Is Apologetics Important for Evangelizing?

I used to say "You're never going to argue Christ into someone's heart" - and while this is technically true, that doesn't mean that apologetics can't be a key aspect towards leading someone to Jesus.

One of the most common trends that I've noticed after speaking to several different people from various backgrounds regarding faith, is the almost immediate projection of common misconceptions about Christianity. I soon realized that some of these misconceptions I too once believed prior to following Christ.

God began to put it on my heart that being able to directly speak truth into these misconceptions can plant powerful seeds that cause people to reconsider what they once thought about the faith and lends credibility to the truth of Jesus Christ.

The top misconceptions about Christianity I commonly hear are:

1. "The bible can't be trusted"

2. "All religions lead to God"

3. "Jesus never claimed to be God"

4. "God wouldn't send good people to hell"

In their defense, if even one of these beliefs were actually true then people would have a good reason not to follow Christ:

• If the bible can't be trusted then there's no biblical truth to stand on.

  
  

• If all religions lead to God then I can choose my own way and it doesn't matter which I follow or how I live.

  
  

• If Jesus never claimed to be God then worshiping him as one would be blasphemy.

  
  

• If God wouldn't send good people to hell that means I can just be "good enough" and get into heaven myself.

But the truth is that these misconceptions are just that, something that sounds and appears like truth, but couldn't be further from it.

The reality behind each of these misconceptions is:

1. The bible is actually the most credible ancient document in human history.

2. All religions make exclusive truth claims, all logically cannot be true at the same time.

3. Jesus claimed to be God so many times that it led to his very crucifixion.

4. God's standard of "goodness" isn't comparison, it's perfection.

I'd encourage you to take a deeper dive into each of these misconceptions on our apologetics page - Misconceptions About Christianity

All this to say, while salvation will never be the result of human logical conclusion; apologetics absolutely has an important place in evangelizing to a lost and deceived world. At the end of the day, we plant and we water, but God gives the increase.

I want to encourage you to be bold and talk to a stranger about God and respond to any misconceptions with grace and love, and watch how God will powerfully work in both your life and in the lives of others.