“ … but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV)
… has the life of Jesus benefited the human race? Can anyone say that the world is a better place because of his existence?
Above are the questions that were given in a response to a post on social media about the relevance of Jesus Christ to the human race. The poster of the above question believed that Jesus’ life had not benefited the human race and also mentioned how many crimes had been committed in Jesus’ name. How would you respond to this person’s questions? Would you run from this conversation about Jesus or would you see this as an opportunity to defend your faith and share how you believe that Jesus’ existence is the game changer for the human race?
We are living in a time when questions and comments like the social media post above are becoming more and more the norm. As we see people in the western world move further away from the things of God and rely more on the intellect and innovation of humans, the perception that we don’t need God will become more entrenched than ever. So how do we as believers counteract this new trend? What can we do to help reverse this mentality? We can start by having a loving, willing heart along with an equipped mind to be engaged in these challenging conversations when the opportunity arises.
Loving, Willing and Equipped
It’s a loving and willing heart that desires for the person on the opposing side to see the truth about God and understand the love He has for them through the person of Jesus Christ. It’s a heart that is compelled to share because they want the other person to taste and see the goodness of God just like they have. It’s not a condescending arrogant heart that seeks to knock down the opponent so they can’t get back up. Instead it’s a heart that is compassionate, gentle and no longer evaluates others from a human point of view but sees them as God sees them (2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT). God has not given us the role of judge as stated below in Romans 2:1(NIV):
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
As followers of Jesus, we have a hope that we believe can never be taken from us. As our focal verse says, we are to share this with others in gentleness and respect, not condemnation as all of us fall short of God’s standards.
Holy Spirit + The Word of God
So where can we start to help someone else see Jesus and his life as the greatest gift to mankind? Wisdom in such matters requires the guidance of the Holy Spirit which was promised to the disciples years ago when they were faced with contentious individuals who were opposed to the authority of Jesus Christ:
“And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12 ESV)
I believe that the same promise applies to us today as followers of Jesus; that the Holy Spirit will help us with what to say when we are faced with similar situations. In John 14:26, Jesus clearly stated that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (ESV). All that Jesus has said lies in the pages of the Bible; pages that God gave us to be opened, studied and meditated upon. That we may be spiritually nourished and equipped to have meaningful and impactful conversations that help others know the truth about Jesus and encourage them to know Him personally.
How absurd would it be if a person comes to a believer to ask about Jesus and that believer cannot give any insight on the One they profess to follow. Why not? Because the word that reveals Jesus has not found a home in this believer and is not present to be used by the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to others. That’s like going to the car mechanic seeking guidance on how to fix your car but they can’t really help you because they never took the time to study how cars work. One’s unequipped state makes them of little use in the big scheme of things.
Ways to Be Equipped
So, here are a few things one can do to become equipped to defend what they believe:
Join a bible study group (in your local church, community or internationally such as Bible Study Fellowship) that has the purpose of helping you become more intimately connected with Christ, knowing exactly who He is and what He has done for you through the word of God.
Take a course on evangelism and apologetics. Apologetics is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse (Source: Wikipedia). Lee Strobel, the best selling author, has partnered with Colorado Christian University to offer online courses in this area. See https://leestrobel.com/strobelcenterfor more info.
Daily find yourself in the word of God. As you read the word, take time to meditate on what you are reading. Journal your thoughts and insights. Use additional bible study tools to support you as you go deeper in the word for understanding who Jesus is and what His life, death and resurrection means for you and others.
The greatest benefit of the above actions is a closer relationship between Jesus and ourselves. And as we grow closer to Christ and in the knowledge of who He is, how much more prepared will we be to not only defend our faith but also offer the opportunity for others to know Him personally too!
Considerations 