Apologistas, por favor no se olviden del evangelio

By Michael Sherrard

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. — ROMANS 1:16

As an apologist, let me encourage you to trust in the power of the gospel. Do not be ashamed to speak freely about the goodness of God’s mercy and kindness. I have said before that most people reject God because of emotional and volitional problems. The intellect simply hides these problems. Even as we talk about evidence, logic, and arguments, apologists must remember that the reason many people will not give themselves to God is because of their hearts. But the love and kindness of God’s grace can soften a hard heart and will draw many to Him.

All people recognize two things: there is a God, and they have broken a standard of morality by which they should be judged (Rom. 1:18–2:16). All people struggle with guilt, and guilt is a powerful force that causes many people to run from God instead of to Him. Guilt often manifests itself in pride and the attempt to rationalize or atone for sin. Sometimes guilt results in depression, feelings of inadequacy, and the belief that no one should love them. Whatever you look at it, guilt is a hindrance to repentance.

But God is greater than our sin. His love is more powerful than our guilt. And His kindness will draw many to repentance. Don’t put your hope in logic, history, science, and argument. Trust in the beauty of the gospel and the mercy of God. Don’t be ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that works for salvation (Rom 1:16). Share it as much as you can.

The thing most overlooked in apologetics is the Gospel. Apologists tend to never go that far in conversations with unbelievers. Sometimes we think other people won’t believe the nonsense of the Cross. So we resort to talking only about what seems reasonable. But don’t shy away from preaching what in this world is considered nonsense. Remember that apologetics is a servant of the Gospel, and sometimes the servant has to get out of the way of the master.

Apologists, share the gospel with others and tell them how God’s mercy has transformed you. You can offer the hope of a changed life. Tell your story. Explain what it feels like to be forgiven. Speak of your hope for heaven. And speak with joy of the peace of God that now fills your life.

Invite skeptics to know God and enjoy all that comes from life in Christ. Feel free to tell them that you know Him, that you have experienced Him, and that they can too. There is value in your experience and in your personal knowledge of God. Talk to them about that. Some people say you can’t argue with a changed life, but you can; I argue with good, changed Mormons all the time. But there is value in your conversion, in the reality in which God can be known and experienced. So tell them your story and invite them to enter into one for themselves.

Michael C. Sherrard is a pastor, author of Relational Apologetics, and director of Ratio Christi College Prep. RCCP is an organization that seeks to equip the church for effective evangelism by teaching high school students apologetics, fundamental Christian doctrine, and biblical evangelism.

Original Blog: http://bit.ly/2AdotuY

Translated by Italo Espinoza Gomez

Edited by Maria Andreina Cerrada