Introduction

    Certainly, the point of this article is not to dismiss what the Holy Spirit has said plainly through the scriptures. Our entire lives are meant to glorify God. In glorifying God, we are meant to form our lives around Him. We are to honor Christ as our Savior, and Peter was right to say that honoring Christ as holy is seen in our “being prepared to give a defense for the hope within us.” But I think what has become missed among many young believers is that the defense of the hope within us is not simply well-formed evidentiary arguments for the existence of God, Christ’s resurrection, and the truthfulness of the Bible. 

Our hope is not placed in the evidence of these things, but the Spirit’s work in our lives to bring us to salvation and set us on the path of the good life. A defense for the hope within us could just as easily be that the way we desire to grow in Christ. Here’s a plainer thesis for this article: too many believers would rather argue the existence of God than experience the reality of His existence in their daily lives.*

Apologetics Never Saved Anyone

    Even if, like me, your conversion story includes a lot of apologetics and searching for “proof of God’s existence,” you were not saved by apologetics. In fact, daily I become convinced that apologetics had very little to do with my conversion. Perhaps apologetics was one of the ways God softened my heart to the gospel, but it was the new life given by God that brought me to saving faith.

    When I consider the possible impact of Evidentiary Apologetics, I am reminded of a conversation between William Lane Craig and Ben Shapiro. WLC is no small influence on the world of apologetics, and Ben Shapiro is an Orthodox Jew. These two engaged in a long-form interview in which Shapiro was not afraid to hear out WLC’s arguments for the proof of the Resurrection of Jesus. 

At the end WLC’s arguments for the Resurrection Ben Shapiro plainly said, “well that just doesn’t interest me.” This Orthodox Jew was not interested in Evidentiary Apologetics, and it is indeed the case be that he rejects the truth of resurrection for more reasons that simply uninteresting evidence, but I think this provides insight into the larger cultural moment. 

Evidence Isn’t What We Want

    You don’t need to search Social Media long to see that our culture generally forms its opinions without a long investigation. Both sides of the cultural-political aisle are guilty of this, and it no less influences the way the culture responds to the claims of Christ. I can safely say what prospective-believers don’t want is evidence of the claim to Christ, they want evidence that Christ provides the good life. 

    This goes for the cultural-political climate as well. The reason we are willing to reject or overlook evidence is because we like the life we lead. Those on both side of the aisle feel like they have the better way of life, so they are willing to ignore the evidence. In the religious climate, this is much the same. 

    That is not to say we should not look for evidence and be able to prove the truthfulness of God, rather it is to say that the culture is primarily concerned with their perception of the good life. This is why hardened-heart unbelievers will reject and ignore evidence for God, while those coming to Christ often run down to the altar without yet hearing any apologetics. 

Give Them the Good Life

    People want what makes them feel good more than they want evidence for the truth. This is why as a young believer I was able to argue apologetics relatively well, and yet hide in secret sin. I had arguments for evidence rather than a lifestyle of experiencing that evidence in my sanctification. Perhaps this is not the case for you, but it is the case for many (even some high-profile ministry leaders). 

    If you want to give the watching world around you “the reason for the hope that is within you,” give them evidence of the good life. Show the unbeliever that God’s ways are the best ways, rather than arguments for God are the best arguments. Like ancient Israel, God’s standard for our lives can be a witness to those around us, oh but if we would let them! 

For His Glory,

Alan

Bible Verse That Inspired This Article 

Deuteronomy 4:6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

1 Peter 3:15 …but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Other Influences

*This sentence is deliberately similar to one given by Mark Dever in a talk directed at Pastors at T4G. In that talk he said many Pastors “would sooner argue the authority of the bible than experience that authority in their lives.” This is a convicting quote for those in and aspiring toward the pastoral ministry. In many ways the quote helped to put my thoughts on apologetics into fewer, more direct words.