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Share one or two ways you or someone you know has lovingly responded to an attack on your/their Christian faith.
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I have had several attacks on my faith and I have found that a loving response is first about motivation. Why am I responding? Is it to prove that I am right? If yes, then what I say and how I say it will be full of pride and the truth I speak will be spoken outside of the heart and purposes of Christ. If my motivation is love for an image bearer of the Most High God, my response will be more considered. I will be defending the truth for your sake. Likely, this will mean that I will describe, testify, and explain only in as much as the Holy Spirit indicates is profitable for you–not your opinion of me or even God. I will be content to speak, under attack, only as the Holy Spirit determines will be for your benefit. Surprisingly, sometimes He says to say nothing at all. I have been amazed by how loudly and clearly God can speak when I refuse to defend myself.
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They referred back to Jesus and His word. They did not fall due to the attack because their anchor was to Jesus.
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My Pastor. When God is leading a church body and growing the kingdom, the devil will viscously try to take out the loudest leader. My Pastor has become so used to it, that he is rarely upset or shaken by these attacks. He is grounded by the Word and his faith is like concrete boots holding him firmly in place. He has shown me what perseverance looks like.
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In a seminary class one time I remember a student who told others who adhered to different things concepts of marriage that she “had not been enlightened” to their understanding.
At one time I remember saying about the same issue that we are given different missions and some may be appointed to minister to different groups of people. I have since seen error in my thinking about that. I used it to excuse the acceptance of clergy who engage in different lifestyles and who promote such within the denomination. The response that I corrected was not loving – it was an easy way to avoid speaking truth in love.
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In our culture today truth is relative and means something different to everyone. When I am faced with the contemporary truths of our culture, I often talk about the importance of where one can find truth and how they know that it’s true. Discussing with them the accuracy and reliability of the Word. Discussing how it is unchanging and cohesive throughout thousands of years with multiple authors. Identifying that truth today has changed and morphed throughout history. If I am going to believe something, it must agree with the truth of Scripture or it is rejected. The only way to know if it agrees with the truth of Scripture is to be in the Word and know what the it says. I challenge those with philosophical ideas that they believe are sound to dive into the Bible and compare both.