Peter spoke of the coming of Jesus as the “Day of the Lord” (2 Pet 3:10). He said it the day would come like a thief, which indicates a need to be ready and watchful. Then Peter asks a significant question. As God’s people await and hasten that day, “what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…?”
We often consider ways in which to strengthen our faith. We might focus upon issues in apologetics and evidences in order to better understand and articulate our faith. These types of studies are rich and rewarding, but we also need to understand that they are never meant to be an end in themselves. They are stepping stones on which we may continue to build and live our lives in accordance with Christ and His will. They can help us in overcoming hurdles and obstacles. But faith, true faith, will always come through the hearing of God’s word (Rom 10:17).
Faith is meant to be lived. It is not some mere academic pursuit. It is not about the latest or best way to argue a point. It is about learning to trust and commit ourselves to our Lord. This is why the greatest apologetic will be our lives — showing that God works in us and through us because we trust Him: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12-13)
Some “win” arguments through deceit, trickery, fallacy, or force. Others technically win arguments verbally, having carefully crafted solid reasons, yet no changes result. While it is important to know how to reason appropriately, and it never helps a cause to make bad arguments, the most important way to persuade another will always be through the lives that we live. For instance:
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:16).
“Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet 2:12).
“In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior” (1 Pet 3:1-2).
“The Lord’s bond- servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim 2:24-26).
All of these passages have in common the idea that leading others to the Lord have a great deal to do with our attitudes and the way we live our lives. Yet reason we choose to live as we do is because we believe…
Because we believe in God, we will live intentionally, striving to mirror God and His will. Let’s be reminded of the importance of this:
1. Our Concern for Others
Whatever we do is not just for ourselves, but also for others. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). Christians are concerned about both truth and evangelism. Souls are at stake in the fight for truth. Consequently, we are not just trying to win arguments and debates; we are trying to win souls for Christ. Therefore, how we converse with others is vital. Paul wrote to Timothy: “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Paul’s humble spirit comes through here as he imbibed the attitude of God who is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). God’s desire is that all be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim. 2:4).
An approach toward evangelism bent on winning debates for its own pleasure is more geared toward glorifying the man, not God. Discussion is beneficial when done properly, but when we argue in ways that distort truth so that we can win a point, we overstep our boundaries. This is partly what Paul meant when he wrote the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Cor. 10:3-5). That is, we must not stoop to worldly ways and ungodly methods in order to win fights. The weapons that God has given us are sufficient taking down the strongholds of the world and bringing every thought captive to Jesus Christ. We need to trust God in this.
If God’s concern is the salvation of souls (1 Tim 2:3-4), then our concern ought to mirror this attitude. Jesus did not come to this earth merely to beat opponents in argumentation. He came to seek and save the lost. If we are going to honor Jesus for what He did, then our efforts should be directed toward those same efforts. Taking an approach that places more emphasis on ourselves and upon our reasoning abilities ends up diminishing the honor that belongs to our Lord.
2. Live Your Life in Christ and Stand up for Christ with Grace
The apostle wrote, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Col. 4:6). What we say is extremely important. We cannot convert anyone to truth unless we actually speak the truth. Yet, Paul reminds us that how we go about it is just as important as the content of our message. Truth presented with a bad attitude or lack of kindness does no one any good. Truth is to be spoken in love (Eph. 4:15) and with a desire to “give grace to those who hear” (vs. 29). Kindness is always in order when we are defending our Lord.
Further, we need to remember that part of the purpose in reaching out to others is to remove stumbling blocks and open doors. We don’t want to slam doors by an unsavory attitude that serves only to turn people off to the message. If we get the way of the message because we are not acting as we ought, then once again we are not glorifying God but ourselves. Therefore, in defending Jesus Christ (and all that goes with this) let’s make sure we represent Him honorably so that glory goes to Him in all things. Once we have sanctified Christ as Lord in our hearts, then we are in a position to give a defense of our hope, with gentleness and reverence (1 Pet. 3:15).
Our job is to proclaim the excellencies of God (1 Pet. 2:9-10) and to glorify Him in all that we do (1 Cor. 10:31; cf. Col. 3:17). Whatever good we may accomplish finds its value in glorifying God, not men. The Corinthians, who apparently put great stock in the wisdom of men, needed to learn this lesson. Paul indicated that even though the cross is foolishness to men, it is the power and wisdom of God through the cross that saves us from our sins. So when he preached to the Corinthians, he did not come to them “with superiority of speech or of wisdom.” Rather, he was with them “in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” His message to them was not “in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Why? Paul’s answer is straightforward: “so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:1-5).
To defend Christ with grace means that we are kind in our approach, getting ourselves out of the way and giving all the glory to God. The power of God’s word will hold its own. We need not embellish it or hide it. Let God’s power shine through your presentation of His message.
3. Promote Christ with Righteous Living
Peter wrote that we must keep our behavior excellent among Gentiles (unbelievers), “so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2:12). This teaching coincides with what Jesus taught about His disciples being lights in the world: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). While we recognize that we are far from perfect, we should understand that proclaiming allegiance to God on the one hand and living in a way that betrays this claim on the other hand will create stumbling blocks for others. The consequences of causing others to stumble will not be pretty, for “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6).
In order to live effectively for Christ, people must see beyond us to the Lord Himself. They need to know that it really is the Lord Christ whom we serve (Col. 3:24). Therefore, we are to present ourselves to God as living and holy sacrifices (Rom. 12:1) with the added responsibility: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (v. 2). Our duty to the world is to live like Christ. We fail those in the world when we try to live just like the world.
Peter, also, reminds his readers of the need to be holy. “Prepare your minds for action,” he wrote, with our hope fixed on the grace of Christ. We are to be “as obedient children” and “like the Holy One” who has called us. “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:13-16). In this light, the best way to help and teach the world is by being holy and completely dedicated to God (Christ sanctified in the heart). This will promote Christ more than the words we might say. People need to know that we are different precisely because we are committed to Jesus as Lord.
Consequently, we will demonstrate our belief in God through the way that we love one another and show our unity in Him (John 13:34-35; John 17:20-21). Where the world shows hate, we will demonstrate love. Where the world expects retaliation, we will offer forgiveness. Where the world delights in sin, we will show our delight in godliness. We will abhor what is evil, cling to and love what is good (Rom 12:9). We will demonstrate God through Holiness (1 Pet 1:13ff) and desire to serve both God and others.
4. Make the Most of Opportunities
Paul wrote to the Colossians that we are not only to speak with grace, but we are to be “making the most of the opportunity.” We are to walk carefully, “making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). So once we have sanctified Christ in our hearts and are striving to live holy lives, we should be looking for opportunities to act for the good of others. God’s people have been redeemed (bought back out of sin) and purified so that they can be God’s special possession, “zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14).
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9-10). There may be times when it seems that our efforts aren’t going anywhere. Perhaps as we deal with people who have questions and doubts, we may feel that all of our discussions fall on deaf ears. The process can get old when it seems that no one is paying attention. Hang in there, Paul says. We will reap the reward for patience in the end.
Why is doing good for others important, especially for reaching out with the gospel? Because this is what will help open doors for further study. People can see that you are serious about what you claim to believe. You are a helper, looking for ways to be a blessing and benefit to others. You are the one who consistently and proverbially (and literally) helps the older lady across the street. You are the “Good Samaritan” of the parable in Luke 10, not the ones who pass by the other side when someone is truly in need. People will know that you care, and when they know this, they will care more about what you have to offer. Just look for opportunities to help. Be a blessing, and it may surprise you who might be willing to listen as you speak of Jesus. Recall Paul’s words in Colossians 4:2-6:
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
5. Get Ready
When you are living like you should in Christ and finding ways to help others and do good for them, make sure you are ready because sooner or later the questions will likely come. Once again, Peter wrote that Christians must be “ready to give a defense” for the reason of the hope within them (1 Pet. 3:15). They may want to know why you live the way that you do? Why are you so sacrificial? Why do you go out of your way to serve others? Why did you engage in that act of kindness? Whatever the particular questions, the point is that you are ready to defend your faith. You should not be terribly surprised when people want to know about it.
Never underestimate the value of living a godly life in defending the faith. Let your own life serve as an apologetic to the world. May God bless you as you go out into the world and stand for Him. May God defeat you if you ever try to live against His divine purposes.
May God bless you as you go out into the world and stand for Him. May God defeat you if you live against God’s purposes.
Doy Moyer
