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Reason and Faith: Difference between revisions
→How does one lose faith?
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Look at Matthew 6 where Jesus says, “''If you’re worried, have no anxiety, but think about the lilies of the field. God takes care of them. Think. Have no anxiety, but think about the birds of the air. God takes care of them.''” He says, “''O ye of little faith? If God takes care of the birds and the grass, and you’re more valuable than they, won’t he take care of you?''" | Look at Matthew 6 where Jesus says, “''If you’re worried, have no anxiety, but think about the lilies of the field. God takes care of them. Think. Have no anxiety, but think about the birds of the air. God takes care of them.''” He says, “''O ye of little faith? If God takes care of the birds and the grass, and you’re more valuable than they, won’t he take care of you?''" | ||
What is Jesus doing? He says, | What is Jesus doing? He says, “''O ye of little faith? You’re not thinking.''” He doesn’t say, “''If you want to have faith, stop thinking, and just believe.''” That’s not faith. That’s not what the Bible calls faith. | ||
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones says | David Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that Jesus Christ insists that the whole trouble with people of little faith is that they do not think. They don’t gird up the loins of their minds. They allow circumstances to bludgeon them. Think about this. They allow their feelings to collar them. The Bible is full of reasoning. We must never think of faith as something purely mystical. Faith progresses through thinking, Jesus tells us. | ||
Jesus says, “''Look at the birds. Think about them. Draw your deductions. Look at the flowers. Do the same''.” | Jesus says, “''Look at the birds. Think about them. Draw your deductions. Look at the flowers. Do the same''.” | ||
That is the essence of worry. Instead of letting reason control your thoughts, other things have control of them, and you go round and round in circles. That is not thinking. Worry is the absence of thinking. Unbelief is the absence of thinking. And for the Christian, a lack of faith is a failure to think. | That is the essence of worry. Instead of letting reason control your thoughts, other things have control of them, and you go round and round in circles. That is not thinking. Worry is the absence of thinking. Unbelief is the absence of thinking. And for the Christian, a lack of faith is a failure to think. “''…gird up the loins of your mind…''” | ||
Not only that, the Bible tells you that you can’t grow in holiness unless you’re willing to let God take over your thinking. It says in Ephesians 4:22–24 to be renewed through the renewal of your mind. That’s the place where it says, | Not only that, the Bible tells you that you can’t grow in holiness unless you’re willing to let God take over your thinking. It says in Ephesians 4:22–24 to be renewed through the renewal of your mind. That’s the place where it says, “…put off your old self… put on the new…” and be renewed in the renewal of your mind.<ref>Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).</ref> | ||
Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). | |||
=The Bible requires us to think= | =The Bible requires us to think= | ||