Apologetics Courses

Apologetics & Evangelism Free Course 1
Lesson 2 – Obstructions

Fallen man likes to build Babylonian towers which serve as defensive mechanism of walls to prevent truth from entering and exposing the nature of his sin. Consider the transgression of the first Law in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:7-13). We can see Man hide from God, naked and in shame, trying to cover himself with fig leaves, armed only with excuses to justify his actions.

Gen 3:9-13 (ASV) And Jehovah God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (12) And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (13) And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

In Gen 3:7, they came up with the idea of making themselves some fig leaf aprons, but that was insufficient. In verse 8, when they heard God in the garden, they headed for the trees, ignorantly thinking they were the closest obstacle which could serve as a barrier from the eyes and omniscience of God.

Likewise, by nature, man builds walls to hide true feelings, emotions, ethics and immoral acts. These barriers are built brick by brick, and these bricks are made from biases, inclinations, prejudices, hatred and discriminations towards anything that is of God. The mortar to hold the bricks in place is made of presuppositions, speculations, fiction, fallacies, legends, superstitions and spiritual mysticism etc.

As apologists’, we have our work cut out for us, and as these walls tumble on their weak foundation of sand, we can then use our evangelistic skills (the Sword) to penetrate beyond these barriers, it is then that the Word of God goes to work, dividing the soul, joints and marrow, and the thoughts and intents of the heart, (Heb 4:12), allowing the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, righteousness, and of judgment, (Joh 16:7).

In the previous lesson we went over some of the characteristics of mankind’s fallen nature, I will include in this lesson additional biblical symptoms of our inherited disease (Rom 5:18), these may also be considered as obstructions and provide the apologist and evangelist with knowledge of the real reason as to why a non-believer will resist, refuse and reject the Gospel.

Once we are willing to confront the fact that we were once just like the persons we are trying to persuade, we will realize that it is best for a sinner to come to God looking for forgiveness of sin and not for prosperity or life enhancements which many of the modern preachers are promising. If we believe that the bible says that we were once like Lazarus (John 11), dead and bound in a dark cold tomb, surrounded by the stench of our own rotting flesh, then we will be able to better understand the situation in which all mankind is in because of sin.

In John 11, Jesus first orders them to remove the stone, the obstacle which obstructs Lazarus from hearing His voice, He then calls him out by name and finally commands that he be unbound, (Joh 11:39-44). Unless sinners first understand that they are dead in their sins, by the use of the Law (as we will see in the following lessons), they will remain in the darkness of their tomb. Apologetics aids in removing the stone, then we must proceed with an authentic and biblical Gospel in order for them to also hear the voice of Christ and walk out to the light to be unbound. Many today think that they can come up with better ways to attract a non-believer to Christ by offering promises not found in the Bible.

Many today teach persons to covet the material things of this world, and that coming to Christ has to do with personal feelings and emotions and the focal point has become the sinner and not Christ. Should the message become all about us and not Him? Are sinners willing to pay their own price? Are they willing to be betrayed, falsely arrested, abandoned, beaten, pierced with thorns, whipped, spat on, insulted and pierced with nails? I believe not.

We must penetrate much deeper in order to make room for the Holy Spirit to perform its miraculous and divine work of conviction, which snatches the corpse from Satan’s cemetery. Many of these modern evangelists have forgotten that we should not preach about ourselves but Christ as Lord (2Co 4:5).

They have also forgotten the following, (MKJV):

Unbelievers are Dead

Eph 2:1-3 And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins, (2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; (3) among whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Unbelievers are Blind and Deaf

2Co 4:3-5 But also if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those being lost, (4) in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving ones, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) should not dawn on them. (5) For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Unbelievers are Slaves

Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin.

Rom 6:20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.

Unbelievers are already Convicts and Condemned to Wrath

Joh 3:18 He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

Joh 3:36 He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him.

e="Verdana" size="2">Maybe they have also forgotten that salvation is 100% from God and the path is narrow and not everyone will be saved, (MKJV):

Mat 7:13-14 Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.