God is doing amazing things through His people. The Body of Christ is His instrument, used to both declare and demonstrate the love of God.
Have you seen these two (word and deed) working together well? Please post a comment below and share where you have seen the apologetic of mercy at work. The following excerpt from chapter 2 of my book, Tangible, explains what the apologetic of mercy is:
The apologetic of mercy combines deeds and words in order to impact the heart, not just the head… The apologetic of mercy isn’t cool, detached, and academic. It gets down on a person’s level to address the mind, heart, and body in a persuasive way. Thinking of apologetics and evangelism in this way can help us approach anyone in the world today…
A few years ago, Tammy sat in my office and told me about her problems. She was living in her Ford Explorer with her four children. She took the three oldest to school each day, the baby to a friend’s house. Then she went to one of her two jobs. She told me that when she was sixteen her mother died. Her father drove down to North Carolina to pick up an aunt and uncle for the funeral, and on their way back they were in a car accident. They were all killed. So, this sixteen-year-old only child had to bury her mother, father, aunt, and uncle in one weekend. In the twenty years since then, there has been little joy or success in Tammy’s life.
She asked me, “Why did that happen to us? My mom went to church every week; my family were good people. Why didn’t God take someone else?” Tammy wasn’t only asking, “Why, God?” she was also asking, “Where are you, God?”
Situations like these are opportunities to teach someone about the character of the Lord, to teach that He is merciful—not as an academic theory, but as a present reality. So here’s what I did: I loved her. I listened, and prayed, but waited to address her questions until a better time. Instead of giving Tammy answers for her head, I gave her hope for her heart. I worked with the deacons and members of our church to provide Tammy with food and clothes for the children. We helped them find a place to live.
And, then, because Tammy is a whole person who also needed Jesus, we read Scripture with her, prayed with her, and explained the gospel. We used words and shared the Word of God. But first we showed her tangible compassion. We did not ignore her questions; we just waited to answer until Tammy had some concrete evidence of God’s love for her. The fact that God actually did care about her on this earth made it easier for her to believe that He cared about her soul in eternity.
It is Christ alone who saves, of course. But He puts us in the battle at the places where brokenness and healing meet. We are field medics who bring mercy to the wounded. In our aid bag we carry not only material resources to address physical needs, but also the message of the gospel that revives souls. As we bandage and feed broken bodies, we speak words of truth and pray that God will reveal Himself to broken hearts and doubting minds. That combination forms the apologetic of mercy.
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