Faith And Reason

Intro

Text - Hebrews 11.17-19

Hebrews 11:17–19 NKJV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Title - Faith And Reason

Series - Ever-Increasing Faith (Part 3)

why increase faith?

so that God more and greater things in your life

God’s work in your grows and expands with your increasing faith.

Human arguments

Faith and reason are incompatible - there is no place for faith iwhen people think logically

Faith is belief in something for which there is no proof

Definition

Faith - belief and trust in God

Reason - the power of comprehending or thinking in orderly rational ways; the proper exercise of the mind

reasonable - in Grk is ‘logikos’

reason - Grk. ‘logos’

Tagalog - pagiisip; katwiran; kakayanang mag-isip o mangatwiran;

compare with “mind“ = isip

reason is God-given

since the time of Adam, reason has been limited by man’s fallen condition

human reason generally depends on the senses in order to arrive at a conclusion

Main Point

Faith and reason cannot be separated. In fact, faith and reason build on each other.

If you want your faith to increase, make proper use of your God-given, Spirit-guided reasoning!

God invites man to reason with Him

Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

To reason with God means to compare views with Him

God went to Cain to reason with the young man

Genesis 4:5–6 NKJV

5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

Faith is reasonable and logical

Faith uses reason to weigh things between material and spiritual, etc.

Acts 4:19 NKJV

19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

Psalm 118:8–9 NKJV

8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.

Romans 12:1 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Faith may sometimes be “unreasonable”

Faith declares things that may not be reasonable to human senses

Hebrews 11:3 NKJV

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Why?

because faith is not based on physical senses. It is based on the Word of God

The term “reasonable” is subjective - it depends on who is making the observation

1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Jews, Greeks and the called have different take on the gospel

Why do people say faith and reason cannot mix?

they defined faith to be belief in something without proof

First, when faith reasons, it depends on what the Word of God says, not on what the man conveys through the senses.

1 Corinthians 1:22–25 NKJV

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Second, reason receives help from the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit directs the believer to the truth

John 16.13 “13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

1 Corinthians 2:7–10 NKJV

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

without the Holy Spirit, human reason cannot comprehend the things of God

1 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

Faith is based on facts

The accounts of the Bible are true accounts

Romans 15:4 NKJV

4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

the gospel account were true accounts

John 20:30–31 NKJV

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John wrote his epistles to help believers know

1 John 5:13 NKJV

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

You can strengthen your faith with the proper use of reason

Abraham’s faith

he did not consider his own body…

Romans 4:19–21 NKJV

19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

he concluded that God was able to raise Isaac back

Hebrews 11:17–19 NKJV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

IF YOU WANT TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH -

STOP USING REASON TO JUSTIFY THE FLESH

PRACTICE USING YOUR REASON TO EMBOLDEN YOUR FAITH!

Young David’s faith

1 Samuel 17:36–37 NKJV

36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

he concluded that God will do the same thing to Goliath

Apostle Paul’s faith -

Romans 8:31–32 NKJV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

2 Timothy 1:11–12 NKJV

11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Conclusion