Stanley Lusimba: Is God Logical?

Stanley Lusimba: Is God Logical?: Many a times we wonder as to whether we are who we really claim to be. What is this thing that makes us real? Is it our emotions? Could it...

The Pull into Generic Evangecalism

One of the tenets of the main stream churches, albeit in Africa is the fact that one has to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior as well stipulated in the Bible. This is of course after one has had an opportunity to hear the good news from a preacher or an evangelist. This is a wonderful beginning but at the same time the beginning of all problems. This is because, there seems to be some aspects of the Bible that are easily accepted whereas others that are pushed to the side for one reason or the other. One would then really wonder whether these churches are evangelical as it purports to be or not. Let me explain.

Evangelical, a term literally meaning "of, or pertaining to the Gospel," and was employed from the eighteenth century onwards to designate the school of theology adhered to by those Protestants who believed that the essence of the Gospel lay in the doctrine of salvation by faith in the death of Christ, which atoned for man's sins. Evangelicalism therefore, stressed the reality of the "inner life," insisted on the total depravity of humanity (a consequence of the Fall) and on the importance of the individual's personal relationship with God and Savior. They put particular emphasis on faith, denying that either good works or the sacraments (which they perceived as being merely symbolic) possessed any salvational efficacy. Evangelicals, too, denied that ordination imparted any supernatural gifts, and upheld the sole authority of the Bible in matters of doctrine. This teaching is well found and based in the bible. The fact that one cannot atone for his or her own sins but is indebted to Jesus for the saving grace and the remission of sin is essential a belief. This is what I believe the Quakers insist as the “inner light”.

Where some of these mainstream churches have erred (my humble view) is when she (church)decides to what she wants or what she thinks is the best thing to do as opposed to what the Lord Jesus instructs us to do (John 15:14). Jesus goes on further to tell us that “From now on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. VS 15-16” The truth is that she knows the truth as it is given in the Word of God – the Bible but has chosen to be strange even to her Lord. How?

She has decided that she will not participate in the Lords sacraments even when it’s allover the Bible. What perturbs me is the reason given. For example, as one said in regards to water baptism, “you can enter a pool of water a dry sinner and leave as a wet sinner.” True as it may, who judges the hearts? Who knows the motives of men and women? Are people led into baptism just for the sake of it or are they taught and baptized based on their confession of Christ as Savior? It is not in the place of the shepherd decide whether one has or is experiencing the inner change? This is because this is wholly the work of the Holy Spirit. Granted, many have fallen by the way even after being undertaking these sacraments as it were but many more in their silence.

Could this be the reason why we do not have true believers ie those who worship in truth and in spirit? (John 4). When one looks at our musicians (not all but quite a number) who have never been disciple, and do not recognize biblical authority one may not be surprised by the productions that we see and hear on our radios and televisions and computers. The depravity in character and depth in the working knowledge of Christ is wanting. Will He find us faithful when He returns?

Therefore, back to the thought, when she throws out sacraments as symbols or outward signs, there are many questions that remain unanswered not only from Christians without but even those within it. This is one of the reasons why when some are confronted or asked about their faith find it difficult to explain because they read it in the word and chose to jump ship. Does Christ tell us to perform symbols or follow his commands? He says, do this in remembrance of me! Luke 22:19.

Is God Logical?

Many a times we wonder as to whether we are who we really claim to be. What is this thing that makes us real? Is it our emotions? Could it be our physiology? Is it the idea that we can think or let’s say reason? Mmhhh.

It often said, actually the psalmist records (Bible) that we are wretched beings psalm 66:8-12 and in this condition we can do nothing of our own. But what if we can put things in perspective – here being what we can reason out with some form of logic while also appreciating that logic of the world is prior to all truth and falsehood (Ludwig Wittgenstein).

 If God really loved the world that He gave His only begotten son what makes it so hard for us to believe John 3:16 (The Bible)? Could it be that we can’t give our own for such a thing as man? Or is It that our selfish ambitions/desires/nature overpowers our ability to appreciate the good that the Lord has for us? If love compelled Him to send His son to save mankind, and love being believed to be truth for all cases then what logic is this are we not seeing/following?

For one to pay your fare in a bus, it follows that you must be there to be paid for. You cannot be paid for in a vacuum or if you do not intend to travel at all. If that be true then man had to be in the world to receive this child that was sent to save him. But does he know that he is lost?

One person said that if one is not aware that they are lost, then the truth of one being lost will not hold water at all because it is not warranted. There is no particular direction that one is looking forward to or they are aware – so they think - that all is well after all. Thus if one thinks that they are lost then it will be upon such to bring in the light. Now this light has to be logical. That is, it must make sense! If it be based on truth then a lie or a life driven by lies thought to be truth must be overcome by all means, thus aAll logical truth and all truths that logic can warrant must turn upon meaning in the sense of intension. Because logic and the lo...- MOREll logical truth and all truths that logic can warrant must turn upon meaning in the sense of intension. Therefore, why did God send His son?

If man is to appreciate this, knowing that the level of thinking of man is far much lower than that of God, then God’s son must be able to articulate this logic in a manner that makes sense to the lost man because, logic and the logically certifiable comprise only such facts as are independent of all particular experience and are capable of being known with certainty merely through clear and cogent thinking. The fact here is that man is lost and he needs to be found /directed to some place. Thus he must be aware of his current state/situation that needs help! This is truth! The same must hold of any analytic truth: if it is capable of being known by taking thought about it, then it must be independent of meaning in the sense of extension and turn upon meanings only in the sense of intension.

God’s son had an intention. He intended –and still does – to help man find his place. This is true. But this situation must be recognized by man who is being sought after but God’s so. As Tweedledee puts it, "if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." This must make sense or doesn’t it? For this reason God’s son came to save man but reason itself is fallible, and this fallibility must find a place in our logic (Nicola Abbagnano). But let us be real for just a minute. Logic is not concerned with human behavior. It is concerned with relations between factual sentences (or thoughts). If logic ever discusses the truth of factual sentences it does so only conditionally. Let’s stop here a little bit. God did send his son. The condition that He laid before men was that they believe in Him so as not to perish. Sense! Therefore we can see that the logic behind God’s intention was to save. And this is true!

Thus, one would say: if such-and-such a sentence is true, then such-and-such another

sentence is true. Logic itself does not decide whether the first sentence is true, but surrenders

that question to one or the other of the empirical sciences (sociology, psychology etc). As it is

written, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever

believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life John 3:16. So, what is true in this

sentence? God sent His son. What is the other truth? The man may have life (does not perish).

I think He is logical. Don’t you?