Breaking the Silence

I have not posted anything in a very, very long time. I have been busy at many things, but mainly raising a toddler and working overtime hours. The overtime has died down, and the toddler is becoming more self-sufficient. That leaves me with a little more time to write.

Another reason for the delay in writing new posts is that I have been wrestling with some philosophical/theological issues. When I started this blog, I was a staunch classical apologist, and classical/evidential apologetics was at the core of this blog. After reading John Frame and Greg Bahnsen I am now convinced that the presuppositional method of apologetics has a firmer grounding in Scripture and the nature of reality in general. This may disappoint some of my readers (all three of you!). In future posts I will explain why I am now a presuppositionalist in more depth.

In addition the presuppositional direction of the blog, I intend to address current events and politics with a biblical worldview in mind. Some evangelicals believe we should avoid politics and “stick to the gospel.” I have found that the Bible speaks authoritatively to all areas of life, and so Christians ought to be speaking to politics and every other area with a biblical standard in mind. Whether or not our elected and appointed officials submit to King Jesus is a gospel issue, in fact.

The fear is that this will cause division. In one sense, it certainly will, since many Christians are content to say “Jesus is Lord,” but live by arbitrary worldly principles rather than make Him Lord in reality over every aspect of their lives. In another sense, it will unify Christians under the authority of God’s Word. The alternative is for pagan left/right politics to divide us. This is not to say that this will become a political blog, but I will address political issues from time to time.

As always, I will write voracious appetite for reality.

Apologetics in the Law

Here’s a good verse to meditate on, which encourages apologetics:

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. – Leviticus 19:17, ESV

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1 Peter 3:15

According to 1 Peter 3 : 15, Christians are commanded to always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in us. The Christian discipline of apologetics is learning to explain and defend why we believe what we believe. God does not need anyone to defend Him, of course. What Christians are called to defend is the hope that is in us. There are good reasons for believing in God, and Christians are commanded to have them at the ready.

All Christians are commanded first of all to proclaim the good news that “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God,” in the glorious words of C.S. Lewis. Sometimes, all unbelievers need to hear is “a simple gospel presentation” to believe. In this increasingly antichristian era unbelievers are skeptical of the gospel and question the truth claims of Christianity. That is why all Christians are also called to defend the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Apologetics is nothing new. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the first Christians, some were amazed to hear God praised miraculously in all the languages of the Roman world. Others mocked, saying the Christians were only drunk. Peter defended the outpouring of the Spirit by quoting the prophet Joel. He pointed out the miracles of Jesus, and boldly testified that he had witnessed the risen Savior. Fulfilled prophecy, miracles, the eyewitness testimony the Apostles, and the resurrection of Jesus remain key points for Christian defenders today. Peter used apologetics, and God used Peter to save about 3,000 people on that day.

Do you want to lead people to Jesus? Ground yourselves in the redemptive message of the Bible first, and learn apologetics second. It’s a wise person that wins souls (Proverbs 11:30).