“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” (Romans 12:9-10 NLT)
Apologetics in Christianity are the intellectual defense and establishment of the Christian faith using rational and logical arguments123. Apologetics respond to questions or attacks on Christianity from different belief systems or skeptics234. Apologetics can be a branch of theology or a field of biblical and theological studies that may involve other disciplines14. Apologetics aim to bring the truth forward and sanctify Christ as Lord in the hearts of believers and others35.
Please don’t confuse Apologetics with someone apologizing for the Christian Faith. Quite to the contrary, there are strong arguments and compelling responses from followers of Christ to those who would seek to discredit the Faith we follow as Jesus followers. Just follow the links above to see for yourself.
But the point of my post today isn’t to argue a specific line of reasoning, but to encourage you in your walk with Jesus. Burk Parsons wrote: “The church’s greatest apologetic is our love for one another.” In a conversation I had recently with a dear friend I met in a church I served, we spoke of her deceased husband who was a big reason I chose to move cross country in the dead of winter, during a blizzard. By the way, I didn’t plan the blizzard, that was a gift from the Lord. 😊
Her husband had the voice of an angel and I loved to go into the sanctuary on Sunday morning and listen to him rehearse. He didn’t just sing notes, he communed with His Savior. It was worshipful to watch and listen to him sing. For John it wasn’t a performance, he was singing to an audience of One. The Lord prepared my heart as He listened to His servant. I loved John like a brother, and I can’t wait to see him on the other side.
Hopefully, there are men and women in your life about whom you feel that way. Men of God like John are a credit to the Kingdom and are among the strongest apologists for the Savior. John not only sang well, but he also loved well, and he didn’t care who you were he loved first and asked questions later. It would be a real accomplishment if I could be half the lover of God and others that my friend John was.
Who is there in your life like John? Perhaps you’re “John” to someone in your life. What you saw with John is what you got. There was no pretense, nothing artificial or fake, just the love of God personified and lived out in real time. I want to be that kind of man of God. How about you?
Friends, we only have one shot at living this life, let’s give it our best effort. Every time I fail to be all I know God saved me to be, I’m one step closer to getting there. Nearly every morning I ask the Lord to enable me to be the husband to my wife that He would be if He were her husband. I can never be Jesus, but with the Spirit’s help, each day I can draw a little closer and live a little better in my efforts to be more like Him.
Who is seeing Jesus more clearly for having seen Him in and through your life? Someone is closer to yielding their life to Him because of your efforts. Please don’t be discouraged. Please don’t stop trying to help them see their need of Him and allow Him to forgive and cleanse them of their sin.
The closer we live to Jesus the more convincing is our “argument” for our Savior.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 