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One of the greatest lies that today\u2019s culture believes in is that Christianity is based on feelings and emotions, but science is based on critical thinking and facts. But people might be surprised to learn that the God of the Bible actually commands people to question, use critical thinking, and investigate the claims that it makes. Far from being anti-intellectual, God tells us that our intellects are to be fully used for His glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TEST EVERYTHING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout Scripture we are encouraged to use critical thinking when we are confronted with new information. Instead of believing everything we hear God commends people to test and investigate the truth claims that others make \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe naive believes everything, \u201cDo not utterly reject prophecies but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good\u201d 1 Thess. 5:20-21<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Paul brought the Gospel to Berea, the people there were called \u201cnoble-minded\u201d for testing the message he brought:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see<\/em> whether these things were so\u201d Acts 17:11<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE PROPHETS AND CHRIST ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Old Testament God Himself challenges the false gods, and by extension the people who believed in them. He told them to bring persuasive evidence to the table. If they couldn\u2019t do what He had done, i.e. reveal supernatural knowledge about the future, they were worthless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPresent your case,\u201d the Lord says. God demonstrates that He does have the power to do what they lack when, only a few chapters later, He gives Isaiah a specific prophecy about a ruler named Cyrus who will set the Jewish people free from captivity (Isaiah 45). This came to pass 150 years later with beautiful accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus Himself used the same criteria for His hearers. He told people to examine His claims on the basis of the signs and wonders He was performing. If He did exhibit the kind of power that only God can display, then they have all the evidence they need to believe in Him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c<\/sup><\/strong>If I do not do the works of My Father (i.e. supernatural miracles), do not believe Me; but if I do them<\/em>, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.\u201dTherefore they were seeking again to arrest Him, and He eluded their grasp.\u201d John 10:37-39<\/p>\n\n\n\n IF THE RESURRECTION ISN\u2019T BASED ON EVIDENCE FAITH IS WORTHLESS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The the ultimate proof of Jesus\u2019 Lordship was His resurrection. The Apostle Paul famously used the resurrection as central evidence for becoming a Christian. He argued that if it wasn\u2019t true, then Christianity was foolish and nobody should believe in it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins\u201d 1 Corinthians 15:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while Paul was sharing the Gospel with the Athenian philosophers of his day, he also argues that that one of the functions of the resurrection, was to provide the world with proof of God\u2019s eternal judgment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.\u201d Acts 17:31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bible encourages people to examine and investigate the messages they hear (Prov. 14:15; 1 Thess. 5:21; Acts 17:10-11). And God desires that we love Him with all our minds\u201d (Matt. 22:36-37). Clearly, God wants us to use the full breadth of our mental equipment\u2014He is not asking us to stunt our critical thinking skills. Instead, He is commanding us to use our minds to draw near to Him with assurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Has God spoken? Has He predicted world affairs through His prophets? Did Jesus rise from the dead? Will He judge the world? God calls us to answer these questions by looking at the evidence He\u2019s provided. Our sin-nature naturally doesn\u2019t like the evidence and attempts to suppress the proof that God has provided (Romans 1:18-19) This is where the Holy Spirit brings conviction, regenerates hearts, and makes the truth more desirable. But does God advise against asking questions? Certainly not, He encourages it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A WORD OF CAUTION FOR THE CHURCH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By now we\u2019ve seen how the Bible certainly doesn\u2019t tell people to turn their minds off and stop asking questions. But unfortunately, as followers of Jesus we haven\u2019t always done the same. One of the worst things we can do as believers is to discourage people who have doubts or questions. I remember early on in my faith journey, I told a mentor that I had difficulty believing in parts of the Bible. His response was revolutionary, \u201cthat\u2019s ok.\u201d It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Prior this, everyone had made me feel dirty just for thinking and asking questions. I didn\u2019t know any better, I was just trying to process the different messages around me. That mentor changed the game by giving me the freedom to think critically and still feel loved by God. He then proceeded to engage with me and offer resources that taught me about the reliability of the Bible. Without God\u2019s grace offering me his help I don\u2019t know if I would have made it on this faith journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When someone is genuinely asking questions it means they\u2019re wrestling with faith, which is a good thing. The Worst thing we can do is try to shame them and tell them their questions are meaningless. That will most certainly backfire. <\/em>Instead, we should call them noble-minded, like the Bereans, and encourage them to research and look at the evidence available. If you personally are unaware of how to answer their questions, try taking an apologetics course (we will be offering one at The Right Story soon) or point them to apologetics ministry that can help people in need. Either way, give them the freedom to think because God isn\u2019t afraid of their questions, He invites them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the greatest lies that today\u2019s culture believes in is that Christianity is based on feelings and emotions, but science is based on critical thinking and facts. But people might be surprised to learn that the God of the Bible actually commands people to question, use critical thinking, and investigate the claims that it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=246"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248,"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions\/248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therightstory.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
But the sensible person considers his steps.\u201d Proverbs 14:15<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBring forward your evidence,\u201d
The King of Jacob says.Let them bring them<\/em> forward and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the former events<\/em>, declare what they were<\/em>,
So that we may consider them and know their outcome.
Or announce to us what is coming;
Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
So that we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, do good or evil, that we may be afraid and fear together.
Behold, you are less than nothing,
And your work is less than nothing!
He who chooses you is an abomination.\u201d Isaiah 41:21-24<\/p>\n\n\n\n