BIBLICAL FAITH vs BLIND FAITH by Kerry Gilliard.

In the New Testament, we find the Apostle Paul with the following admonition to the believers in Thessalonica - "Critically examine all things; keep firm possession of that which is genuine." (1 Thess. 5:21, my literal translation). The greek word at this point for "Critically examine" is the word dokimazo. It's the same word which describes how a metalsmith critically examines and scrutinizes precious metals to make sure they are genuine. In contrast to the "blind faith" theory, scripture shows that biblical faith is based on proof and evidence, not just on "belief". Observe the following examples from scripture:

Deut. 13:1-5 and 18:18-22 - God is very explicit- the TEST of a true prophet is that his word and teachings must line up with God's already established revelation (Deut 13) and if he ever misses even ONE prophecy (Deut. 18), he is NOT a prophet of God. The evidence is pure and simple.

Isaiah 7:1-7 - King Ahaz was rebuked by God for not asking Him for evidence!!

Dan 1:10-16 - Daniel in a foreign situation, didn't appeal with a simple 'trust us' as some believers do today--he said 'test us'...and depended upon God for concrete, visible results.

Paul appeals to the 'openness' of the historical facts of early Christianity in his public trial: "The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner." (Act 26:26) He did the same in his sermon at the Areopagus in Acts 17 where he used the resurrection of Christ as historical proof that God will hold men accountable for their actions now.

Peter tries to 'force his readers back into the bedrock of data' in 2 Peter 1:16: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

Luke praised the careful and thorough Bereans in Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Luke also investigated the sources and wrote his gospel account for his royal reader, SO THAT he could know for CERTAIN.

These examples could be multiplied many times. The entire canon of scripture is unanimous in affirming that the Judeo-Christian faith is steeply rooted in historical and spiritual fact. Thomas placed his trust in Christ because he saw the evidence (John 20:24-29). Many in the New Testament believed and placed their trust in Christ because of the miracles He performed (John 2:23, 4:39, 10:41-42).

 

A RATIONAL FAITH

Christianity is the most rational of belief systems because it is rooted in fact and not fiction. Our faith is placed in a risen Savior whose words and deeds survive not only in the New Testament documents, but in early christian and secular historical reports as well. The challenge now remains for the believer and the skeptic alike, to examine the evidence together.

God in His love toward us, left more than enough evidence for us to feel confident in placing our trust in the Jesus Christ presented in the New Testament. No other religious book in the world can claim this type of evidence, nor are any supported in such fashion. Indeed, it is most irrational and anti- intellectual to reject Christ as Savior in spite of the evidence for the Bible, in favor of "myths and fables" (insert your religion here.).

It is my prayer that the lethargic believer in our Lord will wake up and use ALL of his/her facilities- we're not only to love God with all of our heart and body, but our mind as well (Deut. 6:5). God gave us reason and logic to make choices and He made it so that our reason and logic would lead us to Him, even in the face of hearts darkened by sin. That same reason is used repeatedly in the Bible (see examples above) to not only point man to God, but to point out error as well (ex: False prophets).

God never intended for anyone to follow Him blindly-but for us to examine and test all things (1 John 4:1-4). If folks tested everything like scripture commands instead of being too lazy and letting others do it for them, we would not have cults, aberrant doctrine and such divisions among believers today. The church as a whole, needs to wake up, be diligent in God's word (2 Tim. 2:15) and take up the responsibility of not only knowing God's word, but actively defending and sharing it as well. In the face of a post-Christian America, we can't afford to check our brains at the doors of the church. We need to get active and we need to do it now.