Ready To Teach And Defend

by Chris Simmons

As we come to the end of one year, and rush into a new one, it’s appropriate to turn our hearts and minds to ponder that which we hope to improve on or do better in our lives. If we are “seeking the things above” and “set our minds on the things above” (Colossians 3:1-2), should not those goals and ambitions be spiritual in nature? In the article Micky wrote last week entitled “New Year Brings New Opportunities,” he identified several spiritual needs that we would be wise to address. We read in II Corinthians 5:9, “Therefore also we have as our ambition … to be pleasing to Him.” Note that the definition of the Greek word for “ambition” means “to strive to bring something to pass” (Vine). What then should our spiritual goals and ambitions include for the year to come and what should we strive to bring to pass?

They should definitely include our personal spiritual growth and strengthening. We are commanded to continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and. Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). Peter earlier in the same letter (1:5-8) spoke of the need to be “increasing” in our “faith … moral excellence … knowledge … self-control … perseverance … godliness … brotherly kindness … (and) love.” We always bear the responsibility to grow in “handling accurately the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).

We ought to seek such growth, first of all to glorify and honor our Father (I Timothy 1:17) and the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:12-13) and to become more “useful to the Master” (II Timothy 2:21). We ought also to seek continued spiritual growth so that we might ever increase our influence among others. Our influence as the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16) are not static, but are either increasing or decreasing. We ought then to “press on” (Philippians 3:14) in our commitment to be “merciful” and “peacemakers” towards the spiritually lost (Matthew 5:7-9) and share the good news of the forgiveness and hope found in Jesus Christ.

The word “evangelism” comes from a Greek word meaning good news. An “evangelist” (II Timothy 4:5) therefore, is a proclaimer of good news. Jesus in Matthew 11:5 spoke of His work to perform miracles and to “have the gospel (good news) preached” to the “poor” (i.e., the “poor in spirit,” Matthew 5:3). Our duty (Luke 17:10) to be an influence for good in the world we live in requires us to “bear much fruit” (John 15:8) which undoubtedly includes many things (Galatians 5:22-23) but certainly must include evangelism – sharing the good news.

One aspect of this spiritual growth is in simply being aware of the opportunities around us. After teaching the Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus said to His disciples in verse 35, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” Jesus is imploring His disciples to see the opportunities all around us. Like Jesus’ disciples, do we miss the opportunities to evangelize because we have our hearts and minds focused on the temporal things of life? We need to “lift up our eyes and look on the fields” and see those before us that need direction and hope in their lives. Utilizing human wisdom, the disciples didn’t see this Samaritan woman as a viable prospect for the kingdom (for several reasons) and needed to adjust their perception and vision to see as God sees. Are there those who we would likewise discount as being unworthy recipients of the gospel?

As we “lift up our eyes,” it’s critical that we be prepared for the opportunities before us. Paul exhorts Timothy and us in II Timothy 4:2 to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” In similar fashion, Peter exhorts in I Peter 3:15, “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.” Both these passages include the word “ready” and emphasize the need of both preparation and desire. If we lack either knowledge or desire, we can’t say that we are “ready” to teach or defend our hope. Our desire to teach must come from our compassion for lost souls who desperately need to follow the Shepherd (Mark 6:34). Our preparation to “handle accurately the word of truth” means that we will strive to become adept at explaining and teaching God’s plan to redeem man from his sins that He established “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) as laid out in the Bible – both Old and New Testaments. If we’re “ready,” it will only be so if we have committed ourselves to being able to “call these things to mind” (II Peter 1:15) and explaining the scriptures that will lead someone to Jesus Christ.

Understanding that our growth in knowledge is a lifelong pursuit, we cannot wait to share the good news until we know everything. We cannot wait to be ready until we’re 100% confident that we can answer every question. The Christians who fled Jerusalem because of the persecution, who “went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4), simply shared what they had been taught and what they had believed. When we face questions that we don’t know the answer to, we need to turn back to God’s word to seek the answers and to mature Christians to help “guide” (Acts 8:31) us in our efforts to be ready to teach the word of God.

Finally, our readiness to teach and defend is dependent on our courage and diligence. Courage is not the absence of fear but the conviction that compels us to act. Such courage and diligence will be manifested in our boldness and confidence. We need to note the prayer of the disciples in Acts 4:24-30 after they had been arrested, threatened, and then released for preaching the gospel. Specifically, in verse 29, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that your bond-servants may speak your word with all confidence.” Verse 30 notes that they indeed “began to speak the word of God with boldness.” The apostle Paul himself sought the prayers of his brethren in Ephesians 6:20 “that in proclaiming it (the gospel) I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” This will only happen if we are willing to work at it diligently. Often, we’re not ready, and evangelism fails, not because of a lack of confidence but because of indifference and laziness. In the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25, it should be noted that the “one talent” man explained his failure to bear fruit was because he was “afraid” (verse 25). The master however said it was due to the fact that he was “wicked” and “lazy” (verse 26).

As we think about the year ahead, may it be our goal to be better prepared in terms of knowledge, desire, and courage to teach the gospel and defend our hope.