OUR GOD IS SENSIBLE
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right. Hosea 14:9, R.S.V.
It is never quite satisfying when the editors of dictionaries make theological statements. Take, for example, this definition of the word faith: "unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence."
My concern, of course, is not with the dictionary editors, for they simply reflect how a word is being used among the general public. My perplexity is that so many people, including pastors and Bible scholars, insist on using this very definition of faith when it is applied to Christian experience. They believe that to ask for evidence, for intelligent understanding, is to undermine faith. They are content with a Christianity that is not required to make sense, and they think that it is a sign of one's devotion to God to believe what indeed is not appealing to one's intelligence. It has even led some to be suspicious of religious principles that require much thinking.
But Jesus would be unsatisfied with such a definition of faith. He who went to such lengths to give people abundant evidence upon which to base their faith would not wish them to set it all aside. Jesus held faith to be one's attitude of love and trust and admiration toward God. The only way one can ever come to see God in this way is to get to know Him. Jesus' ministry, then, is to provide evidence of who His Father really is. And this evidence appeals to that capacity to think and to reason that God Himself placed within us.
If God invites us to come and reason together with Him (Isa. 1:18), then shouldn't we expect that the lifestyle He offers us will also be reasonable? Once a person's mind has been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, expanded to include spiritual realities in one's reasoning process, then Christianity makes incredibly good sense. For example, to love one's enemy (as Jesus required of us) would not make any sense at all to a selfish person locked into getting all he can for himself. But to one who seeks the good of all humanity, loving one's enemy is the most innovative, disarming move one could make.
Hosea calls for the wise and the discerning to recognize that the ways of God are right--that they make incredibly good sense. Shouldn't we trust such a sensible, reasonable God?
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right. Hosea 14:9, R.S.V.
It is never quite satisfying when the editors of dictionaries make theological statements. Take, for example, this definition of the word faith: "unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence."
My concern, of course, is not with the dictionary editors, for they simply reflect how a word is being used among the general public. My perplexity is that so many people, including pastors and Bible scholars, insist on using this very definition of faith when it is applied to Christian experience. They believe that to ask for evidence, for intelligent understanding, is to undermine faith. They are content with a Christianity that is not required to make sense, and they think that it is a sign of one's devotion to God to believe what indeed is not appealing to one's intelligence. It has even led some to be suspicious of religious principles that require much thinking.
But Jesus would be unsatisfied with such a definition of faith. He who went to such lengths to give people abundant evidence upon which to base their faith would not wish them to set it all aside. Jesus held faith to be one's attitude of love and trust and admiration toward God. The only way one can ever come to see God in this way is to get to know Him. Jesus' ministry, then, is to provide evidence of who His Father really is. And this evidence appeals to that capacity to think and to reason that God Himself placed within us.
If God invites us to come and reason together with Him (Isa. 1:18), then shouldn't we expect that the lifestyle He offers us will also be reasonable? Once a person's mind has been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, expanded to include spiritual realities in one's reasoning process, then Christianity makes incredibly good sense. For example, to love one's enemy (as Jesus required of us) would not make any sense at all to a selfish person locked into getting all he can for himself. But to one who seeks the good of all humanity, loving one's enemy is the most innovative, disarming move one could make.
Hosea calls for the wise and the discerning to recognize that the ways of God are right--that they make incredibly good sense. Shouldn't we trust such a sensible, reasonable God?
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