Do We Need Apologetics to Maintain Our Faith?

Why do people lose their “faith,” or de-convert? Do we need apologetics so we don’t leave Christianity? One problem is that this tends to overlook the aspect of genuine salvation that leads to a living relationship with God.

I believe that apologetics is a great tool for breaking down barriers in the minds of unsaved adults. With children it might not be necessary, but by the time people are adults, they often have barriers, which Charles Finney called “refuges of lies” (probably based on Isaiah 28:17).

Now, why is it that anyone goes to hell rather than heaven? Is it because they have the wrong intellectual answers or they lack knowledge? 

No, it's because of the heart. It's because of sin. It's because they're in a state of rebellion against God. Romans 5:10 says we were enemies; that is the root problem and that is the status of unsaved.

So when they have objections to Christianity, they are puffed up, full of pride, and they think they're winning arguments (even though it's like the emperor with no clothes). God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. So when we give rational answers, and if they are willing to see the truth and lay down their pride, that is progress in the right direction.

However, it's only progress and not the end goal. If we only go as far as taking down the barriers, have they come to real saving knowledge of Jesus? Has the Holy Spirit really come to live in them?

So when I hear about people abandoning the faith, especially if it's an apologist who abandons the faith, it sounds like their faith was held together with glue.

That is the thing about apologetics. I do not believe that apologetics is necessary in order to maintain our faith. I do not need to study apologetics in order to remain a Christian. And I don't really have to worry about that with my children; what matters is for them to start a real relationship with God. If the Holy Spirit comes to live in them, then He is going to be working in them, and their own experience will confirm it to them. So there are those two levels.

I believe that there's the experiential level; for example, when I was 15 and trusted in Jesus, immediately I knew there was a change, and ever since then I've seen God working in my heart, exactly according to Galatians 5:22-23. There is that change that happens when the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and He begins working in us, and that's very confirming, and also when we have miraculous answers to prayer. Of course those things can be explained away in some people's minds, but I've also had undeniable experiences. 

On top of that, we also have God working in us, like Philippians 1:6 says, He that began a good work in you will complete it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 is very similar. Also, Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” He is maintaining us.

So think about those 2 levels. It's not about having intellectual knowledge in order to get to heaven.

By the way, you might not believe in eternal security; I understand there's some difference on that point, but the principle still applies about a relationship with God. Rather than turning to books for answers, you would seek Him wholeheartedly and walk with Him every day.

One time, I did have a crisis of faith. It only lasted for about a day, related to the Bible. Technically, the whole crisis was over 2 years, about the nature of love, because I had read a website that twisted some Bible verses, and it shook me. My perspective of perfectly-balanced, beautiful, and happy traditional families was shattered.

It was written by a Christian who is like a Muslim; very oppressive toward women. That affected my view of the Bible, and I wondered, “Is this really the right way to look at it? Is this what God intends?” And I don't mean the difference between egalitarian and complementarian, because I've always been complementarian, but there is also a more extreme patriarchal view. It made me question, “Where is the line between a normal traditional marriage and that extreme?”

It turned out okay, because God answered my prayers, and I was able to see the differences between complimentary and patriarchal views, and ended up writing an e-book about. So as it turned out, of course God has maintained my faith. That is what He does, just as in those verse above (Phil 1:6; 1 Thes 5:23-24; Heb 12:2).

What we need to be concerned about is establishing a real relationship with God. Again, this applies whether you believe in eternal security or not, because the principle is the same; we don't need to hold our faith together with apologetics.

Have you totally surrendered your life to Jesus, or is there something that you're holding back? And has He confirmed your salvation? Does it come out in evidence of Him working in your life? That is what to focus on.

We can use apologetics for getting past the initial barriers in unsaved people's minds, so it can be helpful as we share the gospel, but let's not stop there. They need to have a real encounter with Jesus, and then we don't have to  worry about them becoming atheists.

And with your children, spend time establishing truths of God's authority, His laws that we've broken, our separation from Him, and the need for genuine salvation through Jesus. Don't let it be totally intellectual; it's not about us passing down  our beliefs like Muslims do with their children. It's about them knowing Jesus.

When we look at the words of Jesus, we see that we are meant to be in a real relationship with Him (see John 14:21 and John 15:1-17). It's not mystical, but spiritual, and we are made for that. So, let's keep our focus on knowing Him.