Why is defending the faith so intimidating and nerve-wracking for many Christians? What are practical ways Christians can equip themselves to share the gospel in their everyday lives and interactions? In this video, John Stonestreet provides four ways Christians can equip themselves to winsomely defend their faith in their everyday lives. As Christians seek to defend their faith, they must be conscientious of the contemporary cultural landscape, while simultaneously living differently than the world. In light of contemporary culture, Christians should seek to have a deep knowledge of Scripture and God’s words regarding the issues our world encounters today. As a result of knowing God’s Word, believers will be able to effectively ask thought-provoking questions and engage in conversations where they can defend and share their faith.
- Living Apart From Culture
- Know what to Expect
- Know the Bible and Know the Why
- Know What Questions to Ask
There’s going to be no substitute for everyday Christians living out their faith and being able to winsomely talk about their convictions in their everyday lives. Chuck Olson used to say that, “Culture is formed over the backyard fence and around the barbecue grill.” And what we’ve done, I think is professionalized the responsibility, like those policymakers and those non-profits and those pastors are the ones that are going to say it.
Defending Your Faith With Relatives
But you know what? We’re all going to find ourselves around the Thanksgiving table with that relative who believes things differently than we and might be a little obnoxious about it. So what are we going to do during those times? We all have that coworker. We might find ourselves as an independent business owner in the crosshairs of a particular culture war issue. And for everyday Christians today, not to be equipped to handle those situations is really a dereliction of duty on our parts or maybe on the parts of those who are discipling.
Why? Because we can’t be surprised by this anymore. I mean, it’s like if you’re a Christian, you go on national TV, you’re going to be asked about same-sex marriage. Don’t be surprised by it. If you’re surprised by it, you don’t really belong on national TV. This is the question that’s going to be asked, right? So I think it’s the same thing though with all of us. These are conversations that every single person needs to be ready and able to have.
So I think we need to teach people, first of all, the truth of the Christian position. Number two, why it’s the truth. This is the worldview foundations, right? It’s more than just the Bible says so. The Bible says so because God made the world a particular way and the Bible gives us truth about the world and being able to articulate why we believe what we believe about marriage, why we believe what we believe about life and medicine and biotechnology in the end of life.
3 Practical Ways Going Forward
First, I think Christians need to be clear on where the Bible is clear on something. Christians need to be clear on it too. Number two, we also need to know why the Bible says what it says about something. In other words, we need to be able to argue both from the scripture and also from evidence and from the cult, from what’s just true in reality. I mean, the Bible is true because it reflects what is true about life in the world. I mean, the same God who gave us the scripture created the world. And so these two things, we can argue from both directions. The third thing I say is that ability to have good conversations, and there’s no substitute for just relational capital. Being able to build good relationships with other people across political aisles, across issues with non-believers alike.
And then one of the things that I think is very helpful, if Christians could learn to do what Jesus did. When somebody came to Jesus with a question, most often he responded back with a question. And so we’ve got to be able to ask really good questions as well. And so I think Christians that are good at asking questions are going to be good at being articulate and winsome while not compromising what’s true.
John Stonestreet serves as President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He’s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics.
