The ways of God are unique like no other. A living God, He is the God of reason. When He calls sinful men and women to Him, he is calling them to a higher place. In making us He made the crown of creation (Gen. 1:26, 28).
Made by a God of reason, we’re expected to use reasoning ability designed into us (Isa. 1:18). If you’re serving a God who is a machine, a robot, or one who just puts forth ritualistic formulas accompanied by mindless requirements, you’re not serving God. He expects all to discern right from wrong (I Kings 3:9). He expects all to reason through the evidence given and recognize that He is (Rom. 1:20). Human beings are expected to act better than beasts.
In the ability to reason, some chose to reject reason (Rom. 1:22). After all, God made mankind free to choose. Many Romans did not like retaining God in their mind (Rom. 1:28). Why did they make this bad choice? Read on and you will see they had sin on their mind (Rom. 1:29-32). To the church at Corinth, Paul revealed that the Gospel was foolish to some (I Cor. 1:25). In fact by choice some can get so perverted that they call evil good, and good evil (Isa. 1:20).
Some prefer to live in a dream world (Jude 8), rather than to rejoice in the reality of forgiveness from God. Some characteristics of these are listed, as those given to fornication (Jude 7), walking after the flesh (II Pet. 2:10), those who will speak evil of what they do not understand (II Pet. 2:12), not thankful (Rom. 1:21), who change the truth into a lie (Rom. 1:25), which leads to vile affections (Rom. 1:26).
If we reject proper reasoning given to us by God, then we reduce ourselves to nothing more than animals (II Pet. 2:12). This behavior manifests itself in selfish self-centeredness and the inability to forgive. Animals don’t forgive. They have not an ability to reason to forgiveness. Though we often give them traits they don’t really have, it remains true they are animals. One may say of their cat, “oh look she forgives you.” No she doesn’t have the ability to forgive, she has by nature realized you have dominion over her, and instinct informs her to adjust behavior. Unfortunately, some humans can’t reason much past a cat. Though designed to reason at a very high level, some are content to just be a brute beast.
In a world that is upside down, one would say they are protecting children while destroying unborn babies in abortion. This is worse than an animal for instinct informs the animal to protect their young. One would blame the gun and excuse the perpetrator who has the ability and responsibility to use the gun properly. A gun sitting on a shelf or in a gun case does nothing harmful, but in the hands of a human whose mind is nothing more than an animal, it can be used to great harm. One would abuse themselves in the perversion of trying to change what God made them, and charge God and His followers trying to help them with abuse. Where is the forgiveness? It’s been rejected. God would save all the above if they would repent (I Tim. 2:4), but they don’t and won’t.
Are you willing to accept God’s forgiveness? Are you willing to forgive those who sin against you? Salvation depends upon it.
-David Hill, President of Tennessee Bible College
