Funsized Tactics: Chapter 14
All the chewy goodness of the best book on Christian apologetic engagement in new fun-sized bites!
More Sweat, Less Blood.
The last chapter of Tactics by Greg Koukl is all about mastery through practice. Koukl cites an axiom he picked up from a former marine: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.”[1] In light of this, Koukl lists some quick tips to honing the skills of a Christian Ambassador. Here are a few:
Be ready. You won’t know what kind of a situation you find yourself in unless you are willing to test it and see if you’re dealing with a sheep that hears his master’s voice (John 10:3)
Keep it simple. It’s not necessary to discuss Arminianism vs. Calvinism and dispensationalism vs. preterism on the way to getting a nonbeliever thinking about the Gospel. Those are secondary issues. Keep the conversation related to salvation.
Focus on the truth of Christianity, not merely its personal benefits. Often the Gospel is lost under another message emphasizing better living in the here and now. While following Jesus deepens us as individuals, characterizing the Gospel this way makes it just one of many self-help methods in a marketplace of feel-good techniques. The main reason a nonbeliever should take Christianity seriously is because it’s true. Plain and simple.
Give reasons. It’s one thing to make a claim (and many do). It’s another thing entirely to undergird your views with good reasons. Giving reasons for your view elevates your thinking to more than just an opinion. The particular reason(s) you give for your view may become, what Koukl calls, a stone in someone’s shoe; that is, the thing a person “can’t ignore because it continues to poke at him in a good way.”[2]
This was the last entry in our Funsized Tactics series. For the other posts in this series, click here. We pray each of these has provided you a starting point, as it were, with regard to engaging others for Christ. Since these entries were not intended to replace the book Tactics by Greg Koukl we strongly suggest you buy it and delve deeper into each particular point with more detail and practical examples. May you bear much fruit in your ministries and may God bless you in your endeavors!
*Greg Koukl is Founder and President of Stand to Reason. Don’t forget to buy his excellent book here!
[1] Greg Koukl, Tactics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), 188.
[2] Ibid, 38.
