“... holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” (Titus 1:9)
How good a job are we doing teaching people how to “refute those who contradict”? This is the old art of apologetics – the ability to defend the Christian faith. It requires both a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures and of logic. No, you cannot “argue someone into the kingdom of heaven.” But a well-reasoned defense of Christianity may very well be part of the sowing and reaping process. Unbelievers need to know that the Christian faith is rational and reasonable. People who are trying to make sense of a world gone mad need hard truth and logic.
This skill of defending the faith is also needed within the church to counter heresies and false teachers. Wolves in sheep’s clothing abound, unfortunately. And reason and logic and rationality are also key to helping believers through struggles with doubt – a normal and natural part of the maturing process.
Ask yourself: what do I personally need to do to deepen my understanding of the Bible and hone my logical reasoning skills?
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