The Great Debate

     Have you ever been on a social media site or a forum page and noticed someone posting yet another anti-Christian quote or rant or phrase? We all have, and like me I'm sure you go through that little internal conversation about whether it's worth getting into it. The biggest problem I see is that we got into it attempting to prove the other person wrong. We see ourselves as “defending” the Word or “defending” God. That may seem all well and good but the way I see it there are two major flaws with that perspective: God doesn't need our help, and we should be worrying about the salvation of that persons's soul.

     It's tempting to try and defend the gospel, after all people -are- attacking it. As I said though, God doesn't need our defense and He doesn't need our help. The Bible will endure no matter what is thrown against it, no one will ever prevail against it. I don't remember who said it but I love the phrase “The Bible goes on to outlive its pole-bearers.” There have been detractors from the very beginning so one or two or a million pithy atheistic comments on Facebook are not going to bring it down. Furthermore, I can't help but wonder if when we “defend” the Bible are we really just defending ourselves? We see this person attacking our faith and so we attack back, but do we care about the truth or just being right? Our we not secure enough in our faith that we can handle others disagreeing with us? God will sort out who will be saved and who won't and who cares if people think I'm stupid?

     The real point I'd like to make though is this: when we jump into these arguments do we care about the soul on the other side of the debate or do we only let ourselves see an enemy? That person over there may be blaspheming the name of God, He may be calling into question the very character of our Lord Jesus Christ, but what do you expect Him to do? We are all naturally God-haters and enemies of the Lord so it does not surprise me at all when I see people attacking Christianity. It's not a perspective or a mindset that comes naturally so we have to pray and ask God for His perspective on people. I don't want to see enemies, I want to see the lost. These people need Jesus, they desperately need the God they hate so much or understand so little. I'm not saying not to debate but our goal can't be about being right or proving wrong but about shedding light onto darkness and putting the truth of God into the minds of others, about pushing that person one step further in the right direction.

What We Fight For

     You might hear it if you listen, the battle cry of the faith. Rise up Christian soldiers and stand against the tide! The world we're told, is falling, and we cannot stand aside! And yet some people do. There are a good many people who simply do not educate themselves on true doctrine or who do not stand up for the gospel. Some are just lazy of course, still others simply aren't saved to begin with, there are some however that will question why we need to 'defend' the gospel at all. Isn't God, God, they'll say. Doesn't He not need our help? Why bother?

     First off, and you'll find this is often the first answer regardless of the question, because we've been commanded to! We stand for God's word and proclaim it to those around us because we have been expressly ordered to by our God and King and by the example set forth in scripture.

“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...”

(1 Peter 3:15)

“...just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.”

(Philippians 1:7)

(emphasis mine)

It seems kind of heavy handed to say and it may sound like I'm skirting the real issue but frankly many of the questions we might have as Christians come down to a sort of “because I said so” from God. We have lost some of that prophet, priest, and KING teaching about Jesus these days and we don't always hear about how he is to be obeyed. Not just listened to or taken under advisement but obeyed!

     Let me further say that God -is- God. He really doesn't need our help in any sense. If no one spoke the gospel He could make the rocks beneath our feet sing hymns to His glory! If He desires to preserve His Word it will endure; as it has through all these centuries. That being said, one important reason we 'defend' the gospel is because we aren't defending the gospel at all. What we are defending is the gospel's opportunity to impact, we are defending people! There are people out there -men, women, and children- who might only hear a little bit of the truth over there whole lives. Will you sit back and let that little bit of truth be mired in an ocean of lies? These people we see around us are dieing! The are headed to eternal fire and the world we live in is throwing up a smokescreen of falsehood to blind them off the edge of the cliff! We quiet the noise of evil so that the sweet sound of the gospel can make it to the ears of the unsaved! These people need God, and they need the truth about God; so we fight for that truth to be heard and we strike down falsehood without mercy.

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(Romans 10:14)

     Remember that our lives are for eternity, our actions here will echo in forever. In defending the gospel we defend those who will be saved by it. In fighting for truth we help to free those enslaved by lies. When we do the work that God has laid out for us, His name is glorified among the people. Don't neglect your work, don't leave these fallen desperate people undefended. Fight, protect, defend, and stand firm.

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:15)