Conversational Apologetics

On Monday I searched the Sovereign Grace Ministries audio library for the word “apologetics” and found this excellent message called Conversational Apologetics by Michael Ramsden (connected with Ravi Zacharias) given at Covenant Life Church in MD. I’ve heard it before, but don’t know how long ago it’s been. It’s excellent (the British accent is always a plus!), and I took notes. Most of this is direct transcription. Listen to the 2 part audio here.  

“They say I’ve got to learn, but there’s no one here to teach me. If they don’t understand, then how can they reach me? I guess they can’t. I guess they won’t. I guess they front, that’s how I know my life is out of luck.”

-British rap artist

1 Peter 3:15-16:

“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, having a good conscience”

The setting for the command to give an apologetic is, “how are you living your life?” Live your life as you should do. And the assumption is this, because your life is being lived a way which is different, people will ask you questions. So if people aren’t asking you questions, you have to ask yourself the question “how am I living my life?” In 2 Cor 3 it says we are living letters known and read by everybody. How does your life read? What does it say? Is it being lived in the way it should be?

“But in your heart set apart Christ as Lord.” The Greek word “heart” refers to the seat of your intellectual and emotional life. And it’s saying, “you’re about to enter into a spiritual battle. Giving an apologetic, giving an answer to those who don’t know why you believe what you believe, that’s entering into a spiritual battle. And before you do that, you’re told to make sure that Christ’s lordship is settled in your life. And the word “heart” is the seat over your emotional and your intellectual life. Over your thoughts and over your feelings. Over everything that you are, He is to be Lord. In James it talks about the double minded mind. It says the “double minded man is unstable in all that he does. It says he’s like a wave blown and tossed about by the winds. Whichever way the wind is blowing he gets carried with it. When the wind of opinion changes, he goes the other way. He’s unstable in everything he’s done. Even in prayer he’s ineffective. To be double minded doesn’t mean to be two faced. It’s not like pretending to be one thing to someone and pretending to be another thing to someone else. It means to be caught in two opinions. It means you don’t know what the truth is, which is why you’re always being carried about by whatever strange new teaching comes along. If you are to engage in this battle, you have to know what we believe, what is the truth, so that then you may be rooted in Christ. And then ready for the spiritual battle.

“And always be prepared” - the word “prepared” means in this text to get physically fit. In other words, Peter is giving us a command here, through the Holy Spirit, which he knows is going to be hard work. Getting fit is much harder (than getting a degree and then forgetting what you learned in college), because once you get fit you have to stay fit….this is not easy. If you came here tonight for just a quick fix in apologetics, then you’re going to be disappointed.

“Always be ready to give an answer”- “answer” and “defense” are not the best words. Giving an apologetic is not simply giving answers to other people’s questions. It’s also about asking questions of other people’s answers or even asking questions of the questions themselves [I like doing this! I find it much easier to slow things down to understand one another and make us think than to plough ahead with assumptions and miscommunications that could have been avoided by asking questions].

Things that asking questions does:

1 - Exposes the assumptions that exist within our culture. Matt 22

Jesus asks questions because it forces people to think. Giving the right answer to the wrong question is always wrong.
2  - Exposes faulty logic. Mark 12:18
3 – Defines words
4 – Exposes motives. People have reasons for believing what they believe. They have motives for them.
5 – Exposes contradictions. When someone tells you there is no such thing at truth, they are asking you not to believe them. So don’t. The culture we live in is so confused, that sometimes we have to ask questions just to bring clarity.
“How” is not “why”. If someone asks you why you are a Christian, don’t answer with how you became one. “Why” is not asking for a process; it’s asking for a reason.

Apologetics is not a philosophy driven discipline. It’s a Scriptural driven discipline. It’s driven by Scripture because it’s about Christ. So it informs everything we say and the direction in which everything flows. Apologetics and evangelism go hand in hand.

“but do this with gentleness and respect and keeping a clear conscience” – why do we give an apologetic? Because we love God and also because we love people. We treat them with gentleness. People are not an argument to be won. “Keeping a clear conscience,” in other words you don’t lie. When you don’t know, you say “I don’t know.”

Faith – putting your weight and trust in something because it is true. So how does faith grow? Well, the more sure you are as to God’s reality, that he is there, and the more convinced you are as to his truth (in other words his integrity, that you can trust him) the stronger your faith. Faith is the response to God’ s truth and reality.

Faith is not a mental psychological condition where you psych yourself up into believing something that isn’t there, or convince yourself that you should trust God even though you think that you shouldn’t. Real faith is knowing who God is and trusting truth and his reality. That’s ultimately what it’s about.

God loves people. When we are talking with someone and raising this question, there are two things that we are trying to do. One, we are trying to assure them as to God’s moral character: he is true, he is just, he is fair. No one brings a moral complaint against God on the day of judgment.  And two, God is doing things that we don’t even know about.  

A Working Faith

I took a second listen to Pete's sermon from this Sunday on "Real Faith." There are many ways I'm reminded that I am not in control of my life right now. When I don't feel I'm in control, I am tempted to fear instead of faith, which leads to unbelief expressed in sinful attitudes and works as opposed to the good works of righteousness. This sermon was a gentle and firm call to continue in the fight for faith and good works by the grace of God and not my own willpower.
I want to grow in looking for opportunities and situations for my faith to be expressed, and not cower in fear that my faith will be tested. In reality, I don't have to look for these opportunities, because I'm living in the middle of them right now and am grateful I can see how the Lord guided me into desiring them and now in living them out. I pray that God will grow my faith and strengthen me so that I may not "grow weary in doing good" (Gal 6:9) but be refreshed in the knowledge that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence," (2 Peter 1:3)

I took notes, well actually more like transcribed sections of, the sermon below.

James 2: 14-26

We cannot use the work of God in us as a reason not to work. Eph 2:8-10- “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” …We don’t gain our salvation by these works, but b/c we have salvation in Jesus Christ we work.

2:14-17 James is primarily talking to believers [who are] going on about the faith that they have but not demonstrating the faith that they have.

The dichotomy isn’t whether you have faith or works; the true dichotomy is whether your faith is real or it’s not. Because if your faith is real, you will have works. And if your faith is not real you will not have works.

How is your faith working today? Is it working?
Real faith is a working faith.

Vs 20-24

Real faith anticipates. It looks for the time of expression. Do you look for the time for your faith to be expressed and completed? You know when that is, right? When Jesus returns and you see him, your faith becomes sight and it’s complete. Until then, there are many small completions of our faith. And you know what they are? They’re the work that we do, because faith anticipates. It looks forward to the time of expression. It looks for the opportunity.

[my note: Do I look forward to opportunities for my faith to be tested and proven genuine? Though it may be hard work, how sweet it is to be tested and found firm in Christ! With faith, I can say to the Lord, “bring it on, I am ready to do your will.” ]

Faith looks like saying, “God give me an opportunity to demonstrate, to work.”

This is where the completion of your faith happens. It’s looking for an opportunity to be employed, to go to work, to be active, for a time of expression. It’s looking forward to that. Are you looking forward to that? Or are you avoiding it? “ohh, I hope it doesn’t come to me. Is it gonna come to me?” Well, it’s gonna come to you! So employ your faith….Are you ready to lay down your life for Jesus? Would you even welcome that opportunity to employ faith in Jesus Christ to the point of your death? If you are, I think you’ll be ready to take every opportunity the Lord gives us.  That’s what we need to be working towards, to employ our faith to that level. Don’t you want to be a friend of God? Who would you rather be called a friend of?

Vs. 25

[Rahab’s] faith went to work. Just like mine and yours must go to work. And it should give us great hope that no matter who we are, no matter where we are today dear friends – this is not a hopeless message, this isn’t a brow beating message that says “come on, get your act together people.” There is a caution in it, there is a correction in it, but it’s also meant to stir our faith and to say “listen, you’re looking at that sin, you’re looking at that situation, you’re saying ‘there’s no way!’ Well, have faith dear friend and go to work with it.” Put your faith to work. Believe. Trust.  Be steadfast. Keep walking. Take the next step. Don’t  give up. Be like Christ. Trust him. There will be grace there. Your hope in God will not be disappointed. It wasn’t for Abram. It wasn’t for Rahab. And it will not be for you and for me.

Vs. 26

Works in the name of Jesus are spiritual. A body that has a spirit is alive and effects everything around us.

Real faith is a working faith. Is your faith working? Let’s trust God to work in and through us. Let’s be Christians in this world...This is soul stirring, hopeful truth. Don’t you want to be a friend of God? Don’t you want to walk with God? This is how we can do it.

 
[Opportunity for the good work of loving others, especially when aware of the risk it requires, need not be met by fear but by anticipation for my faith to rise and stand firm whatever the cost. There is a sweet beauty in the expression of faith through works. Just as we can look to Abraham for an example of a working faith, so also I can look to his wife Sarah - 1 Peter 3:6 says: And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." Pretty cool namesake to look up to, if I do say so myself.]

photo: old and new building (in reflection) on a walk
back from the mailbox at work, last week

Women by Design

I am very aware of my need for the grace of God to be a good helper and faith-filled like my name-sake. "And you are [Sarah's] children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." (1 Peter 3:6) I so often fail in this.

Ultimately I need more than Sarah's example.  I need my Savior's, and the power of his life, death, and resurrection in my life.

Some notes from Pete's Women by Design message on Saturday:

• Jesus was full of grace and truth, not just truth without grace. 
• Ask for a gentle and quiet spirit so you can be a helper. 
• Men don't always recognize the help you are trying to bring. 
• Helping doesn't come through striving, but the Lord gives us grace to help even when we see they are going the wrong way.
• It is in cross-carrying and suffering that glorifies God best. 

"they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. ... but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." (1 Peter 3:1-4)

Being precious in my Father sight, oh what a secure thing to know the intimate care and pleasure of my Lord!

Faith like Sarah

"And you are [Sarah's] children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening."
- 1 Peter 3:6

Hope in God

Feed your faith, and your fears will starve. -anonymous "church sign"
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28
For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. - 1 Peter 3:5-6

Allen Snapp from yesterday's sermon on Sarah's Hope (Genesis 20:1-13 and 1 Peter 3:5-6):

Hope in God fixes our eyes on God and his promises. We don't need to fix our eyes on the "all things" and figure out how they are working together for our good - we fix our eyes on God and trust that they are.

Hoping in God gives our character strength to be steady as you go, to do what God has called us to do. Do good and don't fear (1 Peter 3:6). Steady as you go.

The actions of those on the Titanic to avoid the iceberg actually probably contributed to them hitting it in the worst possible way, and made matters worse than if they did nothing. It's not just about what's happening to you and coming at you in your life. It's how you respond that either escalates or defuses the problem. Sarah's faith in God gave her strength to walk through trials in a way that glorified God. She kept doing the good God called her to do and she didn't give in to fear. And the Lord would speak that to you: do good and do not fear. Allow God to steady your soul. "Do not fear anything that is frightening" - it really is frightening, but you don't need to fear.

Our confidence never shifts to our growth in God, to our sanctification. Our confidence is always in the gracious undeserved power and blood of Jesus Christ shed for our sins. And that will always and ever be where our confidence lies. We never need his mercy less because of growth. When we clearly see our need for grace, we are able to give grace to others.

And who is this God, this Christ, in whom I am to hope? Colossians 1:15-20 describes for me:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This is the One who is fully worthy of my hope and trust.

photo: the home I was made for,

where I will see the One I was made for

(December 2007)

Pursuit of Holiness

A call to be holy as God is holy - that is on my life.

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16

How do I live in the reality of God's sovereignty and my responsibility? How do I live by faith, through grace, and in humble repentance?

If I am sharing the gospel with an un-believer, I will desire them to see how they really are accountable to God and responsible for their sin. The wrath of God is set against them. Their only hope is to repent and receive the blood of Christ as their salvation. But when God saves me and gives me his Spirit, it is not a sign that he is no longer requiring me to become holy as he is holy.

The past few days have been dark days in my soul, and how thankful I am for the light of Christ breaking through with the fresh water of the gospel! "Tormented," "not at peace," "depression," and "winter" are words and phrases that hung heavy on me. Oh, but thanks be to God our Father who by His Son and through His Spirit can make truth break through to my heart and not just sit in my mind.

In addition to other things, I have been listening to the audio book The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, which is free to download at ChristianAudio this month. This evening I ate up chapter 7 and typed a full page of quotes.

What good does it do, you may ask, to be told that the war with sin was won by Christ in his death on the cross if I am still harassed and often defeated by sin in my heart? To experience practical everyday holiness we must accept the fact that God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit to allow this daily battle with indwelling sin, but God does not leave us to do battle alone. Just as he delivered us from the overall reign of sin, so he has made ample provision for us to win the daily skirmishes against sin. "For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:10-11; Col 1:11; Eph. 3:16, 20.

We have all known the awful sense of hopelessness caused by sin's power. We have resolved scores of times never to give in to a particular temptation, and yet we do. Then Satin comes to us and says, "you might as well give up; you can never overcome that sin." It is true that in ourselves we cannot, but we are alive to God, united to him who will strengthen us. By reckoning on this fact, counting it to be true, we will experience the strength we need to fight the temptation. Only as we reckon on these twin facts, that I am dead to sin and its reign over me and that I am alive to God united to him who strengthens me, can I keep sin from reigning in my mortal body.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones: "To realize this takes away from us that old sense of hopelessness which we have all known and felt because of the terrible power of sin. . . . I lose my sense of hopelessness because I can say to myself that not only am I no longer under the dominion of sin, but I am under the dominion of another power that nothing can frustrate. However weak I may be, it is the power of God that is working in me.

. . . To count on the fact that we are dead to sin and alive to God is something we must do actively. Practically speaking we do this when, by faith in God's Word, we resist sin's advances and temptations. We count on the fact that we are alive to God when by faith we look to Christ for the power we need to do the resisting. Faith, however, must always be based on fact, and Romans 6:11 is a fact for us. . . . He has given us his Holy Spirit to live within us. . . . It is he who gives spiritual life and the strength to live that life (Romans 8:9-11). Phil. 2:13; 1 Thes. 4:7-8. He is called the "Holy Spirit", and he is sent primarily to make us holy, to conform us to the character of God. . . . Why do we have the Holy Spirit living within us to strengthen us toward holiness? It is because we are alive to God. We are now living under the reign of God who unites us to Christ and gives us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit strengthens us to holiness first by enabling us to see our need of holiness. He enlightens our understanding so that we begin to see God's standard of holiness, then he causes us to become aware of our specific areas of sin. . . . (Rev. 3:17). . .

The natural result of seeing God's standard and our sinfulness is the awakening within us of a desire to be holy, this is also the ministry of the Holy Spirit as he works to make us holy. We are sorry for our sin with a godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). We say with David Psalm 51:2,7. Paul said Phil 2:13.

Before we can act, we must will. . . Here then is another distinction we must make between what God does and what we must do. If the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to show us our need and to stimulate a desire for holiness, then doesn't it follow that we must be in God's Word on a consistent basis? Should we not go to the Word, whether to hear it preached or to do our own study with the prayer that the Holy Spirit would search our hearts for any sin in us (Psalm 139:23-24)? . . . To live by the Spirit is to live both in obedience to and dependence on the Holy Spirit. There is a balance then between our wills, expressed by obedience, and our faith expressed by our dependance.

Also, on Sunday my pastor Doug Plank gave a wonderful sermon on John 20:19-23, which highlights the peace Christ brings us.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! - Romans 7: 21- 25

photo: Conestoga River, 2010

1 Peter 5:10-11

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

photo: Burano, Italy 2007