In this chapter we want to introduce the subject of logic. It will not be our goal to learn the process of formal logic at this time. We will do that later in this study. We do intend, however, to begin to gain an understanding of and an appreciation for the logical process.

1. People Do Not Understand Logic.

When asked what the definition of the word logic was, one student responded, “It is the scientific process of coming to the wrong conclusion with absolute confidence.” While humorous, this seems to be the idea in many minds today. Its like the cartoon character Charlie Brown when he told Lucy, “You’re not right. You just sound right.” People seem to believe that logic is simply sophistry. That is, it is a method of sounding right, not necessarily being right. Its like the sister in Christ who told me that I used a lot of debating tricks when I talked to her about God’s word to which I responded, “You mean like logic, reasoning, and analysis?” You see, she didn’t care for the logical conclusions which I challenged her to face. It was much easier pretending that logic was just a trick rather than dealing with her inconsistencies concerning Scripture.

Today much of what “sounds right” is in reality error. It has been arranged and presented in such a way that it sounds reasonable and since we have not been schooled in proper reasoning skills, we accept it without examination. What sounds right is often wrong and what sounds wrong is often right. Isaiah 5:20 warns about confusing the two, right and wrong, and warns that the confusion of the two can cause disaster. Such has always been true and such is still true today. We must make sure that we recognize the good from the evil. This we do through reasoning skills; This we do through logic.

2. God Is Not Afraid Of Honest Searchers.

God has a refreshing characteristic which all others lack. God is always right. That means that He has nothing to fear from the honest searcher for the truth. In fact, that is the very one that God seeks to serve Him. That is why in the Scriptures God challenges us to search. In fact God promises in Matt. 7:7-8 that the honest searcher will find, the honest asker will receive. God encourages and challenges us to study so that we will be prepared for whatever life brings us. We must train ourselves to be both honest and diligent in our search for the truth if we are to find it.

Christ answered every sincere question that was ever posed to Him. When Nicodemus came to Him at night, He told Him that he must be born again. When the rich man asked what he yet lacked, he was told to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. If we ask some question today, Christ has already answered it in His divine word. We simply need to receive His answer in faith, nothing doubting.

Christ does not always answer the one who is not sincere. He refused to give a direct answer when the woman taken in adultery was brought before Him. He refused to answer by what authority He did His miracles when questioned by the chief priests and elders. Today men with a lack of sincerity fail to find the answers to their questions because they are not really searching for the truth but for justification for their life styles, desires, practices, and wicked thoughts. God leaves such men to their own devices (II Thess. 2:10-12, Rom. 1:18-25).

3. God Demands Honest Searchers.

Not only does God welcome the honest searcher, He demands such from those who would want to please Him. Consider Lam. 3:40 which says to search and try our ways, or I Thess. 5:21 which says to prove all things, or II Tim. 2:15 which instructs us to study, or II Tim. 3:16 which tells us that all scripture if for our spiritual growth, or Amos 3:3 which asks the rhetorical question whether or not two can walk together except they agree, or . . . . Get the point? God wants the honest, inquiring mind because it is the searcher that finds.

4. Scripture Uses Logic.

The Bible relies extensively on the use of logic in the promoting of the cause of Christ. We will look at just a few instances which may help us better appreciate the importance of logic n the eternal scheme of things.

Existence Of God.

In Rom. 1:18-21 Paul puts forth the argument that mankind should realize there is a God because of nature (the creation). While he presents the majority of his argument on faith, that faith is defended by the series of logical arguments which support it.

Deity Of Christ.

Peter and the other apostles do a marvelous job on Pentecost in presenting the resurrected Lord. They reason from prophecy as it relates to Christ, they reason from the life led by Christ, they reason from the well known fact of His resurrection, and they reason from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which is presently occurring. They present a logical process which convicts those present of their sinful actions.

Resurrection Of The Dead.

In 1 Cor. 15 Paul defends the concept of a universal resurrection. In that defense he demonstrates first that Christ has been raised and that there are enough witnesses available to prove that fact. Then he argues that the change in his own life demonstrated the resurrection of Christ because he had seen the resurrected Lord and that event had changed him forever.

Having made the point about the Lord being resurrected, he then formulates this argument. If there is no resurrection then Christ is not raised. If Christ is not raised then your faith is in vain. The conclusion of this line of reasoning is that their faith was in vain. But that conclusion was untenable. The only way to escape the weight of this argument is to disprove one or more of the premises. Paul then presents this argument. If Christ was raised then we will be raised. Christ was raised. The obvious conclusion is that we will be raised. It is through the logical process that Paul demonstrates that it is reasonable to believe in the universal resurrection. It is reasonable because if God has the power to raise Christ then He has the power to raise me and you and you and you and so on. There is a universal resurrection of the dead.

As we conclude this section we should see that the God of the Bible is a logical God. The design of the world is logical, the design of the Bible is logical, the design of the plan of redemption is logical, the design of the plan of worship is logical, and the design of the Christian life is logical. All that God does follows a logical process and if we are to understand the workings of God, we must be reasonable and accurate in our thought processes. Only in this way will we truly understand God’s will.