Speak the Truth in Love

Today is SWAT Seminar 2012! I know I already wrote a blog about it, and I'm not going to duplicate that, but I did want to write a quick blog about apologetics in general. In case you don't know, SWAT stands for Spiritual Warfare & Apologetics Training, and the focus of the seminar is exactly that, spiritual warfare and apologetics.

So a few quick things to note about Christian apologetics. Apologetics is the study of defense of your faith, in this case Christianity. This means using science, yes science, (astronomy, geology, biology, etc...) history, archeology, philosophy, logic, etc... to show evidence and proof for different claims about Christianity, the Bible, and God.

If you are a Christian, a few important things to note about apologetics:

• It is important to be able to show why you believe what you believe, to be able to give a defense for your faith.
• There are many things that the Bible claims that actually can be proven, much more than most would assume.
• Critical thinking, logical reasoning, and having an open mind are essential.
• You do not have to completely abandon science, history, archeology, etc... to be a Christian.
• Not everything about Christianity, the Bible, and God can be proven, and not everything will be able to be. There are some things that must be taken on faith.

If you are not a Christian, a few important things to note about apologetics: (Mostly are the same):

• There are many things that the Bible claims that actually can be proven, scientifically, logically, etc..., much more than most would assume.
• Critical thinking, logical reasoning, and having an open mind are essential. Don't let bias cloud facts.
• You do not have to completely abandon science, history, archeology, etc... to be a Christian, and there are many extremely educated people, and scientists, who hold many degrees, who are Christians, and are able to combine their faith with their education without compromising on either.
• Not everything about Christianity, the Bible, and God can be proven, and not everything will be able to be. There are some things that must be taken on faith, but an important thing to remember is that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

One more thing to remember as you dive into apologetics. The purpose of apologetics is to provide proof and evidence for your faith, but it should not be used to beat people over the head with all the facts and proof you have. First and foremost, God is all about love, and while it is important to learn and educate yourself and be able to provide an answer when people say your faith can't possibly be true, it is important to do so in love. "Speak the truth in love." Ultimately, it was God's love for us that caused Him to sacrifice so we could be with Him, and our most important directive is to love Him and to love others, and while it is incredible how much we can prove and how much evidence God has left. God does not need us to defend Him. He stands alone.

So learn about how to defend your faith, learn all the incredible things we have evidence for, learn to think logically, about God and the world around us, but in it all don't forget to love those around you!

If you want to come to SWAT, it is tonight (Feb. 24) from 6:30-9 and tomorrow (Feb. 25) 8:30-3:30 (lunch provided) at the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. Admission is $25. Speakers include J.P. Moreland, Craig Hazen, and Luke McKinnon. Topics include: Christianity Among the World Religions, Case for the Existence of the Soul, Evidence for the Resurrection, Apologetics & C.S. Lewis, and In Defense of Truth & Ethics. www.swatseminar.com