Difficult Peace

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 2 Timothy 2:23

D.L. MOODY
There are two kinds of skeptics—one class with honest difficulties, and another class who delight only in discussion. I used to think that this latter class would always be a thorn in my flesh, but they do not prick me now. I expect to find them right along the journey. Men of this stamp used to hang around Christ to entangle Him in His talk. 
Many young converts make a woeful mistake. They think they are to defend the whole Bible. I knew very little of the Bible when I was first converted, and I thought that I had to defend it from beginning to end against all corners. A Boston infidel got hold of me, floored all my arguments at once, and discouraged me. But I have got over that now. There are many things in the Word of God that I do not profess to understand.

ERWIN LUTZER
Imagine the relief Moody must have felt when he realized he was not called to defend the whole Bible! Rather, he preached it and saw the Holy Spirit change lives. If you speak to a hardened skeptic, there is little that can be said to change their minds. Perhaps if they saw the people of God live differently, it might help them to see reality of the Christian faith through the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, etc.) Sometimes a changed life can do what a rational argument can’t. 
God is reproducing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives by developing faith both through our personal struggles and our response to others. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). We should not breed division but rather strive to live at peace—even with angry skeptics who pick fights.

PRAYER
Father, I want to strive for both truth and love and represent you to a skeptical world.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Do you feel pressure to have an answer for every question about the Bible?

What does it look like to balance truth and love in difficult conversations?