Reasoned Into Faith?

No one in the Bible was EVER "reasoned" into faith. They can however be reasoned into church membership which has nothing to do with salvation or faith. It is intellectual assent or "head" faith and may be accompanied with a high God consciousness received from participating in empty ritual and dead religious works.
1 Corinthians 1:22-23

New King James Version (NKJV)

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[a] foolishness,

Here is the ONLY way to faith in Christ:
1 Corinthians 1:21

New King James Version (NKJV)

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

AND: John 6:65

New King James Version (NKJV)

65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

The basic question for EVERY professing Christian/church member is does he have heart faith or intellectual assent/"head" faith accompanied with a high God consciousness received from participating in empty ritual and dead religious works.

BiggAndyy said:

So, since it was reason that reached my heart you would disqualify me from participation in salvation? I don't remember electing you as god, that is Obama's job.

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Romans 12:1-2
New King James Version (NKJV)
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It is not reasonable to trust Jesus alone for healing with no health insurance, property insurance, life insurance, or to provide with no debt for material things. However if one has done what is "reasonable" according to Romans 12:1 ones mind can be renewed so those things are reasonable.

HammerStone said:

I disagree. While it does require our assent to things that are not "traditionally" logical, what Jesus did is quite reasonable. Paul even quotes the poetry of the day to reason with nonChristians. There is an element of reason to the Christian faith. Baby and bath water.

Acts 17:2 ESV
And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

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Assent is NOT faith and NEVER can be. Assent make converts and church members not faithful disciples of Christ. Nothing Jesus did from start to finish made any "reasonable" sense and often not even to the 12. Paul simply presented them the scriptures that pointed to Christ and showed them how they fit what Jesus had done i.e. connected the dots. It was God's word that persuded not man's reasoning which has no power to make the gospel "reasonable" to a prideful Jewish mind or a gentile's either.

KingJ said:

I don't completely disagree with you Lesjude. Jesus clearly said to Peter that flesh and blood could not reveal his revelation of who Jesus was. We must however be careful in encouraging people to not use their brain and reason. The Holy Spirit uses anything that He deems fit to toil the soil around an unbelievers heart. An academic will respond better to reason then a talking donkey don't you think?

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1 Corinthians 1:17

New King James Version (NKJV)


17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.




1 Corinthians 2:1-5
New King James Version (NKJV)


Christ Crucified
2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony[a] of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human[b] wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Reasoning with people while presenting them with a bloodless and powerless gospel is a major reason for Luke 8:11-14.God does NOT love sinners in the sense that there is ANYTHING in or about them that is good or of value to Him. He loved sinners so much that He drowned all of them. However God gave them a chance to build an ark and sent Noah to tell them why and how. The Gospel is not that God is a loving God but is that He gives sinners an opportunity to be made righteous without sin imputed to them because the horrible death of His son paid the penalty they can NEVER escape without receiving His free gift. It should be pointed out that God put His own son to death because He is righteous, good, and cannot forgive anyone's sin any other way.
If they are sure they still want a Righteous God like that who can never do wrong or lie they should carefully consider giving Him full control of their lives. If not then they are NOT ready. The Holy Spirit will do His work in their hearts and disciples will take the first step in a walk of salvation instead of converts/church members.