Posted By: Ikan
Sanctified Logic and the true Gospel - 07/22/05 01:19 PM
One of the primary revelations the Holy Spirit gave me when I was born-again as an 7th-day Adventist Christian was that He is the Master of Reality and True Logic; that He was not confusing, mystical or nonsensical, but that He would lead me "unto all truth" as fast as I could handle it. Any confusion was on my part, and He woos and teaches with bold clarity. We stay dumb out of our own choice. See James 1:5.
This I appreciate still, rejecting the fallen church's manmade concepts that He is illogical, contridictory, bi-polar or expects "blind faith".
My topic premise is: God expects us to be like Him, logical thinkers and reasoners. How does He make us that way?
But first, we must see if that is God really expects from us; Does He encourage Spirit-filled and logical reasoning in His people or not?
Let's see:
From the BIBLE:
1Samuel 12:7 "Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which He did to you and to your fathers."
Job 13:3 "Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God."
Of course, Isaiah 1:18 is unquestionably about logic and reason.
From the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY:
Is reasoning and logic useful in teaching the Gospel?:
"His (Paul's) intellectual power commanded the respect of the learned; while his earnest, logical reasoning and the power of his oratory held the attention of all in the audience. His hearers recognized the fact that he was no novice, but was able to meet all classes with convincing arguments in support of the doctrines he taught. Thus the apostle stood undaunted, meeting his opposers on their own ground, matching logic with logic, philosophy with philosophy, eloquence with eloquence. {AA 235.2}
"Well!", you say "That was Paul; he was either so great a saint or so smart that God used his gifts of logic."
Not so! Paul had one thing only that gave him sanctified logic and reasoning: he was filled with the Holy Spirt, baptised in the Fire of Heaven. That qualified him to use the tool of logic correctly.
"A man may be logical; he may be sound in doctrine; his instruction may contain nothing but that which, if followed, will do good; and still his labors may be useless; they lack the holy fire...
A keen, sharp intellect may be an advantage, but the power of the educator is in his heart connection with the Light and Life of the world.
He will love humanity and ever seek to bring it to a higher level.
He will not always be blaming others, but his heart will be filled with pity.
He will not be great in his own estimation,
neither will he seek constantly to bolster up and strengthen his own dignity;
but the humility of Jesus will be personified in his life." {SSW, October 1, 1885 par. 3}
True Reasoning requires the true infilling of the holy Spirit.
This I appreciate still, rejecting the fallen church's manmade concepts that He is illogical, contridictory, bi-polar or expects "blind faith".
My topic premise is: God expects us to be like Him, logical thinkers and reasoners. How does He make us that way?
But first, we must see if that is God really expects from us; Does He encourage Spirit-filled and logical reasoning in His people or not?
Let's see:
From the BIBLE:
1Samuel 12:7 "Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which He did to you and to your fathers."
Job 13:3 "Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God."
Of course, Isaiah 1:18 is unquestionably about logic and reason.
From the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY:
Is reasoning and logic useful in teaching the Gospel?:
"His (Paul's) intellectual power commanded the respect of the learned; while his earnest, logical reasoning and the power of his oratory held the attention of all in the audience. His hearers recognized the fact that he was no novice, but was able to meet all classes with convincing arguments in support of the doctrines he taught. Thus the apostle stood undaunted, meeting his opposers on their own ground, matching logic with logic, philosophy with philosophy, eloquence with eloquence. {AA 235.2}
"Well!", you say "That was Paul; he was either so great a saint or so smart that God used his gifts of logic."
Not so! Paul had one thing only that gave him sanctified logic and reasoning: he was filled with the Holy Spirt, baptised in the Fire of Heaven. That qualified him to use the tool of logic correctly.
"A man may be logical; he may be sound in doctrine; his instruction may contain nothing but that which, if followed, will do good; and still his labors may be useless; they lack the holy fire...
A keen, sharp intellect may be an advantage, but the power of the educator is in his heart connection with the Light and Life of the world.
He will love humanity and ever seek to bring it to a higher level.
He will not always be blaming others, but his heart will be filled with pity.
He will not be great in his own estimation,
neither will he seek constantly to bolster up and strengthen his own dignity;
but the humility of Jesus will be personified in his life." {SSW, October 1, 1885 par. 3}
True Reasoning requires the true infilling of the holy Spirit.