. Anyone that has repented, believed and followed Jesus Christ of Nazareth has or will get these questions.
Why Christianity?
We have been called to be ambassadors of Christ. We have been called to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to be His mouthpiece, His feet and his hands.
Yes, the Great Commission instituted by Jesus Himself. We are called to the highways and byways to spread the Good News of this soul saving Gospel of Truth!
We’ve also been called to defend His Word.
Are you able to give a defense for what you believe?
Will you suffer for righteousness sake?
We all want righteousness, but not suffering.
The Church as a whole is suffering, not in the ways that we would hope.
It’s not suffering for Jesus but suffering because of these questions.
Why?
Because the answer of
“That’s what the Bible says” just doesn’t work in our society today.
Our faith may be strong but our defense is weak.
Because our defense is weak there are people who won’t come to faith in the same Lord that we have entrusted our eternity to because they want answers before they will commit.
We will never have all the answers but can you make a case for why you believe.
Defend means to resist an attack. Can we resist the attacks that society has on Jesus?
Can we do it in a way that is honoring our Lord?
People want evidence today. They want to know what you believe and why you believe.
” if you can prove God exists then I’ll follow and believe”!
Sometimes we have to dig deeper than our testimony.
Can you dig a little deeper than that? Can you make a defense for what the Lord has made you responsible for?
The King of kings has bestowed upon us to not only Herald the Good News but to defend what He has spoken to all humanity in His Gospel.
At all costs. Even when they call us evil doers for speaking the truth.
Trying to shame us for following the Word of God.
Can we still give a defense.
Sharing your faith in Jesus and defending your faith in Jesus must go hand in hand.
They must compliment and complete each other!
We are starting to be silenced because we are unable and can’t give an account of what we believe.
So it is much easier to stay silent and just tell people that Jesus Saves!
Muslims believe Allah saves.
Hindus believe Brahma saves.
Why does Jesus save?
What makes Him so different!
It’s a sad day when those that don’t follow Jesus know more about Him than we do.
Many Christians have overlooked or cherry picked over the Gospels for themselves.
When we do that then we take Christ out of the Gospel and put ourselves into it.
We strengthen our egos to make ourselves feel better and diminish the One that has brought us through.
Salvation is a person! Always has been always will be.
Can we be like the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill in the Book of Acts in Athens and reason with the non believers.
They were always looking for something new. They would grope for truth and look anywhere to find it.
Today not much has changed.
They worshiped many Gods. Many statues and altars to each of them. So that none were missed one was dedicated
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
The Apostle Paul seizes the opportunity to share his faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth while giving a defense.
Acts 17:23-31
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Acts 17:23-31 NKJV
Learn this from the mouth of the Apostle Paul!
This is how you share your faith while giving a defense.
Never forget that Salvation is a person!
But in order to defend Him we must know Him.
Salvation is in the Precious nailed pierced hand of Jesus. It’s not what we do. It’s not an emotion it is by the grace of the Father that He gives us His mercy through His Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth!
Understanding that God is Holy, Righteous and Just. Realizing that one day He will judge all of humanity, who could stand on that day. God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus so that all that believe and call in His name will be saved.
Give the world and any that will ask today a defense of who your Savior is.
Not just what He did!
Be ready to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience.
Dig a little deeper today?
If Jesus can make a defense for us to the Father we should be able to make a defense for Him for the searching, hurting soul!
Pastor Ed