Era of the thinking Christian
I am thinking about this and I think I should write this down in my blog for all to know what is my position towards this issue.
Let me begin with a story. A few months ago, I had a discussion with a brother regarding reason and faith. He argues that faith itself should be unreasonable and irrational, while I argued that faith can be reasoned. I would concede that at the end of the day, faith can only be reasoned to a point when irrationality has to take over, but we can still provide reasons for our faith. Faith can be reasoned, will be reasoned and should be reasoned.
Why? Today, people are bombarded with numerous information. And people can ask a thousand questions about religion, let alone Christianity. Questions like 'do God exist', 'how can I believe in the supernatural' and 'is the gospels history' will be asked by believers and non-believers alike. There are also weird questions such as 'is it right to set up a church in a shopping mall'. The person who asked me that question even quoted from the bible saying that the episode of Jesus clearing the temple provides the answer to the question. Or people can ask 'how can the Lord of one be a trinity'. You get the idea.
Try posing these questions to the average Christian on the street and see how much he can answer you. I am not saying that I can answer that well either. But really how much do Christians really think about their faith and be able to give an answer to everything they believe in. Ravi Zacharias said in one of his podcast that mankind has lost the ability to do abstract reasoning with the advent of the age of television, where images flood our mind and we begin to form conclusion based on what we see. We simply dun think abstractly anymore.
I remember there was one time when I was doing the wash up for Holy Communion. I asked the cg in charge to dispose of the leftover elements and I said that they have the choice either to throw them away or to consume them. Then the CL looked at me sternly and said, 'no, this is the HOLY Communion. We should not treat it like that.' From the look of his eyes, I knew he was very convicted about it but I am quite sure that belief will crumble when tested because there isn't any biblical evidence supporting that!!! We call it the holy communion, but the bible calls it the Lord's Supper. Just because I pour some grape juice into the cup and put a wafer on top of it, it does not make the cup holy!!! The cup is 'holy' not by its own sake but it is holy the moment when we partake in it. Our act of remembrance of Jesus and His sacrifice is what makes the holy communion holy. And the only reason why I would agree with that brother is because I won't want to dilute the meaning of the holy communion to the younger believers. That cup of juice and wafer is not the holy communion, outside of the moment, it is just a cup.
The reason why I brought out this illustration is because I am continuously surprised by how people are taught about Christianity and they are not given a chance to think why and how those stuff are being derived. Christians can quote bible verses everywhere but they can also quote it outside of the context. The thinking process just isn't there. And you tell me faith should not be reasoned?
One of the first book I read as a young believer is Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. As I read that book and read other books to come, I am amazed the people who came to know Christ because they seek reason in their walk of faith. Lee Strobel, Josh Macdowell, Bill Bight to name a few. These people came to know Christ because some book and someone out there reasoned out their faith!!! You tell me people cannot know Christ because faith is reasoned?
I sometimes meet so many people, their spiritual journey is mauled with intellectual questions and they seek genuine intellectual answers. You tell me faith cannot be reasoned? Then tell me how you are going to answer these people's question? They are simply not interested in Soren Kierkegaard. They dun care if you tell them that you simply need to have faith. They want to know why the universe is formed and that alone is the question that will help them shape their belief. And you tell me you refused to reason about your faith?
The Christian is called to witness for Christ. We are placed in a world of sin and we need to be able to think about our faith. We need to be able to look at the bible, read the bible and understand what the word of God is saying, in its proper context. And yet today, I dun see too many Christians, including those in my church, think about these issues. People dun think about how the cross should affect their lives. People dun think about how the love of God should influence their behaviour towards the lost. People dun think about why we do the things we do. Yet, we are told not to throw our brains away.
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
We are called to be thinking Christians, and let us be thinking Christians.
Let me begin with a story. A few months ago, I had a discussion with a brother regarding reason and faith. He argues that faith itself should be unreasonable and irrational, while I argued that faith can be reasoned. I would concede that at the end of the day, faith can only be reasoned to a point when irrationality has to take over, but we can still provide reasons for our faith. Faith can be reasoned, will be reasoned and should be reasoned.
Why? Today, people are bombarded with numerous information. And people can ask a thousand questions about religion, let alone Christianity. Questions like 'do God exist', 'how can I believe in the supernatural' and 'is the gospels history' will be asked by believers and non-believers alike. There are also weird questions such as 'is it right to set up a church in a shopping mall'. The person who asked me that question even quoted from the bible saying that the episode of Jesus clearing the temple provides the answer to the question. Or people can ask 'how can the Lord of one be a trinity'. You get the idea.
Try posing these questions to the average Christian on the street and see how much he can answer you. I am not saying that I can answer that well either. But really how much do Christians really think about their faith and be able to give an answer to everything they believe in. Ravi Zacharias said in one of his podcast that mankind has lost the ability to do abstract reasoning with the advent of the age of television, where images flood our mind and we begin to form conclusion based on what we see. We simply dun think abstractly anymore.
I remember there was one time when I was doing the wash up for Holy Communion. I asked the cg in charge to dispose of the leftover elements and I said that they have the choice either to throw them away or to consume them. Then the CL looked at me sternly and said, 'no, this is the HOLY Communion. We should not treat it like that.' From the look of his eyes, I knew he was very convicted about it but I am quite sure that belief will crumble when tested because there isn't any biblical evidence supporting that!!! We call it the holy communion, but the bible calls it the Lord's Supper. Just because I pour some grape juice into the cup and put a wafer on top of it, it does not make the cup holy!!! The cup is 'holy' not by its own sake but it is holy the moment when we partake in it. Our act of remembrance of Jesus and His sacrifice is what makes the holy communion holy. And the only reason why I would agree with that brother is because I won't want to dilute the meaning of the holy communion to the younger believers. That cup of juice and wafer is not the holy communion, outside of the moment, it is just a cup.
The reason why I brought out this illustration is because I am continuously surprised by how people are taught about Christianity and they are not given a chance to think why and how those stuff are being derived. Christians can quote bible verses everywhere but they can also quote it outside of the context. The thinking process just isn't there. And you tell me faith should not be reasoned?
One of the first book I read as a young believer is Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. As I read that book and read other books to come, I am amazed the people who came to know Christ because they seek reason in their walk of faith. Lee Strobel, Josh Macdowell, Bill Bight to name a few. These people came to know Christ because some book and someone out there reasoned out their faith!!! You tell me people cannot know Christ because faith is reasoned?
I sometimes meet so many people, their spiritual journey is mauled with intellectual questions and they seek genuine intellectual answers. You tell me faith cannot be reasoned? Then tell me how you are going to answer these people's question? They are simply not interested in Soren Kierkegaard. They dun care if you tell them that you simply need to have faith. They want to know why the universe is formed and that alone is the question that will help them shape their belief. And you tell me you refused to reason about your faith?
The Christian is called to witness for Christ. We are placed in a world of sin and we need to be able to think about our faith. We need to be able to look at the bible, read the bible and understand what the word of God is saying, in its proper context. And yet today, I dun see too many Christians, including those in my church, think about these issues. People dun think about how the cross should affect their lives. People dun think about how the love of God should influence their behaviour towards the lost. People dun think about why we do the things we do. Yet, we are told not to throw our brains away.
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
We are called to be thinking Christians, and let us be thinking Christians.
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