Jan. 31- UE 18

The Unexpected Adventure- UE 18- "An Unfair Advantage" John 8:32

Today's reading was another one of those that made a great story, but not a likely happening for 99.9% of us.  Lee and Mark organize a high-profile debate between an avowed atheist and a Christian philosopher/theologian.  Over 7000 are in attendance, and the event gets a lot of news coverage.  The action principle of the chapter is that while we might never get into a debate on the historicity and science of our Christian beliefs, we can have that assurance that both history and the natural world point to the existence of God and the veracity of Bible.

I find this type of information more interesting than most.  I enjoy Ravi Zacharias and his apologetics' ministry.  Some Christians don't feel this type of proof for the Bible and Jesus are a necessary part of the witness experience.  Each to his or her own.  However, I believe that a personal conversion story and a fundamental knowledge of apologetics are both necessary tools for an effective witness.  Here's why.

If all a person has to share is how God has changed his life, millions of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Mormons can point to a life-changing moment of enlightenment.  In that respect, a Christian testimony might not stand out from those of other faiths.  However, if, as children of the One True God, we can also point to just some of the historical, natural and philosophical truths supported by the Christian belief system, we take our testimony to a whole new level.

I must confess that I do not have the level of apologetics knowledge I would like to have.  The reason is simple- laziness.  I have not dedicated myself to reading about and studying the materials out there that contain that type of information.  C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, Ravi Zacharias and Josh McDowell are four authors that write extensively in the area of apologetics.

Realistically few of us will ever reach the knowledge level of the authors mentioned above, but I feel that many Christians (me at the top of the list) are unwilling to put in the intellectual time and effort to expand our scholarship in this area.  I am not discounting a person's personal faith story, but in today's world, our effectiveness as a Christian witness can be greatly strengthened with at least a foundational knowledge of the historical, natural and philosophical arguments for Christianity.

Look like I need to make a trip to the book store.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all the evidence You have allowed us to uncover for You, Your Son and the claims of the Bible.  Please give me the intellectual clarity and self-discipline to go deeper into that knowledge area.