Are the Holy Spirit and Reason at Cross-Purposes? Part II

Since God is reasonable and we are not, lost and rebellious sinners have but one hope for salvation (which includes the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, and restoration).  The Holy Spirit does not bypass rationality.  To the contrary He, and He alone brings sinners into an encounter with the most important objective truths of all, which pertain to our relationship with a Holy God who, in love has done everything needful for sinners to be in relationship with Him.  He brings us to salvation by, to put it crudely, “knocking sense into us.”  He does so by leading us to see for the first time, at conversion, the actual truth about the reality, the nature and character of God, His good will, His saving ways, and about our desperate need to receive His gifts and be received by Him.

So returning to the question of today’s blog title, are the Holy Spirit and reason at cross-purposes with each other?  Up until now I had argued “no.”  But now I am turning the language around by declaring, “Yes, in another sense they are indeed at cross-purposes.”  The first three chapters of the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians he powerfully lays bare the Biblical vision that Christ Jesus is the point, and His salvation is the goal of all history.  The destiny of every human being is wrapped up in the work Jesus did on behalf of the world by His death on the cross and resurrection.  Consequently, all of reality serves as a reminder (confronts us as “law”) that we are at odds with the God who made us all (Romans 3:19,20), which is exactly how Paul uses the word” law” in this passage.  In His calling sinners to faith the Holy Spirit uses many means.  He uses the proclaimed Word of Holy Scripture.  And He uses as additional means the testimony of nature (Romans 1:18f) and our own consciences (Romans 2:1f).  He uses them for the very purpose that we might accept the cross of Christ as the means for a restored relationship with the Triune God.  In that sense the Holy Spirit and reason, both, are indeed at cross purposes”  

Are the Holy Spirit and Reason at Cross-Purposes? Part I

“…they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.”  (Romans 1:21)

To the question above, the answer is yes and no.  “Yes” in a positive sense.  And “no,” too, in a positive sense.  Now there are, I concede, certain aspects of Christian doctrine which seem to imply that both sides of the equation are in conflict with each other.  As a Lutheran Christian (and Pastor) I accept as profoundly true the teaching that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit no one can (or will) come to faith at all.  For example, with respect to the third article of the Apostle’s Creed (the Holy Spirit), Martin Luther’s explanation in his Small Catechism states, “I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him.  But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel…”  A string of passages in the Bible support this contention, including John 15:16, 1 Corinthians 1:23 and 2:14, and Ephesians 2:1.  It is, however, Romans 8:7 which assigns the actual reason for the necessity of the Holy Spirit, namely, our sinful and therefore hostile and rebellious hearts.  Luther highlights this dark reality in his famous Bondage of the Will, “When a man is without the Spirit of God he does not do evil against his will, as if we were taken by the scruff of the neck and forced to do it…but he does it of his own accord and ready will.” (Luther’s Works, v. 33, p.64).  The fundamental human problem then is not truth.  It is that human beings are not the truth-lovers that we claim to be.    

It is therefore high time that reason and rationality be restored in Christian circles as God-honoring categories of thinking because they belong to God Himself, and that we assign the blame for unbelief to its actual cause (as I laid out above).  Reason is not the devil’s invention.  To echo C.S. Lewis, the devil can only pervert reason.  Christianity shouldn’t even settle with the notion that God invented reason.  It is God’s very nature to be rational (as we understand it in our limited way).  In John 1:1 the One whom we know to be Jesus Christ is called “the Word.”  “Word” in Greek is logos.  The word is pronounced just as it looks.  We get our words logic and logical from the very expression that opens John’s Gospel with respect to the Savior of the world.

  

Test 4: Head to Head With the Editor of Skeptic Magazine

“You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.”  (Daniel 5:27)

I had occasion a number of years ago to respond by e-mail to the editor of Skeptic Magazine, Michael Shermer, for his condescending attitude toward astrophysicist Hugh Ross at a public forum before the audience of a Christian university.  Of course I had expected him to be hard hitting.  Indeed, that is why I was surprised that his battery of “arguments” was so lacking in substance.  Judge for yourselves whether I am correct in charging him with intimidation over substance that day.  I believe that it was specifically that occasion which first caused me to wonder why Christians tend to be timid about publically debating the advocates of skepticism and atheism.  Their falsehoods are demonstrably manifold.  Despite their protestations, the truth is on our side, not theirs.

I was surprised that Michael Shermer not only replied to my e-mail, but continued to engage me…to a point.  I encourage you to consider that interchange titled “Conversation With Michael Shermer,” at my website at  www.christianityontheoffense.com

Test 3: Facing Off With a Young-Earth University President

“[They examined] the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”—Acts 17:11

 In spite of my repeated requests for a serious critique of my paper, “The Biblical Demand to Take Another Look at the Days of Genesis 1,” my wish was granted only recently when I prevailed on him to reconsider his rejection after his initial decline.  I deeply appreciate his challenge.  Now, in turn, I invite you to consider both sides of the question of the interpretation of the creation days of Genesis, by turning to my website at www.christianityontheoffense.com.  It is important that you read and consider both of the two documents, “Biblical Demand” and “Critique by univ prof of Bib Dem.”  In order to have access to my endnotes in the “Biblical Demand” document in particular, it is especially important that you download it, as opposed to “view” it.

Test 2: My Answers to the Challenge of an Atheist

“If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.”  (1 Kings 18:21)

The philosophy behind my commitment to submitting my Christian beliefs to public challenge and academic critique, is laid out in my recent posting, “My Own Submission to the Test,” dated June 29.  The broader context of that blog concerned my e-mail engagement with Kalle Spolander (then a psychiatrist and professor at Stockholm University) on the question of Jesus’ historical resurrection from the dead.  For the purpose of advancing my theme of putting things to the test (1 Thessalonians. 5:21,22), I encourage readers to revisit especially the opening paragraph of that post. 

A much more recent example of my submission to public challenge and intellectual critique came to fruition on both May 14, and December 10, 2012 when I debated Jim Corbett, trained in both law and library science, and a representative of the Humanist Association of North Puget Sound, on the question, “Does God Exist: Where Do the Facts of Science and History, and the Insights of Human Experience Point?”  The first of these took place at Snohomish High School PAC (auditorium) while the second happened at Frontier Hall on the Everett (Washington) Community College campus.  I initiated the first of these two debates.  The second happened as a result of our (Jim and me) collaboration.  By the way, the two of us have a cordial, if not occasionally feisty, relationship.
The two debates began at breakfast one morning when I read an article in the Everett Herald about an organization, “Darwin on the Palouse.”  I responded to their advertisements with the following letter:

Greetings,
I am a Lutheran Pastor in Snohomish, Washington.  I just read with interest in the Everett Herald an article on your organization [“Darwin on the Palouse”], together with its parting comment that churches in your area are not responding.  I am responding.  Do you have an affiliation with atheists in northern Puget Sound?  I would be very interested in debating a representative of your position in a public forum (a public school, etc) since the questions you pose are important ones that call for thorough examination.  I challenge atheism on a number of grounds including both the absolute beginning of matter, energy, space, and time in the Big Bang, and also the large number of fine-tuning parameters in the universe that are required for the existence of advanced life anywhere and at any time in cosmic history.  Atheism, to my thinking, provides no satisfactory answer to these matters.  I also find that there is a great deal of confusion on both sides of the debate regarding the relation of science, faith, and reason.  I eagerly await your response.
Sincerely, Gary Jensen, Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church

It was as a result of that inquiry that I received a phone call from Jim Corbett just a few days later.  The rest is history.  I have, to this point, been unsuccessful in posting the most recent debate (due to the large size of that file, though I do have the DVD in-hand.  What I do have, however, is my essay titled, "The Prints Are Everywhere: The Convergence of Science, History, and Experience With Biblical Revelation." Its themes were the basis for my opening statement at that debate.  I invite you to do is visit my website at www.christianityontheoffense.com and download, as opposed to “view,” his critique of my arguments in the document titled, “Full Page Prints Jim Corbett Critique.”  

Light as Opposed to Heat For the Present Fad of Redefining Marriage

“Never, never, jump to conclusions.  Always walk to them very carefully.” -- anonymous

As a follow up to my recent blog titled, “In Light of Recent Supreme Court Decisions,” I would like to steer you in the direction of a very helpful resource.  I have just downloaded my own free booklet from the Heritage Foundation that draws on the major arguments supporting traditional Marriage.  It is titled, “What You Need to Know About Marriage: Questions and Answers Driving the Debate.”  In light of my argument (from a few days ago) that the current fad is driven by emotionalism and ignorance, and consequently that there is an urgent need for relevant and solid information on the choices and the consequences that follow from continuing in the current “popular” fad of redefining marriage, I highly recommend this booklet, which includes documentation.  It can be found at www.themarriagefacts.com