DEFENDING YOUR FAITH

The most important thing to remember is that there’s only One that you have to answer to, and that is GOD! That’s the bottom line. But it’s those lines in the middle that become a problem sometimes.

Nobody can tell you what words to say, to make people accept your choice to follow the Lord, because everyone is different, both believers and unbelievers. Some may be converted by your devotion and fidelity, and others may disassociate themselves completely from you. You’ll find however, that the deeper your commitment is to Jesus Christ, the more peace of mind you’ll have with the outcome of your confrontations with those people who disagree with you.

WHY IS DEFENDING YOUR FAITH IMPORTANT AND HOW DO YOU DEFEND YOUR FAITH IN A RIGHTEOUS MANNER?

Another thing Jesus said, is that there is nobody that has left house or family or homes for His sake and the Gospel’s, that wont receive a hundred times as much in the world to come

Remember that Jesus said that those who do the will of His Father ARE HIS mother and brother and sister,

It sounds to me like you have a new family, or should I say - Another family!

Stand by your beliefs. As you can see, the world doesn’t have a very good track record. (The news proves that every day.) The world (that includes your family) is being slow-poisoned, by evil and wickedness. You don’t have to swallow what everyone else does. That’s why Jesus is calling you, because you haven’t blindly followed the rest of the sheep to the slaughter. Keep your feet firmly planted in Faith, and remember TRUTH,

Again, this doesn’t mean to hate the world that God created, and to harbor hatred in your heart for everything and everyone. God doesn’t want that at all. God LOVES the world

LOVE all, and LOVE the life that God gave you, but discern the evil and hate the evil. Stay as far away from it as you can, because you become as what you surround yourself with, so surround yourself with things that remind you of God and your walk with Him. Your eyes are the portal to the soul, so wouldn't it be a good idea to influence your soul with holy things? We are greatly influenced by what our eyes are exposed to. How true and Biblically sound is this? Jacob influenced his father-in-law Laban's flocks to bear striped, speckled, and spotted offspring by facing the animals toward tree branches that he peeled in striped, speckled and spotted patterns (Genesis 30:37-39). If you want to be conformed to the image of God, surround yourself with Godly things.

Determine in your heart, be certain, have no shadow of a doubt . . . following Christ is the right way to go, not following the world. I know it’s a tough thing when your own family doesn’t understand your Faith, because hey, they’re your family and you have a natural emotional connection to them called LOVE, but for a moment think of it this way: What if they were someone else’s family? Would you feel so torn apart because you believe in righteousness, and they follow after the world on their leashes?

If a stranger disagreed with your beliefs, it would mean little to you, and you wouldn’t have any problem defending your Faith to them. But family is a different story. If you defend your Faith to your family, it’s because you’re more dedicated to your cause, than to your family. Most people don’t want to jeopardize the LOVE of their family for anything, and Jesus knew this. Now you can see clearer, why He said that He came to bring division, and He will separate the sheep from the goats

Ask yourself what the TRUTH is. What’s most important to you? Your family and the world, or your Faith in Christ? That doesn’t mean you have to sever your communication with your family, but you do have to change your attitude. Jesus said to pray for those who are against you, because if you only bless those who LOVE you, everything is even. You’ve done nothing extraordinary.

You’re not alone. Every Christian faces this dilemma, whether it be with their family or others. You have God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and all your Christian brothers and sisters who support you in choosing Christ. Instead of feeling like you have to end your relationship with your family, perhaps one day, maybe one, some, or all of them may be reborn, too, because of you! You must stand firm, and whenever they oppose your Christian beliefs, take that as an opportunity to enlighten them. Defend the Faith! And don’t forget how the Apostles rejoiced because they were beaten and suffered shame in the name of Jesus.

Now, speaking of this new attitude in defending your Faith, it won’t be easy at first, but as Christians, we’ve all gotten a taste of how unkind people can be in trying to embarrass us about your Faith, or prove it wrong. Most people think that Christians are too “extreme.” Tell me, if you were Jesus, would you want anyone to be your follower who wasn’t? There is no such thing as being too devoted to God. Not only can you adapt a new attitude, but you can enhance your Faith in a number of ways. As your Faith grows, defending it becomes easier. A person can read the Bible word for word from cover to cover, and not understand most of it. If you don’t understand what you’re defending, it will be more difficult. There are some things that you can do that will help.

There’s a term that people use when they feel like people don’t understand their Christian beliefs . . . the lonely road of Faith. Friends, you don’t have time to feel alone, or lonely, because this website alone, has more than 5,000 pages about Christianity. If you’re unimpressed by the world now, wait until you learn more about God’s world! Let’s just say you studied one page a day, it would take you over 13 years to read them all. The more you learn, the easier it will become for you to walk the walk of Faith and fight the good fight, and your feeling of being alone on your journey will be replaced with eagerness to do God’s will in whatever way He has planned for you to glorify Him.

What about Christian camaraderie? You can always go to the chat-rooms here and share your thoughts with others who are going through the same perseverance that you are. It’s always comforting to know you’re not the only one who has ever gone through this.

Don’t be fooled by people who want you to prove things about your Faith to them. Faith is belief in something that has NO proof! If something can be proven, it takes no Faith to believe in it.

What about LOVE?

Most people believe in LOVE ... Do they not know that God is LOVE

How then, can a person believe in LOVE, and not in God? That’s a great question to ask the Faithless.

DEFENDING YOUR FAITH RESPONSES

Can you expect everything to go perfectly? Heaven’s no. Nothing’s perfect, except Jesus. You will fall. EVERYBODY does. The difference is whether you choose to wallow in pools of self pity when you fall, or you get back up on your feet and persist. Pick up where you left off. Make a mental note of what caused your stumbling and try, try again.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and strengthen you. If you’re a Christian soldier, He supplies your ammunition and your armor. He is your offense and your defense. Trust in Him. He will provide you with TRUTH.

Jesus said not to worry about what to say, because it will be given to you in that same hour, what you should say. Because it isn’t you that speaks, but the Spirit of your Father, which speaks in you.

The emotions you’re feeling if your family disagrees with you are very common, you’ll find. And they’re also a part of the trials and tribulations that you read about in the Bible. Overcome those emotions with TRUTH, like the scripture passages that you’ve been reading in this study. If you ever find yourself skating through your life as a Christian and things are going just perfectly in every way, that’s when you should be alarmed. Satan doesn’t just give up on Christians who pass certain requirements. No, the closer they get to God, the more the devil turns up the heat (through temptations and trials). That’s why you hear those “crazy” Christians in the Bible (the Apostles) talk about rejoicing in tribulation.

It looks like you have some celebrating to do, because you’re on the right path! Smile because these things that you’re facing prove it! STAND FIRM

Because ... Many are called, but few are chosen.

Because few CHOOSE HIM over the world.

REMEMBER ... DEFENDING YOUR FAITH IS PART OF THE CHRISTIAN WALK.

HOW TO DEFEND YOUR FAITH ... THAT WILL DEPEND ON THE SITUATION.

LET THE HOLY SPIRIT BE YOUR GUIDE.