Acts and Apologetics: 11. Actions and Attitudes

Going through the Book of Acts, we see our early Christian brethren,  especially Peter and Paul, reasoning and debating and even arguing with unbelievers. 

Their purpose? It wasn't to argue people into the kingdom of God. It wasn't to show themselves as being superior in knowledge or faith. It wasn't to boast. The ultimate purpose of the discussions and arguments was to simply present God; in the way that God presents Himself in the Bible.

Do we reason, debate, and argue with the unbelieving world? Yes. Are people argued into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and therefore into the  Kingdom of God? No. No one is argued into the Kingdom.

People are saved by the Blood of Christ and come into the Kingdom only as the Spirit of God prompts, leads, and directs. It is God who does the piquing of the individual's spirit. It is God who creates the person's interest. It is God who reveals Himself to the person and saves them. You and I are simply privileged instruments in His plan. 

And God expects us to not only understand our audience but to be "prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter  3:15 16. How do we do this?

Before we get to those, we still need to understand a little bit more of our audience. What is our Epistemology? How do we "know what we know?" What  forms the basis for our "facts?" Let's specifically look at two "foundations" for thought: the Myths of Neutrality and Autonomy.

Neutrality is somewhat self-explanatory. We want to be "neutral" in our understanding and neutral in our approach. The problem is, the idea of neutrality itself: how are we to be neutral in our Christianity? And how does the non-Christian be neutral in his or her atheism or agnosticism?  Our thinking and our worldview itself are one or the other. We either have a belief in God and His plan and purpose or we don't. None of us are "neutral" in our beliefs and worldviews. There is no middle ground. 

The atheist or agnostic (polite atheist) does not come to their belief system with an attitude of neutrality. They have a belief. They have a "faith". They are not neutral.

Even when we are presenting a logical argument for the Christian Faith, we cannot compromise. There is no middle ground. Think about it, how - or why - would you want to find a middle ground when defending God and His Word? We may compromise on many secular issues, but when dealing with issues of eternity and other people's very lives and souls, there is no compromise. 

Remember that it was Jesus Himself who said "he who is not with Me is against me." Matthew 12:30. We are either eternally saved or eternally damned. 

In another aspect of Neutrality, some just want the "facts." "Just give me the facts," they say. They wish to be "objective" in their thinking and reasoning. In striving to be neutral, we massage the "facts" to fit our understanding, our conclusions, and therefore our reality. But  remember, "Facts are stupid things..." Facts may be "neutral," but when they are interpreted through our worldview, those facts have meaning. Understanding that the entire quote reads, "Facts are stupid things, until brought into connection with some general law," a quote from naturalist Professor Louis Agassiz of Harvard in the 19th century. There has to be a standard to measure or interpret the facts. As true as that idea is in biology,  astronomy, and the rest of the sciences, it is with how we look at the world (reality) - and everything in it, what is seen and unseen - as revealed by God Himself. We choose to accept God's Revelation or not. 

The unbeliever's true attitude is, yes, he or she wants "facts", but they want to be able to judge them according to what he or she believes is right or wrong. There is no neutrality.

Furthermore, although the Bible - God's Word - may not give us every single possible  "fact" of right or wrong, it does provide us with the framework in which to think through an issue. If we know God and His Word, we "know"  His mind. We understand what God means regarding sin or creation. And because God is Immutable or unchanging, what's true in one passage of Scripture is true elsewhere; when understood in its context.  Again, see Romans 1:18 - 23.

As we suppress God and His Revelation, we suppress Truth. We have to choose sides. Good or evil. Righteousness or unrighteousness. Friend of God or enemy of God. Neutrality is a myth. Neutrality crumbles.

And so we are led to the myth of Autonomy. This so-called intellectual autonomy states that man is "autonomous" when it comes to "TRUTH." It is man who is the arbiter of "truth". It is man who decides what is true or false. There is no standard or objective truth -  or any standard for that matter. God is forsaken. Divine authority is dismissed. The fickleness of man reigns supreme.

What does this look like? An example would be someone who makes a statement that rejects the very existence of God. Okay. So then, what is their authority to make that statement? Since they have dismissed divine revelation (in general or special terms), how can they conclusively make that statement? What is their proof?  Are they going on their personal feelings or their perfect knowledge of all of the entirety of the known and unknown universe? What is their authority? How can they know?

By the same token, we as believing Christians may be asked the same question. Okay. In our case (mine, speaking personally), I have chosen to submit my puny authority (and autonomy) to the Divine Authority of Almighty God and His Word, the Bible. I am not autonomous in my thinking. I am not autonomous in my life. 

Instead, I rely completely on God. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of  knowledge, but fools  despise wisdom and instruction." It's a matter of the will. Because I have confidence in what God has done throughout history, as written in Scripture and backed up by non-Biblical historical and scientific evidence, as well as what He has done in my own personal life, I know that God is Truthful, Reliable, and Dependable.

Finally, what are our actions to be? In other words, how do we put forth our personal Apologetic? All of the arguments that we've been looking at and discussing throughout this study may be intellectually intriguing but so what? If I am presenting this information or these arguments for the sake of being  "right" then I have failed. And rightfully so. 

Going back to 1 Peter 3:15, we are to give a reason for the hope that we have. I have to confess that there have been many times as I've written  these posts thinking, "Boy Ron, this is great stuff." In reality, I have to be reminded, yeah, so what of it? What is my motivation for presenting Christ? Am I doing it out of a boastful - and sinful -  nature? If so, then the words are hollow and the voice is like that of a  clanging cymbal. Am I spouting out Scripture with the attitude of looking for praise from other men and women rather than a desire that they (you) too would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? If my sinful attitude is so, where's my love for you? Shamefully, there is none.

We share "hope" with others because we love others. We pray for opportunities to share the Goodness of God. We spend time in His Word not only to know God better but to become more Christ-like in all aspects of our lives. We want to become more attractive to the people that God has put into our lives to point them to God. Do we really want to be more like Jesus who, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a  servant,...and became obedient to death," (Philippians 2:6 - 8)? Is that our (my) motivation? 

At the beginning of this post, I said that it is God who saves. And so He does. God may use us, sometimes in spite of ourselves, but He uses us. And He wants us to be so polished so that we are able to properly reflect who He is and then patiently, lovingly, prayerfully, and winsomely present His Gospel. In the end, God doesn't expect us to be perfect in our appearance and presentation. He knows that I am not perfect. God simply wants us to be available (remember those first lessons on "showing up"), to speak truthfully of Him, and to be able to share His Gospel.

Heavenly Father, thank you for using us to further your Kingdom. It is a mighty privilege. May our hearts and minds be used of You for Your Glory only.  Amen.