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Human beings were made for God – to know, enjoy, and glorify Him. We fulfill our purpose in life, our reason for being, when, in every aspect of our lives, all our speech and works, we experience God’s glory and give evidence of the existence of God and of His wisdom, goodness, beauty, truth, and love (Rom. 5:1, 2; 2 Cor. 3:12-18; 1 Cor. 10:31).
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
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The Gospel is reasonable, most importantly, to God. He devised it and He accomplished it. Now He has commissioned His people to proclaim it to the world, so that all may hear. Believers in Jesus Christ, all who regard Him as Lord and Savior, are expected to be able to give a reason for why they believe to anyone who might ask them.
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, let you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, let he be wise in his own eyes.” Proverbs 26:4-5
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Believers are commanded always to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us. We can have confidence in reason as a way to communicate our hope because God is a reasonable Being and human beings, His image-bearers, are reasonable as well.
“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” Acts 17:16-17
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We can have confidence in our ability, through reason, to help our unbelieving friends begin to consider the Good News of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. We know this because God Himself is reasonable, and we believe He commends the use of reason in making Himself and His will known to men.
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As we begin preparing to reason about our faith with the people to whom God has sent us, we need to make sure we have confidence in the power of reason to open a way for the Gospel through the “closed ceiling” of an unbelieving world view. One reason we can be confident in the power of reason is that God Himself relies on reason. Indeed, He is a most reasonable Deity.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD...” Isaiah 1:18
“...but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you...” 1 Peter 3:15
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The Apostle Peter, following the encouragement of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, commands the followers of Jesus Christ to be always ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Pet. 3:15).
