Things Heard: e62v4
Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at
9:14 am
- Black swan bay.
- A carnivalia of last weeks Christian writing.
- Homeschooling, logic and Christianity.
- That bow, heh.
- For the West, Maunday Thursday … noted here and here.
- Total madness … in the White House.
- Modern atheists in the UK … and consequences (HT: Sam Norton)
- Math as universal language … a notion I don’t like either very much.
- Out of the blue.
- I’m kinda missing the point here.
- Spot on.
- Against those against the PUMA.
- Mind and matter … and gymnastics.
- Something I’ll read.
- Bailout suggestions for GM.
- Sadr City.
- What is that man doing?
- A debate faith and non-faith noted.
- What will Mr Obama’s move be?
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I’ve been studying John 1:1-5, with a heavy emphasis upon the Greek title which John gives Jesus: Logos (logical, reasonable, rational). I’ve been writing how He is the embodiment of reason and rationality. I referenced Romans 12:1, the phrase, “our logical service of worship.” I’ve emphasized the moral character of reason, and how that since the fall, man’s reason has been perverted. We may have common ground with many with regard to social or political issues, but as soon as the conversation turns to their sin, their irrationality surfaces.
There are many illustrations of the perversion of man’s reason, but one that has particularly come to mind was the scribes and Pharisees’ reaction to the raising of Lazarus. After that miracle, a rational man would have thought of Jesus, “Here is a man who has authority over life and death.” But what was their reaction? They wanted to kill Him. How could there have been a more irrational response? The miracle proved far more than Christ’s deity and authority; it proved that He had power over death. How irrational to think that they could kill Him and be done with Him.
Man has fallen from the glory of God, and that glory can be described in terms of the logic or rationality which we see in Christ. Man’s thinking is perverted. He has said in his heart that there is no God, and everything he does is a violation of the reason and purity which we see in Christ.
Think about your own sin. Paul wrote that whatever is not of faith is sin. What about your fears? “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also
with Him freely give us all things (Rom. 8:32)?” “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phi. 4:19).” This is God’s word regarding our every provision — whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Whatever is not of faith is sin. To question God’s word is irrational.
Consider how Jesus reasoned with His disciples:
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matt. 6:26-33).”
Not to trust God’s word is irrational.