Fighting for Faith

A fundamental verse in regards to evangelism and apologetics is found in 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you…” It’s upon this principle that many Christians have armed themselves with the Biblical knowledge needed to defend the truth and stand for what’s right.

Although standing for the truth can be an enormous struggle and even dangerous, it’s important. It also takes the right motivation to fight. Webster defines a Fight as “contending against or in battle or physical combat” with someone. But who? And when?

Jude 3, “Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.”

The contention of our faith might be said something like “We must make an effort to win a debate about our faith.” But a debate with who? Those who oppose the truth about Jesus? Or the doubts we have in our own minds? The reality is that we often find ourselves engaged in battles that can’t be won on the outside and fail to fight the battles that can only be fought inside our hearts.

Remember the words of God to Cain in Genesis 4:6, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Paul described our fight this way in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE is not an easy task, but it might be the most powerful way to defeat the tricks of the devil. Because, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “We do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”

Consider the ways the devil has won the battles in your life before, but then consider how God’s ways have proven to be more powerful. We must constantly be reminded of the power that works within us (Ephesians 3:20) and take comfort in knowing that “you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Art is Everywhere

Art is everywhere, and it changes style over time and cultures. But the thing about Art is that it tells a story. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Therefore, art isn't always in portraits of people or things; portraits may be in the words themselves.

In the case of the Bible, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Word shows us the beauty of God.

Psalm 27:4, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: 'That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.'"

Isaiah 33:17, "Your eyes will see the King in His beauty…" And yet, Isaiah goes on to describe the beautiful king in a different than expected way in Isaiah 53:2-3, "...He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind..."

What is the beauty of Jesus? How is His life an expression of God's artistic nature?

Just as art is interpreted differently by different people, so is the image of Christ.

Psalms 18:25-26, "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd."

Jesus' disciples had trouble seeing God's beautiful design, when they were drawn to the beautiful buildings (Luke 21), but despised Mary's sacrificial gift of perfume in Matthew 26:10, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to Me."

How we see Him has a lot to do with our own heart; theirs changed, so can ours. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

So, the beauty of Christ focuses on what God was willing to do for us to be part of His family, His kingdom, His life! Be an "art critic" that can see the beauty in God's love for us.

Role of Unity

The Corinthians wrote a letter to Paul asking several questions about daily life as a follower of Christ. Questions about marriage, association with anything pagan, and resurrection, to name a few.

Today, nearly 2,000 years after their questions, we still have the same concerns about our involvement in a culture that doesn't honor God as the creator of all life.

Truth is that there are plenty of scenarios that we are faced with that we don't have a clear-cut answer for. That seemingly ambiguous nature of God's will might actually be a big part of our dying to ourselves and learning to think like God (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Jesus explains this in one way in Luke 9:23-26, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

What is it about "ourselves" that we need to deny? What is it about His ways that we may be ashamed of? Perhaps the temptation to put our desires over those of someone else. Jesus advocated that we be willing to even die for others (John 15:12-14, 1 John 3:7-10, Matthew 22:37-39).

This is at the heart of the matter: What does God expect from us concerning being unified with those who are not like us: ethnically, religiously, or any other way? 

What is the Tree of Life?

What is the tree of life? That has been a question that many people would like to know the answer to. We read about it in the beginning scenes of the Bible. Genesis 2:9, "In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

It might seem that humans had to choose between living eternal life OR receiving the gift of knowledge. Some might recognize the test of obedience presented early on; like a parent does with a toddler. Others might recognize the basic struggle all of us must deal with soon after showing up on earth—making choices!

God has given us enough to know what His will is for us. He wants us to trust His guidance throughout life, but that takes our involvement in the process.

Hebrews 5:12-14, "... solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

The Tree of Life gives life like an apple tree gives apples. The real question is where do I find life? Jesus addresses that, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. "(John 14:6)

But consider the imagery of life presented through trees in the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, trees are highlighted…perhaps for an interesting reason.

God often uses symbolic imagery to convey a message. And the Hebrew language is full of plenty of imagery. For instance, the Hebrew word for ‘tree’ is ‘Etz’ { }עץwhich is spelled and pronounced almost identically as the Hebrew word ‘Etzah’ { – {עצהwhich means ‘advice.’

Ponder the significance of that.