A false accusation, which is becoming increasingly popular, is that Christians cannot believe in God and be intellectual. It is based on the assumption that Christians reject true science and cling tightly to a “fairy tale faith” instilled in them by their parents and grandparents. It is common to hear agnostics and the New Atheist claim, “Christians check their brains at the door of the church building. They take everything the old time preacher says by faith with no substantial proof.” Such philosophy is a gross misrepresentation, but if accepted it will undermine the faith of our youth. It is ironic, but the truth is, faith in God is the intellectual road.

Faith in God is not for the weak minded. God never has asked humanity to accept Him blindly without substantial evidence. Instead God expects each person to use their brain to intellectually embrace Him. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment He replied, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mk. 12:30). The greatest desire our Creator has for us is to love Him with all of our being—this includes our mind! Thayer defines the “mind” as, “the faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring.” Thus, it is clear God expects us to become intellectually engaged in our life of service for Him. Following the definition of the word mind, R. T. France states it, “…suggest a deliberate extension of the familiar text to emphasize the intellectual faculty as a key element in God’s service.”

The affirmation of Jesus to be engaged with our mental capacities is not a new revelation for it is has been God’s yearning for humanity for millennia. J.P. Moreland, in his outstanding work Love Your God With All You Mind, wrote,

The Old Testament proclaims that the same rational God who reveals Himself to the prophets also created the world as an orderly, understandable cosmos. And the Old Testament assures us that this God made our minds to be apt for gaining knowledge and understanding so as to avoid foolish living and ignorant beliefs. For those willing to pay the price of exercising their minds and studying diligently, there is knowledge and wisdom to be found in Scripture (Psalm 119); in the natural world and its operations (Isaiah 28:23-29); and in the accumulated insights embedded in the art, literature and science of the different cultures of the world (Isaiah 19:11-13; Jeremiah 49:7, Daniel 2:12-13; 5:7).  

Thus, blind faith in God and His creation is contradictory to God’s expectations of us.

Solomon declares, “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going” (Prov. 14:15). In today’s society, this outstanding advice should be heeded. Some people are so gullible they will believe nearly everything they hear. Please allow me to offer another nugget of guidance—not everything you read on the internet or watch on Youtube is true. One must still discern the message and decipher truth. Before accepting outlandish claims against God spend some time analyzing the truthfulness of the message. A prudent person will “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21).

The Scriptures were written to provide an ample body of evidence for the believer. The Hebrew author states they were, “confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (2:3). Peter declares he was, “a witness of the sufferings of Christ” (1 Pet. 5:1) and affirms “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16). Consider the purpose of Luke’s account of the life of Christ:

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed (Lk. 1:1-4).

Notice carefully that Luke, who is considered a top notch historian, declared these truths as an “eyewitness” and wanted Theophilus to “know the certainty of those things.”

God never asked us to embrace Him blindly with no thought. Instead, the true intellectual examines the evidence and makes a reasonable and logical decision. It is the fool who disregards the truth. The psalmist said, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” (Psa. 14:1).

Article by: Brad Shockley

Works Cited

France, R.T. The New International Greek Testament Commentary, The Gospel of Mark. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2002.

Moreland, J. P. Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role Of Reason In The Life Of The Soul. NAV Press, 2012.

Thayer, Joseph H. Thayer’s Greek-English