Articles From Our Bulletins
Choosing to Believe
I’ve often said that we believe something for one of two reasons: 1) Evidence forces us to a conclusion regardless of how we may feel about it; or, 2) Our emotions lead us to a conclusion regardless of evidence to the contrary- that our feelings at least allow us to “see” the evidence in a distorted or dismissive way, and thereby enabling us to believe what we want to believe. In the first scenario, objective evidence forces us to a conclusion or belief that is intellectually based. But in the second instance, subjective emotion allows the conclusion or belief to tainted by the desires of the heart. So, to apply these things in the spiritual realm of “faith,” are we forced to believe by evidence, or do we decide to believe- even contrary to evidence, because we want to? The atheist charges the latter universally, but the biblical record suggests otherwise.
Consider the case of Saul of Tarsus. Though we are not, to my knowledge at least, told specifically of his motivations for the disbelief that led him to persecute Christians, is it not fair to assume from his words in Philippians 3:2-6 that fleshly pride, confidences, and desires had allowed him to believe what he wanted to believe? That Jesus was an imposter, and not the Christ? However, when evidence to the contrary was presented to him, intellectually the persecutor was forced to believe and even proclaim that which he formerly denied, cf. 1Timothy 1:12-16. He said that he previously acted “ignorantly in unbelief,” v.13, which is to say, “without knowledge.” And yet, when confronted with evidence, knowledge (rather than a distorted perspective) and intellectual honesty (rather than emotion and desires) produced faith in even the avowed unbeliever, vv.14-16. Thus, Saul did not choose to believe, he accepted facts that forced him to faith.
Do these things mean that desire has no part in true faith? That to be genuine, faith must be forced upon us almost if not entirely against our will? Certainly not. There are also examples such as the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39) and Cornelius (Acts 10) where these individuals were apparently desirous of and actively seeking faith. All that was lacking was knowledge, and by it, opportunity to become believers. The eunuch was reading God’s word searching for such, and Cornelius surely prayed for it. Therefore, it seems fairly obvious that they wanted and pursued faith without it being forced upon them.
So what’s the point? It is not that faith must be forced to be real, or that we must desire to believe in order to do so. Instead, the point is that we really need to understand why we believe what we believe. If we have “faith,” is it because knowledge and understanding of evidence has produced it mentally, cf. Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:1-3; or because we just decided to believe emotionally without really understanding why or how? There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to believe. But choosing to believe without evidence is “blind faith,” and is thus fatally flawed, Matthew 13:20-21. God neither desires nor accepts such “faith,” Hebrews 11:1-2,6.
Why is this a “big deal”? We live in a society that has largely embraced subjective realities and alternative truths. It does so placing a priority on emotions over evidence. Reality is real precisely because it is objective rather than subjective. Truth is truth because it is not alternative, and cannot be otherwise. Thus, “realities” that are subjective are mere fantasy; and, “truth” that is alternative is necessarily false. So for many, “faith” has become the mere product of an emotional decision to believe without the mental comprehension and acceptance of evidence. This is not faith, but fallacy- and perhaps more importantly, it is impotent to produce the outcome of its genuine counterpart: eternal life, 1Peter 1:6-9. So, which is it for you? Is your faith based on evidence from the Word of God that you know, accept, and practice; or is it the mere product of an emotional decision to believe something for which you have no evidence? Think about it carefully, please, as your eternity hangs in the balance.
- Choosing_to_Believe.pdf (70.93 kB)
