In our world today we are faced with so many major problems. From sickness and disease, war and famine, crime and depression, and the list goes on. Better education, more diplomatic negotiations, and advances in science and technology are man’s answers to life’s big issues. But with all of man’s efforts in these areas our problems don’t seem to go away, but instead only deepen. For nearly two thousand years the answer to solving these and many other seemingly insolvable problems can be found in the following provocative quote by Albert Mohler:
“If all we need is a teacher of enlightenment, the Buddha will do; if all we need is a collection of gods for every occasion and need and hope, Hinduism will do; if all we need is a tribal deity, any tribal deity will do; if all we need is a lawgiver, Moses will do; if all we need is a set of rules and a way of devotion, Muhammad or Joseph Smith will do; if all we need is inspiration and insight into the sovereign self, Oprah will do; but if we need a savior, only Jesus will do.”1
We know from the first three chapters of Genesis that not only did God create man in His own image but He placed man and woman in the garden of Eden to enjoy everlasting peace, joy and fellowship with God as well as to live in perfect health. But when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God not only were they cast out of Eden, but everything in their lives from that point on became cursed because of sin. And whether we like it or not, all of mankind since then, has inherited this sin nature and has lost not only his chance for lasting peace and joy, but his relationship with God. And until man acknowledges that he has a sin issue, and is hopelessly separated from God because of that, he will never understand why he needs Jesus.
My friends, without Jesus, there is no salvation from sin and no hope for mankind to solve all the problems he encounters in life. Before I accepted Jesus as my savior I was hopelessly trapped in a world of sin and didn’t even know it. I thought I was basically a good person and yet couldn’t understand why I had so many problems and no real peace and joy in my life. It was only when I began to read the New Testament that I began to realize that I was a sinner and in desperate need of a savior. Once I came to understand this fact about sin, the Holy Spirit began to work on my heart and slowly open my eyes and heart to the realization that only Jesus could change my sin nature. Thankfully, I responded to the light that God gave me and 40 years ago today, on October 12, 1981, I gave my heart to Jesus; and I have never looked back.
And while I do realize that apologetics is mainly to help strengthen the faith of Christians I believe that when you encounter a person who is seeking to know the truth that we need to pray fervently that the Holy Spirit would convict them of sin. We should also be equipped to show them why they should read the Bible and consider Jesus. Why Jesus? I ask you to consider Charlie Campbell’s challenge below:
“Jesus, unlike any other religious leader, proved He was the Son of God (and therefore a reliable source of information on eternity) by…fulfilling numerous Old Testament prophecies made hundreds of years in advance, performing numerous miracles, living a sinless life, His resurrection from the dead. When one considers these facts and the plethora of other evidences for the reliability of the Bible, a very strong case can be made as to why every thinking person should take Jesus’s claims seriously.”2
1 Mohler at T4G conference on evangelism: exclusivity makes the gospel more beautiful – News – SBTS
2 1 Charlie H. Campbell, Apologetics Quotes (Carlsbad, California: The Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry, 2020), p. 23.
There are two statements I want to interact with. The first quote is:
“if all we need is a lawgiver, Moses will do”
This statement presupposes at least two things, 1. That law was particular to Moses and 2. That law has little or nothing to do with Jesus and His salvation.
First, whenever we talk about God’s law, we usually refer to Exodus 20 and the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. However, the law existed long before that. Moses answered his father-in-law’s question about what he was doing, wearing himself out as a judge for Israel. Moses said,
“when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”
Jethro gave his advice about continuing this duty but appointing other qualified men to share this burden, saying,
“you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.”
These “statutes and the laws” existed before they were inscribed in stone on the Mount.
It was these laws, written on the hearts of mankind that Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.“
Law was at the center of Jesus’ message. It was so central that we cannot claim to love Jesus if we don’t keep his commandments.
If we are ever to seek salvation it is because we come face to face with our sin and how do we know anything about sin? “Sin is not counted where there is no law.” Rom. 5 We owe our salvation and sanctification to the Law. Christ keeping it perfectly, not abolishing it, condemning sin in His flesh “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.” Rom 8, and Paul saying, “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.”
The second quote states that “apologetics is mainly to help strengthen the faith of Christians.”
That can be one element of our apologetic efforts but the definition of apologetics does not say it “mainly” strengthens our faith. By definition, apologetics is the defense of our faith by the application of Scripture to unbelief. We are giving to unbelievers a reason for the hope that is in us. I Peter 3:15. A believer’s faith may be strengthened but that would not be the main reason to engage in apologetics.
Curt…I’m so glad you took Jesus’ claims seriously, and present them now to the world.
Elaine