Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

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dustin bruce who present the most full-throated vision of Christianity will serve Gen Z best. The Lord Jesus Christ makes comprehensive demands on the life of those who follow him (Luke 9:57–62). While the gospel remains a simple message that calls for a straightforward response of repentance and faith, the Christian faith works itself out as an entire world and life view. Every generation must be presented with the truth that all things were created through and for Christ (Col. 1:16). The comprehensive nature of Christ’s claim over the lives of those who follow him should be a part of the initial apologetic conversations and not an afterthought. 4. Make your case in the context of community. Gen Z is not only the most secular generation but also the loneliest. Recent reports from Pew and the Survey Center on American Life detail how smaller families and broken homes contribute to epidemic levels of loneliness in the emerging generation. Jean Twenge connects the ubiquitous presence of technology to decreased social behavior among today’s teens and young adults in her book, iGen. With all the supposed opportunities and conveniences available to Gen Z from contemporary secular culture, members of this emerging generation are suffering from a lack of meaningful relationships and community. This, of course, represents an opportunity for the church. Come Together As we make our appeal to the next generation, we must be clear that the summons to follow Christ includes the commitment and blessing of Christian community. Christ expects his disciples to gather (Matt. 18:20) and “to stir up one another in love and good works” (Heb. 10:24). Apologetics aimed at Gen Z will be most effective when accompanied by a genuine invitation into a personal relationship and the opportunity to witness Christian community. Secularism ultimately cannot live up to its promises. Christians have an opportunity to engage in an “apologetic of normalcy” as secularism continues to drive society in a direction at odds with creation order and Scripture. The imperfect but rightly ordered lives of Christians will present an attractive alternative to the secular norm and undergird the work of the apologist. While the apologetic task of reaching the next generation looms large, those of us who work with Gen Z know “the arm of the Lord is not too short to save” (Isa. 59:11). As we make our defense of the faith to the coming generation, we do so confident that many will “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). The surveys and studies alert us to the challenge of reaching the most secular generation in history; but we rise to meet that challenge in the confidence of the gospel of our Lord Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Dustin Bruce is Dean of Boyce College and Assistant Professor of Christian Theology and Church History. “APOLOGETICS AIMED AT GEN Z WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY A GENUINE INVITATION INTO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. SECULARISM ULTIMATELY CANNOT LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISES.” 34 the southern baptist theological seminary
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Page 1 and 2: 4 The Changing Face of Apologetics
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Page 9 and 10: . albert mohler, jr. de-Christianiz
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Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

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