There is one last way of arriving at truth - accepting it on authority.
As adults, we can accept things like rules, laws, and even news on authority, perhaps because our experience allows us to do so, and the convenience of trusting what we hear is sufficient to release us from investigating every claim.
For more important or personal issues, the stakes are higher, so we don't usually accept things on authority unless we have better reasons to do so. To accept the statements of someone on authority, we have to know that person, and our experience and our intimate knowledge of them will testify to their trustworthiness.
When you were a young child, when you had a question, you asked your parents for the answer, trusting them implicitly to give you the truth. You knew that your parents would tell you what you needed to know; you knew that they loved you, and your experience told you that you could trust them — you accepted their judgment on authority.
Mature Christians accept God because they know Him personally, they have experience that tells them to trust His judgment, and they understand His love and His provision for them. They may begin their belief based on the authority of their parents' teaching, but eventually a Christian learns who God is, and accepts his authority because of that intimate relationship.
Read a discussion of this idea at the Stand to Reason web site:"How Do You Know Christianity Is True?", by Gregory Koukl
"Simply put, I believe Christianity is true because Jesus said it was. Or to put it more precisely, Jesus said He was true."
Gregory Koukl
The Christian can come to belief in many ways. Some start out with a trusting belief, and then confirm it through experience. Some can look at evidence, experience, and their own perceptions, and conclude with belief.
- Induction - Start out with a simple "child-like faith" (accepting it on authority - e.g. from parents) and through confirmation, end up with stronger belief.
- Deduction - Systematically eliminate other alternatives and end up with belief.
Heart Exam - Why do you believe in God?
If you are a Christian, think about the reason you believe in God. Did you make a rational decision based on evidence? (I suspect that very few have).
If you accept God on authority, think about the things that you know about Him that lend weight to your trust.
If you are not a Christian, and especially if you have doubts, think about what it would take for you to be able to accept such a proposition as Christianity. Be honest with yourself.
5 comments:
My belief in God came about through "induction". I knew no other way as a child. But more importantly, my belief in Chirst is stronger through my experiences in life. I can remember vividly several instances in my life that showed me that Chirst is "real" and our savior.
LT
This is a good time for a relationship check up with the Father. My belief came as a result of trusting my parents as a child and transitioning my trust to my Heavenly Father as an 11 year old. God slowly revealed his soveriegnty(?) and other characteristics along the way that furthered my trust and faith in him. He still does when I let him and yield to him. But the evidence of God made sense as the Ultimate Provider/Protector Father.
My belief came through reading scripture, and not listening to what everyone else had to say about God. A friend recommended I read the Book of John. God revealed Himself to me by His Word. Then by life experiences He continues to confirm His truths.
I have been all over the place on this through the years. Now, to me, it is the only thing that makes sense.
cas
My grandparents and parents were very religious and instilled a faith in me from the time I could walk. Though I didn't really understand what Jesus did for me on the cross until I was 28. I loved Jesus before then, but I thought He died to make an opportunity for me to earn my way into heaven. I thought things worked in this order:1.Sanctification 2. Justification and 3. Glorification. Now I know that is goes 1. Justification 2. Sanctification, and 3. Glorification.
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