God and Reason (6)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse… Romans 1.18-20
Thwarted by sin
The apostle Paul says flatly that God has made Himself known to every human being. Everyone who has ever lived knows God exists, a conclusion he or she has arrived at by reason—through observation, questioning, and thinking about the things of the world. Everyone knows God, since God has engaged their reasoning powers to make Himself known to them.
Since this is true, since, that is, all human beings have come to know God through the use of reason, why is it that so many continue not to believe in Him nor to pursue more knowledge of Him?The answer is that their reason has been subverted by sin.According to the Scriptures, sin, which is the spiritual inheritance of every human being, is a real and powerful spiritual malady, powerful enough to darken understanding (Eph. 4.18), corrupt affections (Rom. 1.24), cause priorities and values to be turned away from uprightness and truth (Eccl. 7.29; Heb. 9.14; Rom. 1.25), and render all our lives such an abomination in the sight of God that they cause Him really, albeit reluctantly, to distance Himself from us (Rom. 1.21-32).
Rather than seek out the knowledge of the one true God Whom they all know, human beings, under the influence of sin, refuse to acknowledge God, fail to give Him thanks and praise, reject His invitation to seek and search for Him, turn away from Him in rebellion, and seek to satisfy their unquenchable, inner need for transcendence through the folly of hoping in created things.
Claiming to be wise by smugly denying the existence of God, we become fools—and worse, we become enemies of the very God we know in our hearts but deny by our thoughts, words, and deeds (Rom. 5.10).
No amount of mere persuasion, no regimen of reason’s tools or tricks, no weight of rhetorical power—by itself or in combination—is capable of prying loose the grip of sin and rekindling a merely reasoning pursuit of the knowledge of God.So, no, it is not possible, because of the powerful and all-pervading presence of sin in the human soul, to attain to the knowledge of God through reason alone. God invites us to reason with Him. But the failure of so many to accept that invitation and enter into the benefits such communion entails is not because they cannot reason with God, but because they will not.
Nevertheless…
However, we who hold the truth of God in the frail earthen vessels of flesh should not despair. We who have come to know God, with the aid of reason, but not by reason alone, are tasked as His ambassadors to extend His invitation to reason to all those who know God but have thus far refused to reason with Him. And for fulfilling this task, we shall need to make good use of the protocols of reason.
God calls us to use reason, to master the arts of persuasion, to improve our skills in conversation and our ability to explain difficult ideas, and to employ all these, as often as we may, in seeking to penetrate the barricades of sin erected in the hearts of our neighbors, and to liberate, rekindle, and renew the knowledge of God in their souls (cf. Acts 17.4, 17, 18; 28.23).Only, because of the blinding power of indwelling sin, we must not rely on reason alone.
A twofold challenge
God can be known through reason, but not through reason alone. This presents a threefold challenge to those who know the Lord. First, we must exhaust the capabilities of reason, which are available to us, to increase in the knowledge of God, so that the love of God, which surpasses knowledge, may be ever more apparent in all our words and deeds. We must daily receive revelation from God which, by the indwelling help of the Holy Spirit, we may with reason sort out, understand, embrace, and apply as God leads.
Second, we must understand the limits of reason in seeking to make God known to others, and discover the best ways of using reason to penetrate the barricades of sin and pique the knowledge of God in human souls. No one will hear and accept God’s invitation to reason with Him through reason alone. But no one will enter that privileged conversation, or know its benefits, without reason.
And third, we must by reason apply ourselves to understanding the reasoning—the worldviews—of our neighbors, so that we can help them, by reason, to discover the limits, contradictions, impracticality—in short, the folly—of their life apart from God.
Reason, in other words, has a role in helping us to help others hear and heed God’s invitation to reason with Him. We need to make sure we understand both the limits of reason and the right use of reason as we, the Lord’s ambassadors, extend His invitation to reason to the people around us.
For reflection
1. Who are the people around you to whom God has sent you as His ambassador, to extend His invitation to reason with Him? Have you identified your Personal Mission Field?
2. Paul says that all human beings know God. What evidence do you see of this? Why do some people continue to insist that there is no God?
3. Reasoning with someone implies conversations. What opportunities do you have for conversations with others? What might you do to increase these opportunities?
Next steps—Preparation: Review the three uses of reason outlined above. Where do you need to improve? What can you do to begin being more faithful and effective in the use of reason?
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Two books can be helpful in applying reason to the times in which we live. You can download a free PDF of both Understanding the Times and Winds of Doctrine by clicking those links..
This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. In our Crosfigellteaching letter, we are studying examples of the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. And in our daily Scriptorium column we are working our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451. Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
