1 Peter 3:15 'but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.'

'make a defense'-a verbal defense, an answer back. 'give an account'-a reckoning, reason. 'to any one who ask from you a reason for the hope which you cherish' (Wey); 'always ready with your defence whenever you are called to account for the hope that is in you' (NEB). Giving a 'reason' for your hope is much more than just telling people that you are a Christian. Rather, it means giving people logical reasons or evidence why you believe there is a God, the Bible is His Word, Jesus is the Son of God, etc…If God requires the Christian is give 'a reason', therefore good 'reasons' must exist. A wealth of objective evidence which supports the claims of the Bible must be accessible to every Christian---and understandable to every unbeliever. Other passages mention the same responsibility:

2 Corinthians 10:5 'We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.'-'Our battle is to bring down every deceptive fantasy' (Phi); 'the Christian warfare is aimed at the casting down of the reasonings which are the strongholds whereby the unbelieving mind seeks to fortify itself against the truths of..divine grace.' (2 Corinthians, NICNT, Hughes, pp. 351-352) Notice that the Christian cannot be intimidated or silenced by human speculations and theories. And neither are we always to be on the defensive. In addition, no sympathy is to be shown to false concepts and the erroneous theories of man. Paul's task as a Christian was to tear down every false view that human pride has raised against God's truth. The Christianity of the New Testament did not have room or tolerance for all views. When one became a Christian, they gave themselves completely to God---including their mind and thoughts. If a concept is found in violation with the Word of God, then it must be abandoned.

Jude 3 '…I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.' 'Contend earnestly'-'to contend about a thing, as a combatant.' (Vine p. 233) Notice that the 'faith' (truths of Christianity), are things which we must always be fighting to preserve. For there will always exist people who want to corrupt them (Jude 4). Keep this verse in mind next time you hear someone saying that the Church needs to back off on stressing doctrine or exposing error. There will never be a time when Christians can take a laid back attitude towards the truth.

Jude 22 'And have mercy on some, who are doubting'-Skepticism isn't a mark of spirituality or even intellectual success. It is significant that one of the words rendered 'doubting' in the New Testament, means 'to be without a way'.

Titus 1:9 'holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict' 'Contradict'-the person who contradicts the truth. (2 Timothy 2:25 'with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition..')

I. Various Objections:

Common objections surface when the subject of God or Christianity arises: 1. 'Logic doesn't apply to spiritual issues': But God is a God of truth (Hebrews 6:18). And the basis of all logic is that two truths will not contradict one another. Those who make the above argument end up contradicting themselves, for they attempt to use 'reason/logic' to argue against certain spiritual truths revealed in the Bible. Jesus and the apostles used very logical arguments in defending the truth (Acts 17:24-25,29). 2. 'I don't discuss religion or politics': Then after hearing this, the same person proceeds at other times to ramble on about both! 3. 'Everyone disagrees about such things, therefore truth in this realm is impossible': But everyone doesn't disagree. The very existence of a religious group or non-religious group proves that a certain amount of people can see something alike. Again, this is only a convenient excuse when confronted with something they don't want to deal with. This excuse doesn't prevent the same people from expressing very definite beliefs and objecting to others. Something will be taught 'as fact'. There is tremendous disagreement about Evolution (even among Evolutionists), and yet that doesn't prevent its supporters from teaching it as fact and opposing any attempt to let Creation have equal time in the classroom. 4. 'Objective truth can never be known or doesn't exist': But that statement is an absolute statement. 5. 'This is just my opinion..': But God hasn't given mankind the right to express erroneous views. People need to realize that ideas are powerful. Tremendous suffering has happened because someone accepted the wrong idea (Hitler, Stalin, Communist China, etc..). People will end up lost because they believed the wrong 'concept' (2 Thess. 2:10-12). And ideas never stay in the idea form, they determine conduct (Mark 7:20-22).

II. The Existence Of God:

The proof that God exists must not be complicated and it must be understandable to every man and woman.

A. The Nature Of Man:

Besides being too intelligent and complex to be the product of chance or accident (Psalm 139:14), man also possesses a 'moral' nature, a sense of right and wrong. POINTS TO NOTE: 1. Morality isn't subjective, because everyone draws the line somewhere, even the atheist. Most cultures in human history have held the same basic things to be wrong and right (Ephesians 6:1; Matthew 7:9-11). 2. Morality doesn't describe what is, but instead, what ought to be. One writer noted, 'Moral laws…are not simply a description of the way men behave, and are not known by observing what men do. If they were, our idea of morality would surely be different. Instead, they tell us what men ought to do…Thus any moral "ought" comes from beyond the natural universe. You can't explain it by anything that happens in the universe..' (When Skeptics Ask, Geisler/Brooks, p. 23) 3. Men may argue that right and wrong do not exist, but even the atheist acts like they do, and indeed takes it very seriously. 'we find that even those who say that there is no moral order expect to be treated with fairness, courtesy, and dignity…Everyone expects others to follow some moral codes, even those who try to deny them…moral law is an undeniable fact.'(Geisler p. 24) 4. To be consistent the atheist must concede that: It doesn't matter if all abortions are legal or illegal, whether the environment is preserved or pillaged, whether a species is hunted to extinction or protected. In fact, the atheist must concede that every modern hot-topic (i.e. drugs, teen pregnancy, racism/discrimination, AIDS, the holocaust, sexual harassment, etc..) is a completely irrelevant topic. 5. Right and wrong cannot exist in a universe where a moral God is absent and one ceases to exist at death. 6. If there is no God, then we don't have the right to complain, seek 'justice', or call anyone a criminal. 7. People claim that there are too many hypocrites in the Church. Let it be noted no atheist can live consistent with his atheism. Any time they object to anything, they are acting in a hypocritical manner. Any negative comment expressed towards belief in God, Christianity, Jesus Christ, etc…is an act of hypocrisy. Any protest they join, any cause they advocate, any disagreement with an opposing view is another act of hypocrisy.

B. The Design Manifested In The Physical Creation:

POINTS TO NOTE: 1. When we talk about the 'design' seen in the physical creation, we aren't talking about simple patterns (like stones smoothed by a river). Rather, the universe is full of complex design, which demands a designer (Hebrews 3:4). A single DNA molecule, carries the same amount of information as one volume of an encyclopedia. Each human brain contains the same amount of information as found in 20 million books. 2. 'the greater the design, the greater the designer. Beavers make log dams, but they have never constructed anything like Hoover Dam. Likewise, a thousand monkeys sitting at typewriters would never write Hamlet. But Shakespeare did it on the first try. The more complex the design, the greater the intelligence required to produce it.' (Geisler p. 20) But atheism has chosen the unreasonable position that the computer I used to type and print this lesson is the product of skill and wisdom, but the mind that designed the computer wasn't the product of any wisdom or skill. 3. The universe definitely reveals something about God (Psalm 19:1-2; Romans 1:20). God has power! The power necessary to create it (Genesis 1:1) and sustain it (Colossians 1:17). God is intelligent and logical. For the universe operates on logical principles and laws. This God can be known, for the natural laws He built into this system can be known. God knows everything there is to know about the way we think, because He designed our brains. Therefore, Who is more qualified than He to tell us how to live? What will truly make us happy or what is not in our best interest? (Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 3:10-11) God is moral, for man has a moral nature (Genesis 1:26). God is more relevant than I am. For the universe can keep right on going without me-for it did just find before my entrance into this world. But chance can't be holding the universe together, because it can't even hold simple things together (like my car).

C. The Only Logical First Cause:

Where did everything come from? The universe isn't eternal and something cannot come from nothing. Two points which sound scientific research and biblical study both support (Heb. 1:10-12; Matthew 24:35). POINTS TO NOTE: 1. But some respond, 'What caused God?' People forget that only 'created' things need a cause. God doesn't fit into that category. God is eternal, and for God to be God, such must be part of the package. For God couldn't be all-powerful and all-knowing, if He hasn't always existed and always will (Isaiah 43:13; Psalm 90:2). 2. Some argue that moral law is beyond God, therefore God isn't the ultimate good or the true first cause. The truth is that moral law arises out of God's nature. It is impossible for God to command something or will something which isn't in harmony with His nature (Titus 1:2). 3. Others argue, 'Can God make a mountain so big that He can't move it?' Which is like asking, 'is there something more than infinite?' Or, 'Can God make a square circle', which is like asking, 'What is the smell of blue?' The truth is that colors don't smell and the definition of a square contradicts the definition of a circle. God's omnipotence doesn't allow Him to do what is logically impossible (like causing Himself to go out of existence) including immoral acts (Titus 1:2). 4. Others contend, 'If God is limitless, then He must be good and evil'. People don't listen very well. God is only limitless in His nature and attributes. Evil is not an attribute of God (John 1:5). 5. Finally some argue: 'God is nothing but a psychological crutch, a wish, something that we hope is true, a way for man to cope with the harsh realities of life.' A. 'How can men know that God is "nothing but"…unless they have "more than" knowledge. To be sure that man's consciousness is the limit of reality and that there is nothing beyond it, one must go beyond the limits of man's consciousness…This objection says that nothing exists outside our minds, but a person must go outside the boundaries of his own mind to say that.' (Geisler p. 32) Carefully note, those who oppose the idea of God, end up acting like God or assuming God's role, i.e. they tell us what we should think, what is right and wrong, and they claim to be all-knowing.