Defending Your Faith With Grace And Truth 11-2-25 AM
I. Defending our faith.
a. We live in a time where all things are questioned.
b. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it is a thing.
c. Whatever is worth believing should be able to be tested and shown to be real.
d. Peter told his readers to be ready to give an answer.
i. The word for answer is the Greek word apologia.
ii. It means to give a defense.
iii. It is from where we get the term apologetics.
iv. It indicates an ability to defend what you believe.
e. We have a doctrinal obligation to be able to defend what we believe.
i. This verse speaks to the individual Christian.
ii. It is not just for preachers, elders, deacons, or Bible class teachers.
iii. It is for each one of us.
f. Did you notice how it begins?
i. Sanctifying God in our hearts.
ii. This is the part of making it our own faith.
iii. Until we set apart God from all else in our minds, we won’t be able to properly defend our belief in God and His word.
g. We read of Stephen and Paul as New Testament examples of those who gave a defense of their beliefs.
i. They had an advantage over us.
ii. They were both inspired by the Holy Spirit.
h. We are told to set apart God in our hearts and then we can be ready to tell others why we believe what we believe.
i. You can’t defend something you don’t know or are not sure of yourself.
j. We have to make it our own so we can defend it.
k. Sports fans can defend their favorite teams or players.
i. I have read people spit out fact after fact about Jordan or Lebron being the best player ever.
ii. I have read people spit out fact after fact about which college team had the better offense, 2019 LSU or 2020 Bama.
l. This can be said about many things in the secular world.
m. Can we defend our faith?
n. Peter was inspired to write that we have to be ready to do so.
o. We don’t know when the moment will come, but we have to be ready for that moment when we are asked “Why do you believe…”
i. It’s going to come.
ii. It may come at school, it may come at work, it may come on a date, but it is going to come.
iii. It may come in your home from your child or grandchild.
p. We are called to be able to defend our faith.
II. Defending our faith with grace.
a. The way we defend our faith is as important as the words we use to defend it.
b. When we think of grace as Christians, we should think unmerited favor.
c. However, this word means more than that in today’s language.
i. It is defined as “elegance, or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action; a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.
ii. Synonyms for it are decency, decorum, dignity, poise, pleasantness, attractiveness.
d. When it comes to defending our faith, we need to make sure there is an element of beauty of manner.
i. It needs to be done in with a pleasing or attractive quality.
ii. We need to defend our faith with decency and poise.
e. Again, the manner in which we defend our faith is extremely important (Col. 4:6).
f. Peter tells us to be ready to give an answer, or defense, with meekness.
i. The meekness is how we handle ourselves with the person or persons to whom we are making our defense.
ii. Meekness is the attitude of strength being under control.
g. We have to be aware of the person with whom we are speaking.
i. It may be a person who does not know much about God’s word and is sincere in asking.
ii. It may be a person who is very harsh and trying to start a fight.
iii. It may be a person who is very steeped in denominational doctrine or atheism.
h. We are to be gentle as teachers (2 Tim. 2:24).
i. We aren’t to be overbearing and hurtful.
ii. We are to be bold with God’s word but mindful of the feelings of the person.
iii. We are not in it to win arguments.
i. If we use hostile words or actions in our efforts, it doesn’t matter how right we are, we will lose that person.
j. When you look at accounts of brethren teaching others in the Bible, there is always a sense of the value of the person’s soul.
i. Philip was very careful with the Ethiopian.
ii. Paul was careful with the Philippian jailor.
iii. Aquila and Priscilla were careful with Apollos.
k. No one was beaten over the head with God’s word, but God’s word was plainly, but lovingly, taught in each case.
l. There is so much that is attractive about the gospel.
m. We need to make sure we just present it and not tarnish it by our presentation.
III. Defending our faith with truth.
a. While defending our faith with the right attitude is important, we must use the right material in doing so.
b. The right material is God’s word and those things that back up God’s word.
c. Jesus said… (Jn. 17:17).
i. We must be proficient with God’s word.
ii. It is what creates faith (Rom. 10:17).
d. The truth is what frees mankind from the burden of sin and doubt (Jn. 8:32).
e. We have to make sure that we know what God’s word says on whatever subject it is we are discussing with others.
i. We can’t say, “Well, I think…”
ii. What we think does not matter.
iii. If we are discussing some doctrinal subject with someone, we must have scriptural defenses for what we believe.
iv. If we are discussing the existence of God, we need to know the scriptures but also have some knowledge of scientific things that are true.
f. We must be able to handle God’s word correctly (2 Tim. 2:15).
i. God’s word is a sword (Eph. 6:17).
ii. In fact, it is said to be sharper than any sword (Heb. 4:12).
iii. Swords are dangerous, especially in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to use one.
iv. God’s word is dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn’t know it.
v. This is why there is so much false doctrine in the world.