It is often tempting to engage
unbelievers in heated conversations concerning the reality of God and His Son,
when they try to dissuade people from belief. But the bible warns us against
such unruly and unproductive arguments.
Ephesians 3:8 tells us to put off
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy and filthy communication’. Whenever you try to
defend your faith through disagreement, you allow unbelievers to lead you down
alleys of anger. Verse 12 of the same chapter goes on to provide us the proper
method for handling those outside the faith: ‘. . . put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering.’
The apostles led by example, not
denigrating those who disagreed with their beliefs, but loving them. This then—love—is
the greatest argument a Christian can give for the reality of Christ in her life.
Scripture is filled with encouragements on living humbly, honorably, obediently,
lovingly. You will not convince an atheist of the love of Christ if all you
do is argue. Show them you have the light of your Savior, that you walk a
different path from them, a better path, one of salvation leading to paradise. Ephesians
3 goes on to say in verse 6: ‘Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned
with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one’.
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