Have you ever encountered people who thought that it was unreasonable to be a Christian? I hear stories regularly of many young Christians who get looked down upon by teachers or friends because of their Christian faith. Common things I’ve heard are, “Science has disproven Christianity,” or “Religion was what those dumb ancient people believed in, but we have moved past that now.” There is the assumption that to have faith in the Christian God means that Christians must ignore reason and believe something that doesn’t make sense. Unfortunately, I also hear many Christians talk as if the mind and reasoning do not have a role in their faith. God does not call us to faith that is blind or ignorant. The greatest commandment states, ““You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37). We will examine how faith in the Christian God provides a foundation for and completes reason and how reason apart from faith does not lead to true knowledge of God.
As we begin, I think it is important to note that many great Christian thinkers in history have viewed reason not as something that conflicts with faith but as something that when properly understood draws us into deeper knowledge of God and his world. The Bible speaks of a world that has been created orderly by God (Gen 1:1), and he has created people with the unique ability to think, reason, and find truth in the world. Christianity is far from being an anti-intellectual religion but believes that God has designed the world in such a way that we can learn about him using reason! This is the foundation that many of the pioneers of modern science, medicine and other disciples used in their exploration of the natural world. They understood that only in a world that is ordered and rational can we repeatedly learn, grow, and develop our minds towards truth. The Bible even states certain attributes of God such as his eternal power and divine nature can be understood by people through the created world (Rom 1:20). Reason is a tool that we can use to observe the natural world and conclude that there has to be a God behind something of such a great design. The use of reason is not at odds with the Christian faith but is something God has given us to find truth in the world and to know and love him more.
While reason is not at odds with faith it is also not complete without it. There are truths about God that we cannot know through reason. The doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation are great examples of this truth. God did not design our minds to know everything about all of reality. God is much greater than our minds could ever comprehend! That is why we need God’s revealed word to us in the Bible. In the Bible, we have everything that we need to know God and step into an intimate relationship with him. This is something that is done by faith in Jesus Christ and his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (Rom 10:9). Faith refers to a deep belief and trust that is true not just in our minds but as something that transforms our lives. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus are reason becomes a means by which we can get to know and love our amazing Savior more and more. Faith and reason fit together in a beautiful way testifies to the glory of God!
Written by Grant Gobezie