BUILDING FAITH ON REASON
By Jon Quinn
The lady said something to this affect; "I believe in my heart. I can't explain it...I just know He is there and He loves me. It is such a beautiful feeling." She went on to explain what she believed but never was able to say why she believed it. I think that she does her "witness" considerable damage by not being able to explain why.
Many of the better felt than told crowd defend such weakness. In fact, they even commend it saying faith is not something you think about and that reason is not involved. In fact, some of them say that if you have to explain your faith, then it isn't really faith. What a false, unscriptural thing to say about faith! No wonder unbelievers find such encouragement in their unbelief when they hear these people speak. At best these people are lazy for not taking the time to equip themselves with a reasonable defense for their faith. But then to defend such lack of preparedness is ludicrous.
The Word of God admonishes Christians to "...sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you..." (I PETER 3:15). Faith does not come by feelings but by hearing the word of God (ROMANS 10:17). The Lord has always encouraged man to use his reasoning abilities to search out his faith (ISAIAH 1:18). The Bereans "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so." (ACTS 17:11). I'm sure that if you asked one of these disciples why they believed in Jesus, they would give you a reasonable, Scriptural answer. So, why do you believe the things you do?
WHY BELIEVE IN GOD?
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." (ROMANS 1:20).
God's creative and sustaining power is witnessed throughout the universe which He has made. Emerson, the poet said "Nature is too thin a screen; the glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere." If there were no signature at the bottom of a beautiful painting, would you conclude that the painter did not exist? We gaze at God's masterpiece, the universe, and then some of us suppose that because it is unsigned that the Master artist does not exist and the masterpiece happened by accident!
The universe is here. And so is also it's cause. Ultimately, the first cause of everything must be eternal; self existing and self sustaining. The Bible identifies the first cause as God. Everything that exists was caused by Him. "For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God." (HEBREWS 3:4).
WHY BELIEVE THE BIBLE?
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (II TIMOTHY 3:16,17).
In every area where Biblical statements can be tested, they have been found to be one hundred per cent reliable. While we cannot at this time test Biblical statements about heaven, hell, eternal life and so forth, we can test it's statements about geographical places (did places such as Damascus, Egypt, Bethlehem really exist and did they fit the Biblical descriptions of them?). Also, the peoples of the Bible; did the Babylonians and Assyrians really exist and do the things attributed to them in the Bible? Once skeptics denied that the Hittites mentioned in the Bible never really existed but were a mythical nation. But recent discoveries have uncovered the remains of their civilization! And the persons mentioned in the Bible. Once skeptics denied that Sargon was a real person (ISAIAH 20:1) but now archaeologists have uncovered his palace.
No, we cannot check out and test every statement the Bible makes because the Bible deals with many things beyond our present scope. But those things we can check out show us that the Bible is reliable. It's prophecies have always come to pass, hundreds of them. It's historical references are always accurate. It's geographical statements are on the mark. "But the word of the Lord abides forever. And this is the word which was preached to you." (I PETER 1:25).
WHY BELIEVE IN JESUS?
"And the Father who sent Me, He has borne witness of Me..." (JOHN 5:37).
In this discourse, Jesus calls to His support witnesses to His claim to have come from God. His
enemies had challenged Him and Jesus responded. He did not tell them to "just feel it" and that would make it so. He appealed to several witnesses which backed up His claims. He referred the people first to John's testimony (JOHN 5:32-33). Then He reminded them of the miracles He had done in their midst and proclaimed that His miracles were God's testimony as to the truthfulness of His claims (JOHN 5:36). He also called their attention to the Scriptures which He was fulfilling (JOHN 5:39).
Another reason to believe in Jesus is the empty tomb. Those who saw the living again Son of God had no doubts as to the significance of the resurrection (ROMANS 1:4). They gave the rest of their lives to the proclamation of the fact, sacrificing much when called upon to do so, and dying for their faith when challenged to that extent. These early disciples were not living for and dying for a false hope they had made up! It was for a living hope. These were triumphant men and women!
WHY BELIEVE IN GOD'S LOVE?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (JOHN 3:16).
Not only do we serve a powerful God, we serve a loving God. The degree of His love is wondrous! The fact that He would intervene in human history and suffer such indignities so that we might be saved is the supreme testament of His love for us. Even during the dark hours of the crucifixion, throughout the scourging, mocking, beating and spitting, even as the nails were driven into the flesh and the cross was lifted up hoisting upon itself the Son of God, God's love did not die! In fact, His love has never shown brighter than at that time. In our troubles we sometimes might be caused to forget or even doubt God's concern for us. At those times, remember the cross.
WHY BELIEVE IN SALVATION?
"And He said unto them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." (MARK 16:15,16).
It is because of my faith in the Redeemer that I have faith in the gospel's plan of salvation. It is His words that a I base my eternal hope upon. It is not the power in the waters of baptism, but rather the power in the will of Christ. I can only place my faith in Christ by placing my faith in that which He spoke. He said that if I believe His gospel and am baptized that I will be saved. That is what I believe. I do not care to trust my salvation to any plan or method that adds to or takes away from what Jesus
has spoken.
WHY BELIEVE IN THE BIBLICAL LIFESTYLE?
"...I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (JOHN 10:10).
Everything I have seen in my life supports the fact that the closer an individual orders his life to Biblical precepts and ethics, the happier he or she will be. Not only is this observed with individuals, but also societies. The further away from the moral principles we find in the Bible, the worse off our nation has become. In all human relationships, the closer we treat one another to what God has said the better that relationship is. The Biblical lifestyle may be mocked today by the media; but they have provided no improvement. Their alternative is much worse. Do not swallow the lie!
There are ample reasons to believe in the things we have had time to mention. Our faith is reasonable. We ought not to mind the world challenging our faith. Faith overcomes the world!
