The Narrow Way

I don’t want to be a Christian who talks out of both sides of my mouth. As I began my journey in seminary and ministry, I sadly observed a dichotomy. Loving like Jesus was displayed through blacklisting rather than grace over minor issues. This was noticeable to me in some academic circles and on many ministry platforms. Here, presuppositions, preferences, and experiences often trump the exegetical and hermeneutical rules we all claim to follow. Hypocrisy isn’t the vibe, y’all.

While I am sensitive to marking false teachers with false doctrine and I have done so and will not hesitate to do so, it seems like the discipline of “apologetics” has become more about bashing people across denominational lines over secondary doctrinal issues rather than unifying for the purpose of spreading the good news of the Gospel message and making more disciples of Jesus Christ.

While this statement is harsh, I lack softer words to describe the grief I feel daily as I scroll through social media and watch discernment ministry videos. We talk over each other rather than with each other in most cases and very rarely do I see cordial conversation, especially when it comes to discussing the role of women in ministry or the continuation of the gifts. However, this is the least of my concerns. While theologians, pastors, ministry leaders, and Christian influencers argue over these matters, many within our church walls are not conforming to the image of Christ because there is not a stable form of discipleship that preaches and demonstrates to them the ways of Jesus.

I recognize that few will find validity or merit in the concerns of a mere woman with no public platform. My desire is not to be more noise in the intercom of dissension within the body of Christ. I hope to merge discipleship with apologetics by helping us consider a Kingdom ethic for living according to the inspired, authoritative word of God, which challenges us to conform more intentionally to the image of Christ. It is an honor to defend the faith by helping believers across denominational lines find that the Word of God is not a weapon to beat us into a way of living that is oppressive, but a means of empowerment that works with the in-dwelling sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The Word-and-Spirit approach to apologetics helps define an ethic for kingdom living. Jesus clearly spells out this ethic in his teaching. The apostles supports it through their efforts in establishing the church and through their writings to the church.

While some believe there are gray areas in the Christian lifestyle, I believe a Christian ethic is laid out very clearly in Scripture. We are to submit ourselves to the work of the Spirit and conform to the image of Christ; that is the bottom line as an act of love to the One who gave it all. If some area in our lives does not have the fruit of the Spirit, it is not conformed to the way of Christ. We all have work to do. I’m committed to poke at the hard places and help us all to lay down even the smallest of compromises. Hypocrisy isn’t a good look on us, after all.