1.
Honor no one – not God, not my friend[s],
not myself
2.
Change no one’s mind
3.
Reflect a poor representation of my
God, myself, and others who also hold my opinions.
Thus,
I will save my personal disagreements for in-person interactions, with one
caveat, which I’ll delineate below.
That
being said, I know that believers are called to give an answer for
their faith. And that silence, while at
times may be the most prudent response, can make the silent party complicit in
the opposing side’s argument or action.
There
is a tension I am exploring between meekness and setting boundaries, between
holding my tongue to live in peace and making my voice heard. I have a responsibility to both use my voice
on behalf of those who cannot, or against those who seek to harm, and to stay
my strength so that unity and love are given to a world that needs both.
Sin
is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
~ Proverbs 10:19
Blessed
are the meek…Christ was silent in the face of His accusers. He was silent on the walk up to Calvary. He was silent when beaten, when insulted,
when accused. Yet, he overturned the
money changer’s tables in the temple. He
answered (most) questions directly asked of Him. At times, He rebuked those who challenged Him
as openly as they approached Him. So,
are we to “turn the other cheek” when insulted, when the gospel is at
stake? Are we to be silent in the face
of injustice? Do we stand idly by when
we see our fellow humans coming to harm?
I find that there are times when inaction makes us complicit with
evil. When silence itself muffles the
call of the Gospel. For meekness does
not mean that we are always silent. As Christ did, we are to jealously defend the
God-ordained, through-the-blood-of-Jesus right, and therefore freedom, of all to come to the Lord unhindered. We are to call out to the lost, the broken,
and the weary with words of hope and truth.
We are to answer those who question us on behalf the God whom we are to
represent. We are to challenge those, as
publically as they are presenting their case, who are preventing or marring the
gospel. And we are to do it all with a
spirit of love, an attitude of grace, and complete humility – for not a single one
of us may boast in anything except the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus on our
sinful and fallen behalf.
In practice, this means that:
1.
Every
believer is an apologist. That means YOU
are an apologist. And I am an apologist. Certainly not on par with Drs. Lane,
Dembuski,
or Lennox[1]; but
we are still meant to represent God and Christ and the Holy Spirit in our
actions, words, thoughts, and yes, arguments.
Figure out what you believe and why you believe it; then learn how to
defend it. Be ready to give an answer
for the Gospel at all times, under all circumstances. Faith in God is not illogical. It is the most reasoned and rational of all
worldviews. If you’re not sure where to
begin, make a list of what you know to be true about God and find the scripture
that backs up your statement; if it’s not in there, you need to revisit what
you think about God. Or, you can start
with your church’s statement of faith (also called a doctrinal confession, or
simply, “what we believe"); same exercise – make sure what they claim to believe
is really found in God’s Word. Or grab a
book on theology or apologetics; for if you’ve made it to this blog, you can
read and have been given the gift of intelligent thought. I have been admonished that to waste this is sin.
2.
If
you are being insulted, mocked, and derided for your faith, do not seek the
last word. Turn the other cheek; pray
for your enemies and bless those who persecute you. Always speak truth. Always offer grace. Strive with every breath to live out the
Gospel with love. Never retaliate. Don’t offend willfully. Be humble and remember that before God, we
are all equal – sinners in desperate need of His Son, our Savior.
3.
If the Gospel is being misrepresented,
correct this misrepresentation to the best of your ability, gracefully,
as publically as the misinformation is presented. Do not forward personal attacks against the
speaker. Example: if it’s at your dinner
table, only address it with your family and guests. If it’s a nationally broadcast sermon or
speech, use your media outlets to offer a loving, thoughtful, rational counter
position. And heed the call to humility
in #2.
4.
Politics do not equal faith. Gun control is not the same thing as
theology. Yes, faith should map our
political opinions. But when we try to
paint God as one brand of political agent or another, we make idols of our political system and mock the Kingdom of God. The key here is to make sure that your
political leanings line up with your theology.
Remember the apologetic exercises in #1?
Put your political views through the same paces – write them down and
see if you can find scripture to back them up.
Be mindful of which scriptures you’re employing; and if you find
yourself looking to modern television characters quoting Levitcal or
Deuteronomical codes, you’re not thinking your position through. Nor are you really reading scripture.
I
said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on
my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”
~ Psalm 39:1
[1] If you want to
watch these master scholar-philosophers and apologist in action, the following
are links to actual debates with popular secular scholars.
Dr.
William Craig Lane vs. Christopher Hitchens – Does God Exist Debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FofDChlSILU accessed 1/29/13 1:06pm
William
Dembksi vs. Christopher Hitchens – Does God Exist Debate: http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/video-christopher-hitchens-debates-william-dembski-does-god-exist/
accessed 1/29/13 1:06pm
John
Lennox vs. Richard Dawkins – The God Delusion Debate: http://fixed-point.org/index.php/video/35-full-length/164-the-dawkins-lennox-debate accessed 1/29/13 1:05pm
