Defending the Faith
A lesson about how to answer common objections to the Gospel.
INTRODUCTION
DEFENDING THE FAITH
CONCLUSION
As you read this lesson, be sure to hover over the the Bible verses to read them or look them up in your own copy of the Bible. When the Bible passage is longer, you need to click on “more” in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window.
Introduction
Welcome! The Bible has much to say about this interesting topic. You may find it helpful to invite a mature Christian from your church to study this topic with you. You may have a lot of questions that are not answered here. Maybe there are ideas here that seem hard to understand. Do not get overwhelmed! You can contact us with any questions that you may have. The elders of your local church can help you as well.
Remember that learning the content about this topic is helpful, but knowing the information will not truly change you. For you to benefit fully from this topic, you must…
Become born-again by securing a personal relationship with God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith by grace. This information cannot change you until the Holy Spirit of God gives you a new heart that is able to apply it to your life. To begin a personal relationship with God, it is imperative to understand and believe the following:
God is separated from you, because He is good, pure, and holy. 1 John 1:5-6
You are sinful, impure, and unholy because you do not measure up to God’s holiness. Romans 3:10-12 You are a descendent of Adam and Eve who rebelled against God. Romans 5:19
Your sinfulness provokes God’s anger and separates you from Him because He is holy. Romans 5:12 As a result, you deserve to be thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. Revelation 20:14-15
God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Jesus is God in the flesh. He lived a sinless life. He was nailed to the cross, shed His blood, and died in your place for your sins. He was buried, rose again, and went to Heaven to prepare a place for all who believe. He will return one day for those who believe. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Only the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is enough for you to be accepted forever by God the Father the moment you believe. John 3:16 God does not accept you on the basis that you try to be a good person and do good works. Romans 4:5 He accepts you fully and forever the moment you abandon your sins and call on Jesus to save you. John 3:36
As you understand, meditate on, and believe the information presented here about this topic, you must also do what the Bible says. James 1:21-22 Only by trusting and obeying God’s Word regarding this topic will you experience the full benefits of this information. James 1:23-24 Trusting and obeying God’s Word will change you as you learn this. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 You will be happy as a result of your obedience. James 1:25
Seek and heed the advice of your church leaders regarding this topic. Hebrews 13:17
Depend upon the Holy Spirit to change you. Galatians 3:1-3 You cannot change without Him enabling you. John 15:5 He will change you in His time and way; but not apart from your faith and obedience to God’s Word. Trust Him to do His work in your heart. Philippians 2:12-13
Allow the joy that you experience from obeying God’s Word to transform how you interact with others. James 2:12-20
mINDSET FOR COMMUNICATING THE GOSPEL
1 Peter 3:15
When sharing the Gospel with an unbeliever,
Have the right heart by…
Fearing and loving God.
Recognizing that you will give an account for every word you speak.
Representing the love of Christ.
Recognizing that each soul has value to God.
Committing to glorify God more than wanting to win an argument. Proverbs 20:3
Gain the right perspective by recognizing that…
They will give an account to God alone.
They already know that the God of the Bible is real, though they live in denial. Romans 1:18-25
They must humble themselves before they admit the truth.
The conversation is not about you.
God does not need you to defend Him; but rather, to represent Him.
There is a right time and manner to answer their objections.
Even if their objections are answered thoughtfully, kindly, and correctly, it doesn’t guarantee that they will embrace the Gospel.
You can never anticipate every objection and you will never know the answers to all questions.
The person may or may not be sincere in their questioning. Proverbs 23:9; Proverbs 29:9
Have the right words.
Communicate kindly, lovingly, firmly, and gently.
Never exaggerate or lie.
Admit when you do not know something or when you are wrong.
Use Scripture correctly.
Have the right demeanor.
Your eyes, face, and tone of voice must communicate with love and in humility.
Your body language should convey a servant’s heart.
Basic strategies and responses to defend the faith:
“How can I believe in God if I cannot see Him?” or “I believe in other gods.”
Explaining Scripture.
Romans 1:18-25
God’s righteous anger is revealed from heaven against all sin, especially the sin of suppressing the truth. The specific truth that people suppress is the reality of God’s existence.
God has made the reality of His existence obvious to people in their hearts and consciences and by His creation. His existence is so obvious from creation that they are without excuse.
Even though we know God is real, we deny it, thus causing our understanding to be darkened. In our wisdom, we become foolish, saying and believing things we normally would not.
People reject God for Who He is because they are ungrateful and they choose to worship the creation instead of the Creator. They make and worship their own version of God, exchanging the truth of God’s existence for a lie.
Applying Scripture.
Recognize as you answer this question, that because we are fallen, we will be tempted to be wise in our own eyes. Guard yourself from pride, and do not be surprised by theirs.
Use the above passage to explain that they know that God is real. They might respond by saying, “How can I believe in God if I cannot see Him?” You can use joy, their thoughts, or the wind as examples of faith in things we cannot see.
Ask them how they determine truth. Show them that nothing apart from and the reality of God and His Word is sufficient grounds to determine what is true. Help them to see the insufficiency of any other supposed source of truth.
Explain that God created us in His image and upholds all things by the word of His power. Therefore, we can expect the universe to operate in an orderly fashion. The reliability of God’s creation allows us to repeat scientific tests to improve technology and to use our senses and minds to understand it all.
After emphasizing God’s love, mercy, patience, and grace, ask them, “What aspect of God’s character makes you reject Him?”
Be sure to end on a positive note.
“How can you trust a book that was written by mere men?”
Explaining Scripture.
2 Peter 1:15-21
The Apostles did not follow falsehoods.
They were eyewitnesses of Jesus and the Father’s declaration that Jesus is His Son.
God’s Word is even more reliable than our eyewitness experience, because it is rooted in God’s attributes.
While men wrote scripture from their unique perspective, it reflects completely the mind of God.
The Scripture came from God, not men, as the Holy Spirit carried them along to write all and only that which He desired.
Applying Scripture.
Remind them of how we believe historical facts based on what we read or hear, even though we were not eyewitnesses of those events.
“Why should I believe the Bible?”
Explaining Scripture.
Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
To claim that the Bible is the Word of God is to agree with what it says about itself.
Let them see what the Bible says about itself.
Emphasize the authority of God’s Word.
“How can I believe in a God Who causes or allows evil in the world?”
Explaining Scripture
Romans 5:12; Romans 8:18-22
Emphasize the perfect goodness of creation before Adam sinned and its demise afterward.
Emphasize the cross and God’s love. John 3:16-18; John 3:36
Emphasize future judgment. Acts 17:30-31; Romans 2:1-11
“Why would everyone who has never heard of Christ be destined for hell?”
Explaining Scripture.
Romans 1:18-25
We are all born sinners and undeserving of God’s grace.
Explain God’s plan to send Jesus.
Acts 17:24-27; Acts 10:1-4; Acts 10:35
God is giving everyone an opportunity to repent and believe as they choose to humble themselves and seek after Him.
Romans 10:13-18
God sends someone to preach the Gospel. Those who humble themselves respond affirmatively to the reality of His existence as displayed through creation.
Other helpful resources:
REPRESENTING CHRIST IN HOW WE Defend The Faith
Remember that we do not exist simply to live for ourselves. We were created to represent God.
When we defend the Gospel; it is not about us and them primarily. It is about God being represented well in how we defended God in front of them. His reputation is on the line because we represent Him.
God wants us to enjoy fellowship with Him. We must demonstrate the importance of us and them enjoying fellowship with God by how we defend the faith.
If we do not intentionally make it a priority in our lives to defend the faith in a biblical way, then we will not become more like Christ and we will be misrepresenting Christ.
When we share the Gospel with people, it shines a light on our lives. If we are not able to defend the faith with confidence and love, then we will be tempted to shrink back from sharing the Gospel with them and others.
When we have done everything we can to be ready to defend the faith, it gives us boldness in our faith. This boldness will enable us to be transparent with anyone. This in turn will enable us to freely let other believers into our lives and enable us to disciple them.
We must let the reputation of God and His love for people motivate us to grow in our ability to defend the faith in a godly way in front of others.
The love of Christ is enough for us to become better at defending the faith.
Conclusion
Now that you have studied this topic, we encourage you to...
Ask us or any of your church leaders about any questions or concerns you still have about this topic.
Pray for yourself to grow in maturity regarding this topic.
Do your best to practice what you have learned.
Tell someone else about what you have studied.
Ask one of your church leaders to help you overcome your weaknesses regarding this topic.
Teach this subject to others.
Consider reviewing this topic once each year.
Commit to growing in this area together with other members of a local church.
Trust the Holy Spirit to change you as He uses His Word, others, and circumstances to make you more like Christ.