Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hello, dear ones.

No sunshine in view yet…but it’ll be here soon. Two little boys are here…as of 6:30am. I hope and pray that we can provide them with an adequate measure of sunshine (SONshine) while they’re here.

I’m sure a slow reader. And my head doesn’t work very well at night when I try to read in bed. But I’m slowly making it through a book I would like to recommend (Charlie Peterson recommended it to me)…if you haven’t had a read yet…THE HARBINGER, by Jonathan Cahn. It helps to underscore the FACT of a Sovereign God Whose WILL will prevail…and IS prevailing in spite of how national and world events may appear at face value.

Have a great day as you keep your reason reasonable…reasonably in step with His revelation of reason…which is the main reason for His giving you the gift of reason. Is my reasoning reasonable?

Love, Dad/Ray.

I have reason to believe that one of the greatest shortcomings of human beings in general is failure to make adequate use of their God-given gift of reason. Present-day real life as well as history blend together to reveal a constant bent in humans toward doing and believing dumb things rather than reasonable and wise things. Even in the realm of faith, I do not believe that God desires that we detach ourselves from reason. Although the requirement given by God to Abraham was humanly unreasonable concerning offering his beloved son as a sacrifice, Abraham processed it with reason (let’s call it “creative reason”) and passed the test with flying colors.

Take another look at Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…” (KJV) To put the main idea in other words, I think God was essentially saying, “Please be reasonable and set your course in life according to these two facts that you cannot change on your own: (1) You are a hopeless sinner. (2) I am a Mighty and Gracious Savior.”

As far as practical guidance in godliness is concerned, Romans 12:1-2 could very well be regarded as the central theme verses of the whole Bible. I’ll quote it here in the KJV for two reasons—it’s the version in which I learned it as a little kid, and it also makes use of the word “reason” (a common practice among preachers—using words and phrases best suited for their “sermonizing”). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies (including the rest of you, of course) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I have no alternative but to reason that full surrender (as full as is knowingly possible) to the Lordship of Christ is entirely reasonable (all things considered)—leaving anything less as unreasonable.