IF YOU’VE EVER VISITED A LOCATION in a foreign country where Americans rarely travel, you probably noticed that the locals were intrigued by your presence. They may have been interested in what brought you to their area or asked questions about life in the US. Being from Texas, one question I have been asked was whether most people still traveled by horse (I guess they had seen a few Westerns). As citizens of another “land,” our peculiar ways as Christian exiles may lead others to question what makes us different and the reasons behind those differences.
Peter told the churches of Asia Minor to be ready for such inquiries—“always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). However, when many Christians read these words, they are terrified by them. “ALWAYS be prepared to make a DEFENSE to ANYONE who asks you for a REASON for the HOPE that is within you” – yikes! But this command shouldn’t scare us. What Peter was writing to the Christians in Asia Minor in his day and what the Spirit is continuing to speak to us in our day is something every disciple can do, so long as they are willing.
Let me share how.
A Good Defense
First, know that we perform this kind of defending and reasoning all the time, just with things that are typically not connected to our faith. When we explain why we prefer Target to Walmart, we engage in this kind of activity. When we argue for the supremacy of our favorite sports team, we show our ability to give a reasoned defense. Just about anyone could participate in a discussion about the beach vs. the mountains or Macs vs. PCs. In these examples we typically share some measure of objective information and some measure of subjective information. Objective relates to facts; subjective relates to experience or opinion. As we “make a defense” we should feel confident to share both.
God’s Story
Second, you are probably already familiar with the objective basics of the gospel story. God created everything including us > Man sinned and the world was changed for the worse > God loved people so much that he sent Jesus to save us from sin > Jesus lived, died on a cross, and rose from the grave to offer people true life > Those who put their trust in Christ receive forgiveness and life. Most Christians know these basic truths. However, their concern arises with the thought that these truths might be further questioned. Though I think it is helpful for Christians to be able to provide additional evidence for these facts, it is not essential. Very few people are honestly questioning the validity of the objective nature of the biblical story. Most who strongly doubt these facts have already made up their minds and wouldn’t be swayed by even the most convincing of arguments.
Your Story
Third, your own personal story of how God changed your life will include both objective and subjective elements. This is called your testimony. All testimonies have a BEFORE, a HOW and an AFTER. First, your BEFORE is what your life was like prior to meeting Christ. It doesn’t need to be involve a laundry list of sins to be strong. My BEFORE is simply that I was a kid who didn’t come from a Christian home. Next, your testimony involves a HOW – the circumstances involved when you were led to faith. Some HOWs involve the gospel being preached at church or a friend sharing the Good News with you. Regardless of the means, this is when you heard about the death and resurrection of Jesus and you placed your trust in him. Lastly, the AFTER is how your life is different since you were saved. When I speak of my AFTER, I usually mention the presence of God’s faithfulness, provision, and peace in my life. Testimonies have a lot of power these days because people place a lot of weight on subjective experience.
Gentleness And Respect
Fourth, Peter writes that our answer to questions regarding our faith should be done with “gentleness and respect.” How appropriate are these words today! Because “gentleness and respect” are lacking in much of our public discourse, their presence will be noticed and appreciated. Sharing our faith with “gentleness and respect” also demonstrates that, ultimately, we believe that it is God’s work to convince someone of the veracity of what we believe. We don’t need to be overly persuasive or exceptionally intelligent; we simply need faithfulness and a measure of courage.
PRAYER
Jesus, we want to set you apart as Lord of our lives. One area in which we need greater surrender to you is with our witness of the gospel. Too often we have been unwilling to share you with others, scared of what people might think or worried that we would not have the right words. Forgive us, Lord, and lead us to deeper levels of faithfulness and intention because of the hope you have given us. Amen.
PONDER
- How is honoring Christ as holy connected to the sharing of our faith?
- What part of evangelism most scares you? How might you gain victory over that fear?
- Spend a few minutes asking the Lord to grant you the opportunity to witness to some specific people.