Join us now on Encounter God's Truth as we consider another lesson in our series on biblical apologetics. Dr. John Whitcomb is presenting Part 2 of a message called Evolutionary Difficulties. We're learning how important it is to be properly related to God and His Word if we're going to be effective witnesses for the Lord. We gain this perspective from one of the New Testament's most important passages on witnessing, 1 Peter 3, verses 15 and 16, and we begin by rehearsing that today. These verses state, in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. This first portion will be a review from last time and reminds us of the imperatives that Peter gave to us, which we must practice in order to be effective in sharing our faith with the unbelieving world. Here's Dr. Whitcomb. Always being ready to make a defense. to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence, and keep a good conscience, so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." Hmm. What's that mean? All right. Always being ready, being always ready to give an answer, to make a defense. And that's the Greek word apologeon from which we get apologetics. Now, what, what does apologeon mean? It means, uh, back word. Apo logos logion to give an, a word back, to give an answer back to someone who asks you something about God or about your lifestyle, your, your commitments, your convictions, okay. Your standards. Hmm. Before you give an answer to somebody who asks you these basic fundamental ultimate eternal issues, God says you must tune in to lock into Jesus Christ. And you don't give him your ideas, your opinions, your theories, your discoveries, your intelligence, your reputation, your brilliance. You give him what? Jesus Christ and him alone. Now the point folks, this is very important here and not easy to fathom. My temptation in yours is, and I go through this constantly in airports and stores, everywhere we go, you know, give out a gospel tract and expect some kind of a negative response or sarcastic statement or something. I want to immediately, if I'm challenged, questioned, insulted, to give a smart answer, to alleviate my own conscience, you see, and my self-respect. I want to impress this person that I'm not quite as stupid as I may have sounded. that I've thought some things to myself and I've been trained and I've been taught and I've been educated and so forth. I mean, I want to vindicate myself. That's natural. It is typical. It is continual. God says, be careful. The last thing that unsaved person needs is to know how wonderful you are. Because as a matter of fact, if the truth were known, you're not as wonderful as you want him to think you are. In fact, the last thing I want to know is what God thinks of me, apart from his grace and mercy by the Holy Spirit who has entered into my body and made me his temple. There's nothing in me that is worthy of his using me as his instrument to touch another life for him. So you see, God says, don't ever focus on yourself, your opinions, your experience, your knowledge. Focus on whom? Christ as Lord. In other words, God says you must first of all mastermind everything my son has revealed to you through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit and 40 writers over 2,000 years in a unique book with 66 chapters and 1,188 chapters. You must mastermind his word so that what you respond to the unbeliever is what God said, not what you have discovered or think That's difficult, folks. I'm still not there. I'm still working at this. Lord, keep my mouth under control here because the eternal destiny of this person hangs in the balance of what I say or don't say. You say, now stop there, sir, please. What do you mean his destiny hangs in the balance of what I say? That sounds awesome. Well, you see, there's a very mysterious combination here of the sovereignty of God and human responsibility. And God says, if I don't tell people about the Savior, they won't be saved. Now, think of that point. You say, that's awesome. You mean I'm responsible to tell people about the Lord, and if I don't, they won't hear and be saved? Right. Well, doesn't God have a plan? Yes. But you see, he will never share with us the solution to this infinite antinomy or unresolvable mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God says, you do it because I told you to do it and I taught you how to do it. And if you don't do it, you're accountable and you'll give an account to me at the judgment throne of Christ. Now, friends, we say now this sounds very heavy. Yes, keep reading, being always ready to make a defense, to give an answer. To whom? To everyone, mom, dad, your teacher, professor, great scholars, scientists, anybody who asks you to give an account for the hope that's in you. Because you've said something or done something that catches their attention. More on that point later. There's special things you can do to almost force an unbeliever to ask a question. Okay, watch this now. How do you respond to him, his questions, which often are sarcastic or confrontive or full of hate? You're to answer with what? Gentleness and reverence. You say, well, that's a little bit above and beyond my ability. Wonder if he provokes me and makes me angry. You see, that's why you have to have what? Christ sanctified in your heart or you can't handle it. I mean, talk about someone who was confronted and blasphemed and insulted the Lord Jesus himself. And he never lost his temper. He was under total control. He honored his father in all his responses. And as I read through the Gospels and what the Pharisees said to him and did to him and the Sadducees and other enemies, I would have said, Lord, if I were writing that book of John or Gospel of Matthew, I would have Jesus just zap them all. Thank you. With help like this, you know, I mean, friends, think of how God condescended to be insulted and blasphemed and crucified. And who are we? Who are we? Yes, with gentleness and reverence, that is, putting God first in our motivation, our love, our encouragement to carry on in spite of all. And here's a really hard one, verse 16, and keep a good conscience. You mean I have to really be right with God before I can expect anybody else to be? Yes. So that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. In other words, the closer they investigate you, the more astonished they'll be that you are actually a living, walking testimony to the God that you claim to know and love. You're listening to Encounter God's Truth from Whitcomb Ministries. You can contact us easily at WhitcombMinistries.org. I'm Wayne Shepherd, your host, and today Dr. John Whitcomb is continuing his series, Biblical Apologetics. We as believers know that God's Word is true from the beginning to the end, but how do we handle evolutionary difficulties? We're finishing that discussion and also considering the powerful impact that our lives have upon the effectiveness of our witness for the gospel. Dr. Whitcomb returns now to address these important concepts. And nothing can more damage an outreach for Christ than to discover that you or I are really evil, deceptive people on closer inspection. May I say this with tears? That's why one of the most horrible things can happen in a community of human beings on this planet is for the local pastor of an evangelical church to become, I mean, to be discovered to be immoral. He cheated somebody, he lied to somebody in the community or did something worse. And you know what? He has lost his credibility and his effectiveness forever in that community. You say, well, isn't there, how about 1 John 1, 9? If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from what? All unrighteousness, so then everything's fine in the community. Ought I recognize this? Oh, no, it won't. They'll never forget a pastor who claimed to be a representative of God and a teacher of the word who wasn't what he said he was. They'll never forget him. Friends, the Holy Spirit grieves over inconsistent Christian servants who say one thing and act another way. That damages the reputation of God. You remember what God said to David after he sinned horribly? You have made the enemies of God to blaspheme. My reputation, David, will never recover from you. And he's supposed to be what? A man after God's own heart. I mean, he wrote many of the Psalms. He was one of the most spiritually-minded men in the history of the world. But he was capable of horrible sin, and God was infinitely grieved. And again, if I were writing the chapter where he was confronted by Nathan the prophet, I would have said, Sir, you have sinned horribly against God. Drop dead. Next chapter. By the way, how many of us would still be around? There were two men, two persons, excuse me, in the book of Acts who sinned against the Holy Spirit and lied to him. What happened to them? They dropped dead. Thank you. That has a message that in every church, an assembly of God's people worldwide from that day to this, if God did what he should do, could do, we'd be deafened by the sound of falling bodies. Say, Lord, help me never to presume on you. in my lifestyle, in my thoughts. I may be very eloquent in handling Bible verses and Bible theology and be a brilliant, you know, eloquent witness in all of this and evangelist, but if my heart isn't right with you, I'm on very dangerous ground. See here, see this one, verse 16, keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, Those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. And I say, well, Lord, I begin to see something here, that how I represent you and reflect your glory in a darkened, depraved world is of infinite concern to you, okay? Now, problem number one, total depravity in the hearts of human beings. Now, this is one of the most difficult doctrines of the whole Bible. Do you know that? Because I don't feel this bad. I never have felt as bad as the Bible says I am. And I have a feeling that you don't either. So let's handle this with care. Ready? But a natural man, that's an unsaved, unregenerate man, no matter how gracious he may be as a neighbor or friend or loved one, and how educated and eloquent and brilliant he may be, a natural man, an unsaved man, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are, what? Foolishness to him, now here's the hard part, ready? And he cannot understand them. See, that's a misprint. That can't be true. He cannot, what, understand them. He can read the Bible, see, maybe even quote the Bible. In fact, there are thousands of cult leaders and liberal pastors and teachers who can quote more Bible than probably you or I can and don't really believe it at all. It's all part of some kind of a ritual, see, a tradition. that they have no heart for or understanding of. This is a very hard thing to fathom. They cannot understand them. And I've had years and years and years of opportunity to think through this verse and guess what I think I'm discovering. That this actually means this. That he cannot understand them. He cannot fathom what God says in the only book he ever wrote. He may be able to understand Hebrew. I mean, there are thousands of rabbis that can read the Old Testament in Hebrew and don't understand it. Jesus said so. You search the scriptures, he said, because in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they that speak of me, and you don't believe in me. See? You're blind. See? He said, I've come to bring judgment to the world that those who see may be made blind. who think they see, and those who are blind may see. And the Pharisee said, well, are we blind? He said, if you really were blind, see, you would not be guilty. But since you say you see, your guilt remains. Hmm. This is awesome, folks. Well, listen to Psalm number 10. The Psalms friends are filled with statements about human depravity, which does not mean by the way that everybody is as bad as they can be or that nobody who is sinful ever begins to improve in many areas of morality and ethics. It just means that nobody in himself by himself can become pleasing and acceptable to God. Impossible. Okay. Psalm number 10. Verse four. For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord. The wicked in the haughtiness of his countenance does not seek him. All his thoughts are, there is no God. I mean, he acts as if He's not accountable to God, that God is not to be worshipped in spirit and truth and honored and obeyed. His whole life, whether he says it vocally, I mean orally or not, is just as if there is no God. Well, look at Psalm 14. The fool has said in his heart, what? There is no God. Many people, remember, are not open atheists. That's not popular. But they're practical atheists. I mean, they live as if, even if they talk about God, as if there were no God that they're accountable to. They are corrupt. They have committed abominable deeds. There is no one who does good. Hmm. They've all turned away. Together they have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one. Say, wait a minute, wait, wait, not even one. The point is not one person does good in God's sight that is acceptable by a holy God to make that person qualified to enter God's heaven. Because you know what the Bible says about God and heaven? No one can ever go to heaven unless he is perfect. Oh. Well, how can anybody get to heaven because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, infinitely short of Him? You know how short we are of the glory of God? Imagine 10 Olympic champions standing on the shore of New Jersey, having trained for months to suddenly, at a given signal, jump across the Atlantic Ocean to France. You see, this is silly. In fact, when the signal is given and they all jump, the one who is the strongest and jumps the farthest sinks the deepest. Trust me, no one gets to France. You know what the problem with that illustration is? It's pitifully inadequate compared to the chance of a sinner getting to God's heaven. Don't even imagine trying. You say, wow, if I have to be perfect, then I'll never be there. Right. Except for what? The substitutionary atoning work of Jesus through his precious blood who died in my... I mean, God views me as being in him. I was crucified with him. By what? Identification. See? Oh, thank you, Lord. You sent a substitute who is perfect. And when I come to heaven, it'll be because I'm in him that God the Father will accept me forever and ever. Well, friends, the Bible says that every person in the world, apart from the grace of God through the merits of Jesus Christ, suppresses whatever truth they do have about God. Look at Romans chapter 1. This is a fantastic passage, friends, on why even the intelligent design scholars cannot make a dent into the godless world of what? atheistic, materialistic, naturalistic evolutionism. And it's not there's no evidence out there. In fact, we're overwhelmed with evidences. And I would like to say, make this announcement to myself right now, please. It's not the things in the Bible that disturb me. It's the things that I understand that disturb me. And this is one of them. My capacity to suppress everything God ever has said or done. For the wrath of God, Romans 1, 18, is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Who what? Watch it. Who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within them. God has made it clear to every human being who has what? His image and likeness and therefore a conscience and a mind. I mean, there is no such thing as an atheist. Really. Because everybody in his own conscience knows there is someone there that he's accountable to and therefore he's guilty to some extent and he has every reason to be afraid when he dies. Okay, no matter what he says. It's evident within them. Why? For God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world is invisible attributes, his eternal power, and divine nature have been what clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse, without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened, professing to be wise. They became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. I say, Lord, this is awful. This hurts deeply because I know it's true. I know it's true. I mean, the book of Romans, friends, which is the theology textbook of the New Testament, if I can dare say it that way, overwhelmingly insists on total human depravity. I mean, think of Romans 8, 7. The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God. Now, are you ready? Neither, indeed, can be. It's impossible. You can't persuade anybody to appreciate God's laws. You know, the battle we've had in America, but you can't even have the 10 commandments anymore in a school or anything for fear that it might change somebody's thinking. Perhaps the ACLU is going to announce one of these days that it is illegal to pray except in emergencies. Can you imagine he that sits in the heaven show what laugh? Okay. How about Romans 510? While we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. That's what we were. Not just sinners, but enemies of God. You say, I wasn't an enemy of God. And you know how we can think that? It's because we didn't really know ourselves as God knows us. And someday, I suspect, God will give us a little guided tour when we get to heaven. of how hopelessly impossible it was for him to manage to save us apart from something that only an infinite God could manage to do. And we're never going to get there and say, well, we sure deserve to be here because we were sure nicer than other people. And it must be encouraging, Lord, for you to have somebody as good as me here. I mean, to even utter such blasphemies is dangerous. See, friends, we'll all fall down at his feet. And even if we receive a crown for relatively faithful service and his mercy, what happens to the crown? cast it down before him. We don't deserve anything, anything to be in heaven. The biggest problem you and I will have in heaven, I trust you will take this seriously, is how we managed ever to get there. And I say, Lord, thank you. It is your grace, your love, your initiative, your provision, your son, his blood. He suffered infinite agony in eternal hell for three hours because he had me and you on his mind. And it'll be all eternity to find out how awesome that is in a way God somehow managed to save any of us, to be in his place of glory. Indeed, we must give careful consideration to the depth of God's grace in providing eternal salvation for us, and we'll spend eternity in heaven reflecting upon His love. We hope that today's program has challenged you to share the gospel with others, now while there's still time. This series flows out of a conference that Dr. Whitcomb presented at Appalachian Bible College in Mount Hope, West Virginia. We appreciate their cooperation in allowing us to broadcast it here. Now, here's Dr. Whitcomb to close this sermon with a word of prayer. Father, I just thank you now for this precious truth. It hurts, but it's precious because apart from recognizing our sin, how can we understand how great the grace of God is? Help us to be sensitized by the Holy Spirit through the word, to walk out of here in fear and trembling and say, Lord, I'm frightened. I'm really frightened. what you have said about me and my condition in your sight and the price it required for me to be redeemed. And help me therefore to realize, Father, that I can't persuade anybody who is an unbeliever, who is gripped in deep, deep depravity, to ever come to the one true living God in humility and thankfulness and praise that only you deserve. Father, help me through this review to recognize how great you are. I praise you in Jesus' name. You can always listen to this message again at sermonaudio.com slash Whitcomb. We'd also appreciate hearing your responses at facebook.com slash Whitcomb Ministries. Please let us know if we can be of any help or provide more information about what you've heard. Now for Whitcomb Ministries, I'm Wayne Shepherd inviting you to join us for more biblical apologetics next time here on Encounter God's Truth.