If it Baal will “defend himself” then how much more our God? In Judges 6:31 Joash defends Gideon by saying that Baal, if he really is a god, will contend for himself: “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down”. This is a legitimate question: What do we communicate about the greatness of God (or Christ) when we come to his defense? I do not necessarily mean when we proclaim what God has communicated about Himself in the face of opposition or even defending the truth of what God has said against misrepresentation. What I mean is the feeling that we have to come to God’s defense and protect Him.
In what way should we defend God? And in what way might it detract from His greatness?
this is a good topic. i think it's important to distinguish between "bearing witness to" and "defending." christians must bear witness to who God is and what God has done in Jesus Christ. when we start defending the "who" and the "what," perhaps we're not trusting in the activity of the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, judgment, and righteousness when we bear witness (John 16).
ReplyDeletegood post
What some people consider 'defense', others consider 'bearing witness.' There's a blurry line.
ReplyDeleteI take 'defense' as a judiciary term...just as 'bearing testimony/witness.' To me there are questions people ask about our God that are worth answering. When we do this, we are providing a defense (apologia). This is not negative.
The only time I see people getting 'defensive' is when they're not secure in their defense. That is, they don't know how to answer someone's question, but feel compelled to do so anyway. They become defensive, and often assume the louder they speak, the more true their apologia is.
Make sense? Just my thoughts...