We have traveled the road together of some necessary attributes for someone to be a defender of the gospel in contemporary culture. First, we said he must be compassionate – he must give a rip about people around him. Second, he must also be curious, a person that will read, listen, think, observe, watch, and participate where he can in the culture around him (note – he should not participate where he participates in sin or is intensely tempted to sin). Finally, we come to the last characteristic of an apologist in our day. She must be compelled. By compelled I mean she must be driven, motivated, moved forward by something great and worthy of pursuit. Something must make it worthwhile for her get out of bed in the morning to share the gospel and connect the gospel to others. What must compel her? I hold it must be the glory of God in Christ, the beauty of the love of God for sinners expressed in the death of the Son of God. The gospel must drive one to believe that God can and does save his sheep (John 6, John 10), that one died for all (2 Corinthians 5), that it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16). If we do not believe that Christ is the all consuming treasure of the believer, that he is satisfying to the weary soul, that he alone lifts guilt and sin and death and hell from us, we will not present him to others. We must be satisfied in Christ – and see him as treasure or we will not seek to communicate the gospel of the glory of God to others:

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:14 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-5 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

For the believer, the cross must be the jewel of his faith. Where the grace of God is displayed and his mercy revealed to sinful people. When one realizes the work of the cross, to punish sin and turn the wrath of God from us to Jesus, we are put in a humble state of thanksgiving in which we are compelled to move forward in His mission. There is no other motivation but the treasuring of Christ and the display of the Excellencies of God seen in the redemption of sinners that will compel and move us to care enough, be curious enough and sacrifice enough to share the gospel with those who need to hear. ...

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