Young People's Group

DEFENDING OUR FAITH WELL

by Pastor Mitch
January 22, 2006

When People Question Our Faith

When we witness to our friends, very often, we fear questions raised by them. The reason is that sometimes we do not know how to defend our faith well. This was something that Peter sought to encourage the brethren who were being persecuted and questioned concerning their Christian belief.

“Always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you”
1 Peter 3:15

They were meant to give a convincing defence of the hope that was in them. The word “defence” is the Greek word “Apologia”. It is from this word that the English language has derived the word “Apologetics”. Apologetics is an organised and compelling defence of our faith. Whenever people raise questions about our faith, we must be able to present a systematic and Biblical case for Christianity. Let’s not be afraid to stand up for our faith.

Two Steps To Making A Good Defense

There are two steps to doing this.

1. Sanctifying The Lord In Our Hearts

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts”
1 Peter 3:15

The word “sanctify” means to “set apart”. Peter was teaching the brethren to set apart their hearts for the Lord. It is so easy for the heart to be fearful in the midst of being questioned. Peter wanted the brethren to know how to lift up the Lord in their hearts. They were meant to honour and revere the Lord so much that He would be pre-eminent in their lives. When they do this, the Lord will enable them to have a good defence. It is our challenge to take the time to walk close to the Lord. We cannot make this defence on our own. We need the Lord to help us. If we want to give a good defence, the Lord God must be sanctified in our hearts.

2. Readying Ourselves To Give A Defence

“Always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you”
1 Peter 3:15

Besides sanctifying the Lord in our hearts, we must also be thoroughly prepared. The only way we can be ready when we are questioned concerning our faith is to know our beliefs well. Young people, we need to find reasons why we believe what we believe in. It takes years for us to have a reservoir of knowledge to fall back on. Let’s spend time knowing our salvation well. Our commitment must be to know the truths from God’s word proficiently so that when people ask about our faith, we are able to give an answer for the hope in us. Let’s spare no effort in learning how to build a good defence for our living hope in God.

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