This lesson is about Christian apologetics. If you are truly scripturally minded and you keep your heart soft, then you will find the truth.

It’s so important that we play at their (the people whom we are witnessing to) level. We ourselves need to be scripturally minded and our hearts are soft. Otherwise, we’ll just be two flesh fighting with each other as we always have.

If you keep your heart soft, you will be open-minded. You won’t panic or look like the guy who is losing, and you want to say “I don’t know about that one. Let me go home and study about that one.”

So that at the White Throne Judgment, the person will have no way of excusing themselves. Many people have a fleshy mentality and will throw in a comment and refuse to hear instead of being open-minded.

If you keep your heart soft, you are going to be full of prayer i.e. prayerfulness and humility. It doesn’t matter how much scripture you know, you are nothing without God. The pastor who studies so much still thinks every time during soul-winning that the other person can still say something that the pastor doesn’t know about. So, pray and keep a humble posture. Never argue for the sake of winning.

When we do both, we become more confident in the truth.

Scriptural Mindedness

There are two positions around scriptural mindedness. People whom we are witnessing to will either:

  • deny the scriptures
  • twist the scriptures

In the first case, you have to build up the authority of scriptures. The Bible is not inspired by man. Keep comparing the authority of the scriptures and man. Scriptures are always going to win because man is unworthy in our senses. By doing that, we will win.

In the second case, you have to read it as it says. For example,

Mark 2:27-28 “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”

Seventh-day Adventists say that Sabbath was made for man and that Jesus Christ is also Lord of the Sabbath, so why aren’t we Christians observing the Sabbath. So let’s read the verse as it says.

  • “Sabbath was made for man.” Is that true? Yes.
  • “The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Is that true? Yes.
  • But does it say that God commands mankind to observe Sabbath, or does it say that Lord Jesus is the Lord over Sabbath? If that’s the case, God can do whatever he wants with Sabbath. We do not tell God what to do with Sabbath.

Another verse to back this up:

Colossians 2:14-16 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”

People like to pick and choose their verses. We need to compare scripture with scripture. Take a look at the context where the verses take place.

Mark 2:23-28 “And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them,The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”

In the above passage, David can do what he wanted to do with the same verse. It basically makes the verse very weak for Sabbath observance.

If we have a prideful position or want to win, God will not be able to bless us. The pastor is not afraid to make mistakes because he is humble. He is okay to be wrong and be corrected by God. We need to have the same posture. If Paul has “no confidence in his flesh” (Philippians 3:3), how can we?

The two greatest pieces of evidence of great Christians – they will always have the Bible to be the final authority. Preachers also talk about the inward witness of the Spirit (the fruits of the Spirit). They go hand in hand. When you have a soft heart, the Holy Spirit guides you. He makes you realize what are your fruits, what are you right or wrong about.

Soft-hearted but not scriptural

We can be sincere and still be wrong. A charismatic who loves Jesus cast out devils in the name of Jesus. But, if you are against the scriptures, you are still in the wrong. When we refuse to go by what God says, we are still in error.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Mark 16 is an apostolic sign. Any time you see the signs happening, it is always connected to a Jew or an apostle. Christians do not go by signs and wonders. We walk by faith. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

Scriptural but not soft-hearted

Bible-believers fall in this category. Some onliners point out mistakes that great preachers make.

Do not pick fights. Where is your heart at? Your heart was not right with God.

This is why Pastor Kim sometimes says openly “Lord, if I’m wrong about this, please correct me.” We have to inspect our hearts to make sure it’s not about looking good in front of others and wanting someone to lose.

Scripture will not be right if your heart is not right before God.

This is the attitude that Christian believers should have.

 

For further reading,

– Basic Christian doctrines and essential doctrines to grow in the Christian faith

– A beginner’s guide to soulwinning – presenting the Christian truth and Christian beliefs in a simple way

– More apologetics resources and apologetics classes in Intermediate discipleship