Defending the Church

Read: Proverbs 23:9-11

Have you ever read blogs criticizing the Christian church? Not long ago, a local TV station reported on a Clemson University football player’s baptism. I heard the story got some negative feedback on Facebook, and I was curious to see what people were saying. But then I read a comment from a local pastor that floored me. He bashed the church, the bride of Christ, as if he weren’t associated with her at all.

My heart broke. I wanted to defend the Church and inform these people how wrong they were. I wanted to “speak some sense into them,” as we say in the South. At the same time, I felt conviction from Proverbs 23:9: “Don’t bother talking sense to fools; they’ll only poke fun at your words” (ESV).

As Christ followers, we do not need to defend the bride of Christ. Why? Because she has her husband, Jesus. It is not our role to convince someone who does not follow Jesus to believe in the potential of the church. God alone can convict hearts, and He will defend Himself and His Church. Our role is that of an eye witness (Acts 1:8), sharing what Jesus has done in our lives, praying frequently and encouraging often.

The next time you read a comment criticizing the church, be slow to speak and quick to pray. Ask the Lord what, if anything, He would have you say, and trust that God will change the critic’s heart.