The term Apologetics derives from the Greek word "apologia", or defense. Apologetics is the science and art of crafting and presenting reasonable defenses for the truth of Christianity. It is what Faith Facts is all about. Jesus instructed us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind." (emphasis added, Mat. 22:37) Luther's famous Diet of Worms proclamation in 1521 states: "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything. Here I stand, I can do no other!"
Is Apologetics important or relevant? Fast forward to today. Read how God used this same tact of reason and defense to bring Gerry Phelps to the place that she received Christ as her Savior: "How I went from agnostic to Christian is another matter. It happened in two stages. Stage one was when I suddenly encountered God, in a way that would convince a scientifically-trained skeptic.... Still I hoped he [God] was not the Christian God. I didn't like Christianity. So I wanted him to be any god but the Christian one.... That led to stage two. Stage two was being convinced, intellectually, that God was the Christian God.... I set the terms. It was to be on my own turf, which was rationality, logic and evidence. No faith allowed. So this is what God did to me. On my own terms, over a two-year period, I was driven intellectually into the Christian corner, much against my will...."
Apologetics important? Relevant? We assert that for some people, God will use reason and evidence to open their heart to faith. Read Gerry's full testimony AND check her very interesting Blog.
May God bless you and keep!
Applying Reason and Evidence to Religion
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