A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
By Chaz Oswald, 21, Michigan
A while back, I was listening to a radio broadcast by the Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias. He shared about two homosexual women who had recently won a historic custody battle, against their previous husbands, for their children. These women claimed in a talk show that the Bible endorsed their lifestyle. A few women among the audience counterattacked by saying that the Bible condemns it. However the unfortunate resolution after much debate was that not a single Christian present could defend their position adequately with clear Scriptural evidence.
1 Peter 3:15 says, “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” (ESV). But like the Christians in the talk show, there have been many incidences in my life where I have been ill equipped to defend my faith properly.
To be prepared, we need to be well equipped with a sound understanding of God’s Word. For God’s Word provides clear and practical answers to questions relating to how and why our Creator-God wants us to live our lives in certain manners. God’s answers are realistic and sensible. It is able to withstand the worldly arguments from the many schools of human thoughts, dogmas, religions, creeds, morals, ethics, and philosophies.
Therefore, I am preparing myself. I’m undertaking a personal project to deal with ten frequently asked questions by atheists. I am going to attempt an intellectual and doctrinally sound argument against each question from the atheistic offense and then end each defensive answer with a question we Christians can use as a related counterattack.
Many of our answers will come from the biblical text itself, so I believe that it is appropriate to begin by defending the question: “Is the Bible a reliable and trustworthy frame of reference?”
Please check out my upcoming post. Meanwhile, I would love to hear your thoughts. Do share them with me.
Filed under Writing and tagged with Apologetics, Chaz, Difficult Questions, Witnessing.
Actually I’ve experience that with my classmate before, Everytime I share God’s word it always turns out to be a debate. I can’t help it because my classmate is being so sarcastic whenever we discuss such bible matters. It irritates me cause he’s acting as if he knows everything than I, unfortunately we always ended up to nothing. Now that Im already working I find it hard to have time with him in sharing, good thing is that he’s attending our church sometimes whenever I invite him. What do I need to do to share him the gospel without arguing with him?
Shalom friend, I’ve also experiencing the situations like you, because most of my friends are muslims and I live among muslims, they were always tried to vindicate themselves…but I don’t want to give up. the Bible promise that if we are in this situation, just calm down pray and let the Holy Spirit speaks to you, He will remind all the word of God to you, that’s why before you could speak prepare yourself in prayer and equipped yourself with the meditation of the word of God…pray specific, mention their name whilst you are praying…so friend don’t yield yourself in worry and failure the most effective testimony is how do we live our life. we are the salt that would bring them thirst for Jesus the Living Water.
Thank you for advise. That will surely help, because sometimes I depend only to my self and forgot to pray and ask for His guidance. Thanks! Geraldine
Your story reminds me of a case that I had listened to in court. It was of two homosexual men who were sentenced to jail since in my country the same is against the law. They tried to defend themselves using the bill of rights but according to our Penal code, the same is classified as unnatural acts therefore they were found to have committed an offense. Crux of the argument was that though the Bill of rights guarantees everyone equal rights, it however does not sanction an offense.Reading your text, I think that it is indeed true. Christians, for instance in my country, are not so willing to stand up and defend homosexuals. Their arguments are premised on the bible. Most state that in the bible, God states that a woman shall leave her father’s home and be in union with her husband not a man to leave his father’s home. Many support their stand with biblical texts.
It is true that indeed we need to not only read God’s word but internalize it and let it grow in us. All the answers we seek are in his word, something am glad I realized. It is difficult to convince non-believers, however, what I’ve tried and seen work is to begin from their common place. As in get to understand the reasoning behind their stand. Probably its a silly notion but I’ve always believed that you can only solve a problem once you know its origins. In this case, I agree with you Chaz, that we need to believe the word first before we try persuade somebody else.
The bible is indeed a reliable and trustworthy reference. Reasons being that the Bible in itself has encompassed all of the situations that have arisen, are arising and will arise. God has revealed himself to us. Through his word we experience intimate moments with him. The bible does not need to change. When I read the Bible, I kinda look at it like a script. The beginning, the middle and the end have all been thought out and written down. All we are doing is playing the parts we are supposed to. We can’t change the script but can look to it for directions. It is indeed sufficient and complete in itself and does not need annextures etc. Have you ever heard of the 5th or 10th edition of the Bible? I most definitely haven’t. I’ve definitely had of a 12th edition of Black’s Law Dictionary which is a reference book for law students. The bible does not need an edition as it is complete and has no errors. God is perfect in nature and so is his word.
Very true Chaz, ALL the answers we need are in the bible. We just have to read and understand God’s word more personally.