Apologetics Courses

Apologetics & Evangelism Free Course 1
Lesson 1 – Human Nature

Our encounter with the unsaved should commence with the fact that we were once just like them (Eph 2:2-6), in need of salvation and Gods Spirit. We must keep in mind that all mankind is made in the image and likeness of God and as Christians, we are in search of those who He has called to respond to the Gospel.

We learn in the Bible how we think and act because of our fallen nature and how we once intentionally ignored the things of God. Many of us may relate to how we would only absorb the worldly information that was pleasing to our ears, while filtering out the spiritual. We can compare this to how we would not fully acknowledge our parents request to perform a household chore while reading a favorite comic book or watching a favorite program on television, yet we would jump out of our chair when dinner was served.

When involved in a spiritual conversation, we would nod our heads courteously in agreement, with no clue of what was being said. This has happened to many of us and maybe some can also relate to being surrounded by many people, where the noise level is above normal and still be able to filter out something of interest, such as our name being mentioned behind us, our ears will then track down and pinpoint the source as if they were a set of satellite antennas connected to a global positioning system.

Vincent Cheung of Reformation Ministries, in his book “Presuppositional Confrontations” (Chapter 1, The Presuppositional Challenge, page 5), gives an illustration of two people watching a tennis game on a muted television, with no other visual communication, such as the scores, and with only one of the persons knowing the rules of tennis. The person that knows the rules of the game would be able to follow the game by paying close attention and have the correct interpretation of what is happening. The other person not knowing the rules, watching exactly the same game will not be able to make sense out of what he is seeing, since he does not know the rules that correspond to the game. That person may try to presuppose the rules of games he does know and understands, such as basketball or chess while watching the tennis game, but the end result will be erroneous.

These examples have something in common with fallen mankind’s reception and interpretation of the Gospel. Some may believe that we are all automatically Christians because of being created in Gods image and likeness, others believe that all roads lead to heaven, that a person just needs to be sincere, without ever thinking of the possibilities of being sincerely wrong. The majority of persons believe that they are good, very few will confess to being bad. Many believe that they are worthy and deserve salvation. Let’s look at a few biblical verses which confirm this, (ASV):

Pro 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.

Pro 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the spirits.

Pro 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.

Psa 36:2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.

We know that mankind will filter out the light because it will expose that they fall short, or “Tekel” (Dan 5:27), when weighed against the moral standards of God. John 3:20 (MKJV) says, “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

We also know that mankind is watching the worldview game without the knowledge of Gods rules and comes to its own conclusions by presuppositions. They interpret the game by their own rules as to how the spiritual realm should, and should not be. Their decisions and conclusions are based on erroneous thoughts, feelings and emotions, and not on reasonable biblical facts.

The Bible says that no one is good and that none seek God, the Apostle Paul quotes from the Old Testament and we’ll see how he describes fallen man, after we look at the verses he quotes, (ASV):

Psa 14:1-3 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They acted corruptly; they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. (2) Jehovah looked down from Heaven on the sons of men, to see if there were any who understood and sought God. (3) All have gone aside, together they are filthy; there is none who does good, no, not one.

Psa 53:1-4 To the Chief Musician on Mahalath. A contemplation. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They acted corruptly, and have worked out abominable wickedness; there is not one doing good. (2) God looked down from Heaven on the sons of mankind to see if any was discerning, who was seeking God. (3) Every one has turned away; they have altogether become filthy; not one is doing good, no, not even one. (4) Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? They eat up my people as they eat bread; they have not called on God.

Now lets go to the book of Romans and see how Paul states this fact:

Rom 3:10-18 as it is written: "There is none righteous, no not one; (11) there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God." (12) "They are all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none that does good, no, not one." (13) "Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips; (14) whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;" (15) "their feet are swift to shed blood; (16) destruction and misery are in their way, (17) and the way of peace they did not know." (18) "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

There is another important detail about fallen man which we should know before we intend to defend the word of God and proceed to evangelize, for this we will turn to the first book of Corinthians, (MKJV):

1Co 1:18-24 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God. (19) For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the perceiving ones." (20) Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of thi
s world? (21) For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom did not know God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. (22) For the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; (23) but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness. (24) But to them, the called-out ones, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1Co 2:11-16 For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of man within him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. (12) But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. (13) These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. (16) For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We can see clearly in the above passages, the need for initiating Apologetics in our Evangelistic encounters, it’s like first sweeping and mopping a room, before we introduce new furniture. We confront, defy and challenge the conscience and the heart, and it is also clear that we are seen by unbelievers as preachers of stumbling blocks and foolishness. Mankind wants signs and seek wisdom, but cannot receive, know or discern the spiritual things of God. We must take the battle to the natural realm first, and slowly guide it to the spiritual, where we can pick the high ground and properly use the Sword. We must never compromise, like some modern preachers, due to fallen mankind’s lack of endurance for sound doctrine (2Ti 4:3).

Apologetics & Evangelism Free Course 1
Lesson 1 – Human Nature