“… and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…” 1 Peter 3:15 NKJV
One topic that people all around the world tend to have strong opinions about is food. You probably have witnessed or even partaken in hot debates about which country’s jollof rice is better or whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
For seemingly trivial matters, people would readily be vocal about what they believe, and even go as far as passionately defending their stance. As a believer, when it comes to your faith, this should also be the case. As the anchor verse says, you ought to “always be ready” to defend your beliefs and convictions!
You cannot afford to avoid questions relating to the faith. In Scripture, we see that Jesus never shied away from entertaining such conversations. Even when the religious leaders threw all sorts of tricky questions at Him, Jesus gave unequivocal answers that often stunned His interrogators into silence.
Paul is another good example, he frequently answered difficult questions, debated, and engaged intellectuals about the truth of the gospel (Acts 17:2-4, 19:8-10).
The world is unrelenting in its efforts to pervert the truth, so we cannot relent in our efforts to defend it. We are to pull down the strongholds of human reasoning and destroy every obstacle that keeps people from knowing God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
To defend the faith, you must have a firm grasp of Scripture. You must know why you believe what you believe, and also be able to explain it convincingly. One doesn’t stumble upon this kind of knowledge by happenstance. It takes intentional, repeated study of the scriptures, a good Bible teacher, and proper preparation.
Armed with the truth of the Word, you must engage the world around you. Don’t always wait around for questions to be asked, engage culture with the aim of making disciples.
The call to defend the faith does not mean you have to be rude, disrespectful, or have a critical spirit. If anything, you must remain gentle and respectful. Let your words be seasoned with grace, and never pass your points across rudely or condescendingly. Remember the goal is not to win the argument or prove a point, but to win souls.
Know that this faith we have is solid. It will not fall apart under scrutiny. So, take a bold stand today, dear believer. Be ready to defend what you believe.
Bible Reading Plan: Judges 4-5