It Got Me to Thinking . . .

Someone loaned me a book a few months ago and I finally got around to taking a look at it. As I was reading the first chapter, the author (the pastor of a large church) made a comment that got me to thinking. He wrote, "You rarely defend the things you love." He made this comment in the context of relating how he had recently received a fund raising letter from the president of a large seminary. In the letter the president expressed the seminary's goal to train leaders to defend the faith. Hmmm. Sounds like a great goal to me. But not to this author. He does not think you need do defend "the things you love."

This pastor needs to open his Bible and read the book of Acts where on several occasions, the apostle Paul makes a defense of his faith. He also needs to read Philippians 1:16 where Paul states that he was placed in a Roman prison "for the defense of the gospel." Finally, he should take a look at Jude 3 where Jude writes, "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." The Greek word translated "contend" in this verse is a very strong word that emphasises that the defense of the faith we are being urged to take up will be both costly and agonizing.

So ... is it true that a person rarely defends the things he loves? Not so, according to the Bible. God calls upon us to defend the faith once for all entrusted to us. And in this day and age of skepticism toward God and his absolute truth - the need to step up and defend the faith has never been greater!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj