Paul, in arguably one of the greatest sections of Scriptures, confronts and reminds the Christians at Rome of their pre-conversion condition. Paul reminds them that they were without Christ and that they themselves would never die for an unrighteous person, as did Jesus. Although, they might die for a righteous person. Regardless of these truths, Paul reminds them that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. In Ephesians 2, Paul highlights that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. The point being that even though we were unrighteous, Christ did what we could not or would not do: die for unrighteous people. If we desire to defend our faith effectively, we must remember the work that Christ did for us while we were still dead in sin.
A necessary component in effective apologetics is the ability to relate and have compassion for people. Why? Our natural reaction is to get frustrated with those who oppose Christianity and who do not yet believe. But, in order to combat that reaction, we must remember our pre-converted life. Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church, is known for saying, “The message of the Gospel came to you on the way to someone else.” We have a responsibility to not only answer the questions people have about Christianity, but also to share the truth of the Gospel. We defend and share the Gospel as hopeful people, praying that God would work to convert those to whom we share this message.
- How does the truth of Romans 5:6-8 push the apologist past merely giving answers to questions?
- How does answering objections to Christianity open the door to sharing the message of the Gospel?
- Why do apologists want to avoid merely winning arguments?
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