14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 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.” (1 Peter 3:14–15 ESV)
The LORD calls believers in Christ to always be prepared to make a defense for the reason for our hope in Jesus Christ. We are not to be intimidated or fearful. Rather, we are always to be ready to speak in defense of the Gospel.
However, we are to defend the truth of the Gospel with gentleness and respect. Gentleness refers to meekness and humility. Respect means giving honor to the one whose objections you answer. With this perspective in mind, let us respond to composer Marty Sampson’s objections to biblical Christianity.
“Nobody talks about hard stuff – and by no-one I mean those in my middle-class Western Christian bubble and obviously I’m ignoring all those passages in the Bible which do, or the last 1,500 years of theological thought.”
Is this true? Honestly, there are many pastors, and churches who do not talk about the hard stuff. They do everything they can to avoid offending people with biblical truth. For many, their biblical mission, vision and values is centered on bigger and better. In other words, a bigger congregation is better than a small one. You achieve a bigger church by not offending people. You give them what they want.
However, there are many pastors preaching on difficult issues. This especially includes those in the middle-class Western church of America as well as those who minister throughout foreign countries. These issues include, but are not limited to the following:
- Heaven and Hell.
- Do babies go to heaven when they die?
- Why is there evil in the world?
- What does the Bible say about LGBTQ+ movement?
- Is Jesus Christ the only way to heaven?
- Is abortion a sin?
- Can a true believer in Jesus Christ lose their salvation?
- Divorce and Remarriage.
Pastor and teachers are addressing these issues; biblically and truthfully. This is done not only by well-known evangelical pastors, scholars and authors, but also by those who faithfully labor in God’s Word in the urban, suburban and rural areas of America and throughout the world. They study, preach and teach the tough biblical passages with little fanfare and often with little encouragement. It may appear to be a biblical desert, but there are oases of biblical truth to be found.
Granted, there are high profile mega-churches that solely feature high energy music and little biblical preaching, if any. They may be large and well-known, but they are comparatively few to the many churches faithfully laboring in relative obscurity. There is no substitute for a man who stands behind a pulpit, opens the Word of God and proclaims expositional, biblical truth (2 Timothy 4:1-5). Accept no substitutes.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 