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"315 Day" (continued)
Rationale
In order to fulfill the command of 1 Peter 3:15, Christians must intentionally "...be prepared..." The "315 Day" is designed to do just that.
John Warwick Montgomery, speaking to this point, said that in the 21st century, a Christian "...needs to incorporate apologetics into every aspect of his or her ministry: every sermon, every class, every evangelistic activity. We have woefully neglected our responsibility to train our young people in the solid case for Christianity, and then we wonder why they depart from the faith under the influence of secular university instruction."
Apologetics provides the "why" answers in addition to explaining "what" we believe regarding the Christian faith. This is what we do in FaithSearch Discovery.
- It is a logical and reasonable defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith.
- It prepares believers to give logically and historically sound reasons for faith in Jesus Christ.
- It removes the intellectual barriers to a full understanding of the cross of Christ so the unbeliever can make an informed decision regarding Him.
The biblical basis for its practice is found throughout the New Testament. We have already referred to 1 Peter 3:15. In addition, consider these examples:
- Jude 3 "...I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." This legitimizes apologetics, i.e., a reasonable defense of the Christian faith.
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Here we see the essence of a worldview—thinking Christianly or biblically
- The apostles modeled this behavior in their ministries (e.g., Acts 2:22ff.; Acts 28:23-24). See the Bible for Life essay, "The Message of the Apostles: A Model for Proclamation."
This is why FaithSearch encourages each local church to have a Gospel with evidence (apologetics) ministry, and scheduling a "315 Day" can help make this a reality. We can help your church:
- Be obedient to the commands of Scripture (see above)
- Understand and establish credibility for the Bible, thus for Jesus Christ, so that unbelievers may embrace Him for salvation. It is particularly valuable in reaching out to those with college or higher education, often in professional vocations in the community.
- Prevent the attrition of faith from the church, especially assisting the sons and daughters of our Christian families to resist or recover from academically-induced skepticism
- Strengthen and mature the faith of believers so they can experience the abundant life Jesus promised His followers (John 10:10).
- Help believers be bolder and more capable of sharing Jesus with others. The partnership with FaithSearch enables effective outreach on a continuing and long-term basis.
- Respond to the societal oppression of Christians resulting from atheist/agnostic aggression, cultural bias, and a secular educational and media worldview that is imposed on our youth and adults.
In short, the ultimate goal of a Gospel with evidence (apologetics) ministry in the local church is to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
- ...so believers will be strengthened and sustained in their faith
- ...so unbelievers will be presented with a clear and persuasive call to become His followers
