Reason and Logic - Part 1

Why do we believe? Jesus's method was to do miracles to convince the Jews, but even with healing the infirm and raising the dead, they were not convinced. Neither were they when Jesus multiplied the fish and bread. Even then, the Jews rejected Jesus.

Paul tried logic with King Herod Agrippa, a Jew:  

Acts 26:27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Since Jesus's miraculous feats and his resurrection from the dead failed to convince Agrippa, Paul tried logic. Not quite so, but Agrippa was almost persuaded. Almost isn't enough! One must be convinced. I still see the miracles of God, but they are not what convinces me. Some have a Jewish perspective and others, the Gentile:

1 Corinthinas 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness...

Jews require signs or miracles, and the Gentiles or Greeks wisdom. Today, some require speaking in tongues and other supernatural acts, while others believe because they are enlightened. The first is emotional belief and the latter a belief of cognition. That Jesus has already died in their place makes no sense to the Jews, and for Gentiles, it's nothing more than mythology.

On the other hand, those born-again believe because God's Light shined on them - the technique God uses is to draw men to him:

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Before we discuss "being drawn", let's first consider for what reason men are drawn. It is to be "raised up on the last day!" For two-thousand dollars what is the question?  Larry says,  "What is salvation?"  The object of belief is to be born-again. Salvation comes at the end - that great and terrible day of the Lord (Joel 2:31) when the sun goes dark, and the moon turns to blood. Until that time, Christians have "the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8), and each day we are closer to our salvation than when we first believed:

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Hence, Agrippa was not almost persuaded to be saved, but was  nearly persuaded to deny himself and trust Jesus! If Agrippa had been fully persuaded, he would have been born-again. When would he be saved? On the great and terrible day of the Lord. Since he wasn't fully persuaded, on that day, he will be destroyed - it will be a terrible day for him. For me, I am persuaded, and look forward to a great day! Because I am fully persuaded, God shined his light on me, and I'm born-again.

Truth is God's light. When Nicodemus asked how one could be born-again, Jesus referred him to Moses lifting up the bronze snake. Those who trusted Jesus instead of themselves, looked up and did not die. Others depended on themselves and died. It's still the same today - it is who we trust for our eternal lives that saves. God drew the people to him by presenting death and offering the bronze snake as a safe space. The poisonous snakes were there because God called them there. Calamity is oftentimes God's calling card. For me, the threat of dying forever was God's calling card. I considered eternal punishment, and then considered Jesus. Wisdom was accepting the inevitable - I can't save me but Jesus can! When I accepted that truth, I was born-again because I was enlightened.

What I'm saying, is that when we are called, that's God's doing. When we are convinced that is our response. What is that we must do to be born-again?

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

When God draws us, is when the gift of faith is given. What must we do? Exercise that faith by using the gift. You see, the new birth is a gift of God but our part is keeping the faith. We all accept  "a little faith", and are to grow it into "great faith". By grace, even a little faith shines enough to see the light at the end of the spiritual birth canal. Looking ahead to that light, we silently squirm through the doubt and contraction of our spiritual muscles until we are born-again.

Satan tries to make us breach in the divine birth canal. Our little faith presents us to God, and we become His to nourish and protect. God puts us in a safe crib, so to speak, but then Satan endeavors to tempt us to crawl over the rails. He literally puts huge paps out there to entice - whatever our pleasure is. He knows that although we are born-again, only in the end shall we be saved. In that time period, Satan still tempts, and we can still succumb.

If we have "great faith" we are assured that in the end we shall be saved (Acts 2:21). Salvation is not at the instant we first believed, but in the end. Until then, those who are sure, have the assurance of salvation. The evidence of that is obedience - or love.

Let me make this clear. Jesus paid it all on the cross. We weren't there, as my friend Gary Mitchell acknowledged. It was Jesus who provided the opportunity, and that was his gift to mankind. It is always there, and God draws everyone to accept the gift, but few will. His is the strait gate. Some refuse to open that gift because they don't desire it. The new birth is when the gift looks good enough, the recipient opens it. That gift is the very blood of God!

Here's where logic comes in. God endowed me with reason. Reason is examining all the evidence, weighing it for validity, and coming to a conclusion. I concluded that since I am not God, I can't save myself. Since I desire to live forever, there is only one Way to do that - by accepting Jesus's gift - that he died when it is I who deserved death!

When you come to believe and accept the truth in the following passage, you are born-again:

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Who else can save" No one. Can I save myself? Nada. Thus, I realize that it is Jesus who can, and he says that he will. I wasn't there when he presented the gift, but I am here to either accept or decline it. Jesus doesn't force himself on us. He draws us to Him! I can hang on to my babyish beliefs or accept the truth. Stubborn babies get aborted before they mature if they cling onto the world's security too long!

You see, reason and logic is used for persuasion. Doctors encourage birth by many different ways. Jesus encourages birth by shining his Light so that we can emerge from darkness! That Light is truth.

Tomorrow, I will discuss why I believe the truth.