The Apologetics Advertisement for Christianity
By Nathaniel Ashcroft
What Really Matters
Everything I have just written considering evangelism is absolutely pointless, unless the reader uses it as an avenue to the gospel. No one converts to Christianity solely because of evidence as I just covered. Conversion happens because we realize who Jesus is, how amazing and perfect His character is, and as a result we fall in love with Him. We realize that we have a hunger for meaning that this world cannot supply, and we see our need for the truth. We fall in love with the love that is defined at its most basic level:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (NIV 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
This love is perfectly painted in the most perfect artistry in the life of Jesus the Christ. We fall in love with Jesus, who was always patient, always kind, never envying, never boasting, never proud, never dishonoring others, never self seeking, never easily angered, never keeping a record of wrongs, who did not delight in evil, who rejoiced in the truth, always protected, trusted, always offered hope, and always preserved us, as seen in the gospels. No one on earth has ever cared so selflessly, nor loved so perfectly. Hopefully after considering the evidence, you are open to and trust in the character of Jesus. As Paul states,
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (NIV 1 Corinthians 13:1).
Here’s how the Bible defines faith:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV Hebrews 11:1).
In walking by faith, we take the steps to follow the evidence, our convictions, and our experiences. When we fully understand that we are hopelessly condemned to divine judgement, and look upon our sinful actions with disdain, only then do we see our need for Christ. The gospel can’t be preached without also preaching what the gospel is saving a person from. When we start to learn about Jesus’s life, we are confronted with this truth: Jesus knows me (Psalm 139). He knows my sinful nature, He knows my weakness, and He knows my hurt, and instead of leaving me in my peril, He has taken part in my suffering, the God of the universe allowing himself to be killed by sinful men, so that I could be counted righteous in the eyes of God. He loved me with such a deep love, a love that was shared only between the Trinity before the Creator ever created, that He made himself lowly so that we could be counted among the elect.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to [H]is own advantage; rather, [H]e made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, [H]e humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
NIV Philippians 2:6-8
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in [H]im all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through [H]im and for [H]im. He is before all things, and in [H]im all things hold together. And [H]e is the head of the body, the church; [H]e is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything [H]e might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all [H]is fullness dwell in [H]im, and through [H]im to reconcile to [H]imself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through [H]is blood, shed on the cross.”
NIV Colossians 1:15-20
“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
NIV 2 Corinthians 1:5
Jesus’s primary evangelism tactic was not apologetics, instead He showed His wisdom, miracles, and love. Those early believers followed Him for who He is, not an argument they heard. Jesus promised the water of life, from which we would thirst no more. This means that, in Him, we find true satisfaction, truth, purpose, and love. Jesus does ask for something in turn: your life. Peter preaches that you “‘Repent and be baptized’” (NIV Acts 2:38) and Christ tells His disciples,
“‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’” (ESV Matthew 16:24-26).
John 17
The love of Jesus has been told a thousand different ways, told from a thousand different perspectives, shown in a thousand different testimonies, and sung in a thousand different songs, yet I believe that one of the most accurate representations is shown in John 17, by Jesus himself.
John 17 reads,
“After Jesus said this, [H]e looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted [H]im authority over all people that [H]e might give eternal life to all those you have given [H]im. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
NIV John 17
“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Jesus prayed this prayer, often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer, directly before being betrayed. The first paragraph is Jesus praying for Himself, and it is the shortest section of this prayer. That alone should speak to Christ’s character, as at the moment of prayer He was in full knowledge of His impending suffering and death, and yet His focus was far from Himself, it was on those He loved. He prays far longer for His disciples in the second paragraph and all believers after them in the third, than He does for Himself. Reading John 17, it’s so easy to see the depth of love Jesus has for us. The disparity between us and God cannot be overstated, and yet He chose to become nothing, so that we could be “brought to complete unity” with Him. Jesus left the grandest of places, grand beyond human understanding, to live in the world that He created, alongside sinful men, to be killed by sinful men, just so He could bring us with Him into His home. This is the only story I have ever heard in which the superhero dies for the sake of the villain, as depicted in Romans 5:6-8,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates [H]is own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NIV Romans 5:6-8).
The parable of the prodigal son is another perfect example of Jesus’s love for us, and offers insights into His character. In the parable told by Jesus, a father has two sons, and he gives each a share of his property. The younger son goes and wastes his wealth in “wild living.” He decides to go back to his father’s house, but he doesn’t know if his father will accept him back. This is the father’s response,
“‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’” (NIV Luke 15:22-24).
This is a portrayal of God’s love for us, and it is only possible through the payment of our sins that is in Jesus’s blood. He has reconciled the lost, redeemed the condemned, and lifted up the broken. A theme in Luke’s gospel is the emphasis on the lost, as shone is this parable.
What Does The Word Say About Christ?
The Word speaks powerfully of Jesus:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NIV Romans 8:38-39).
“I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (NIV Psalm 18:1-2).
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (NIV Psalm 73:25-26).
“But God demonstrates [H]is own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NIV Romans 5:8).
“When I saw [H]im, I fell at [H]is feet as though dead. Then [H]e placed [H]is right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (NIV Revelation 1:17-18).
What Did The Early Christians Have to Say About Christ?
Our church fathers commend Jesus:
“Through Him let us look steadfastly unto the heights of the heavens; through Him we behold as in a mirror His faultless and most excellent visage; through Him the eyes of our hearts were opened; through Him our foolish and darkened mind springeth up unto the light; through Him the Master willed that we should taste of the immortal knowledge Who being the brightness of His majesty is so much greater than angels, as He hath inherited a more excellent name” (1 Clement 36:2).
Christ’s Relation to Us
As Christians, we live in a world where God walks alongside us, as our Advocate (John 14:15-17), as our Friend (John 15:15), and as our Father (Romans 8:15).
Jesus takes meaningless, hateful, violent, cruel, tainted souls, and He elevates them to a state they could never attain on their own; they become something so beautiful, so bright, so worthy, so good; we are exalted to become sons of the living God and are simultaneously being given a perfect life in the eyes of the Lord. That life is not our own, which was put to death along with Christ, but it is the blameless work done by Jesus on this earth; the image of the invisible God becoming the firstborn among the dead, so that peace may be made through His blood, shed on the cross.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (NIV John 8:36).
Clearly a relationship with Jesus is vastly important, and knowing a lot about Jesus does not give you a relationship with Him. He is not divinely hidden, every single christian supernaturally engages in a relationship with God daily. He’s not an abstract idea that we hope is true, but a present reality that we experience daily. The best I can do to describe this reality is to describe it as wholeness, completeness, or to be at peace. Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 16:11, Romans 5:5, and 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 are a few scriptures that may offer a window into a Christian’s relationship with God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (NIV Galatians 5:22-23).
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (NIV Psalm 16:11).
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (NIV Romans 5:5).
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into [H]is image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (NIV 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
Christ’s Love For Us
Thomas Goodwin, a Puritan theologian of the 17th century, writes these words in attempt to communicate to the reader what Christ is showing us when He says
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (NIV John 14:3).
“It is as if [H]e had said, The truth is, I cannot live without you, I shall never be quiet till I have you where I am, that so we may never part again; that is the reason of it. Heaven shall not hold me, nor my Father’s company, if I have not you with me, my heart is so set upon you; and if I have any glory, you shall have part of it.”
Goodwin 8
Christ is too in love with you to leave you without help on this earth while He waits for us to join Him in heaven. Christ, in His great love, left the Advocate, who is the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27) and continues on to complete the good work Christ has begun in us (Philippians 1:6). Christ’s love for us through the gospel is not a license for sin, of course, but a freedom to serve and know the Lord.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (NIV Galatians 5:13).
Goodwin later goes on to say, “Whose heart would not this overcome?” (Goodwin 13), highlighting the intrinsic need humanity has for the love of God.
Here again I will quote Hebrews as I did in the Comfort to the Believer heading,
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, [H]e offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save [H]im from death, and [H]e was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though [H]e was, [H]e learned obedience from what [H]e suffered and, once made perfect, [H]e became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey [H]im” (NIV Hebrews 5:7-9).
Here again I will ask: Can you imagine the God of the universe shedding tears and pleading for your salvation?
Greatest Commandment
The most important commandment, according to Jesus, is to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’” (NIV Mark 12:30). Jesus teaches surrender, selflessness, love, and joy. Joy beyond comprehension and peace that “surpasses all understanding.” After learning about the evidence for Christianity, you still need to fall in love with God. Apologetics has guided many to the faith, but the faith would not be the faith, and it would not be worth it, without Jesus. Jesus is our sole hope. Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath, so that God’s wrath could kill our sin; The sacrifice of the cross redirected the judgement of God to the Son of Man. He became sin itself so that by His scars we could be healed (Isaiah 53:5).
Jesus is that which is beyond the sun.
Soli Deo gloria
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Works Cited
NIV Quest Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011.
ESV Bible, The Premium Gift Edition. Crossway, 2016.
Clement of Rome. The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Translated by J.B. Lightfoot, 1869.
Goodwin, Thomas. The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth. First published in 1651.