1 Peter 3:15 says to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you why you have the hope that you have, but do so with gentleness and respect." Part of this can be pointing someone in the right direction. This one-page printout has 36 slips to be cut out.
I was wondering, if someone were to pose such a question to you, would you say that apologetics was what led you to your belief? I have always thought that a logical analysis of God has always been done in retrospect to belief. I had never considered the logic of God's existence and the evidence for his presence until after I had firmly established my belief of God. There is a verse in Romans, "THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD". I have always taken this to mean that we were unable to consider God and it was only because he sought us out first that we could then reflect upon our belief in him. Given this, what are your thoughts on apologetics determining faith?
ReplyDeleteSorry it has taken me 4 days to publish and respond. I don't get many comments at all. So thank you for asking! It is a very good question and about a very significant topic.
DeleteApologetics are now the basis for my belief and why I am able to have a completely independent faith. But I indeed was already a believer before my ears even heard the word. I was raised Christian and have been for as long as memory serves.
I definitely, like many Christians, interpret Romans 3:11 as saying no one can come to faith unless God seeks them out first. The entire chapter is about how humanity's sinful nature strays from God.
In Acts there is a good illustration of God working through reason to enable someone to overcome sin nature. "Paul and Barnabas... spoke so persuasively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed" (14:1). Just two chapters later, "One of those listening was a woman... The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message" (16:14).
It is definitely true that our Creator has deemed it proper to lead many people to faith through some sort of personal experience. That said, God has made us as rational creatures. Some are deep-seated in needing evidence and logic to believe something (or at least they say so). Renowned apologists Josh McDowell, J. Warner Wallace, and Lee Strobel all came to faith because the Lord worked through their studying of evidence for the Bible. Indeed, there are those who, by His sovereign plan, have been created to come to know Christ through apologetics.
I have been working on a defense of the importance of apologetics, which covers this issue. It could be published within the week. There you can find more information.