Lamp in a Corner is focused on Jesus Christ, the doctrines of orthodox Christianity, and providing a conservative Christian look at current events. Consequently, I try to avoid explaining other religions and philosophies. I like to leave that to their devotees. No attempt is being made here to describe Philosophical Skepticism. I am sure I could not do it justice. By comparing and contrasting a few of the ideas of Philosophical Skepticism with Christianity, I hope to show how the Christian way of salvation depends on faith.
Professors often urge college students to “question everything.” It is not something new. The ancient Greek philosophers Euripides and Socrates taught their students to question everything. More recently, Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying that we should question everything. Skepticism seeks to verify claims of knowledge about things with evidence.
In the popular culture, questioning everything has come to mean a skeptical approach to conventional wisdom and what is commonly accepted as truth. However, some skeptics believe that the human mind is too limited to grasp the absolute truth about anything, and therefore all ideas about the nature of things should be questioned.
Some writers say that The Apostle Paul advocated questioning everything when he wrote:
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1Thessalonians 5:19-22 ESV)
However, in context he seems be referring to the exercise of the spiritual gift of prophetic utterances (1Corinthians 12:10) spoken by someone in a church meeting.
In fact, Paul cautions against following worldly philosophical traditions. Rather, the Apostle directs us to rely on the all sufficiency of Christ:
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:8-10 ESV)
Christianity does not ask the believer to abandon all critical thought or spiritual discernment, and some of what people say is Christian teaching cannot be supported with scripture. However, ultimately the very nature of the Christian way of salvation depends on accepting Jesus Christ by faith. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2: 4-10 ESV) (emphasis added)
Compassion International explains grace like this: “God’s grace is usually defined as undeserved favor. Grace cannot be earned; it is something that is freely given..." [1]
The Holy Bible explains itself, and in it faith is described as follows:
Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. For by it the people of old gained approval.
By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3 NAS) (see also John 1:1-3 for the role of the Living Word – Jesus Christ - in creation)
Jesus made it clear that salvation comes by believing in Him:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 ESV)
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, but Thomas was not present. Later, when they told Thomas that they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas refused to believe, and he said these fateful, skeptical words:
Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. (John 20:25 ESV)
I understand that Thomas was grieving, disappointed, and embittered, but I never read these words without being stricken by their hardheartedness. Thomas was with Jesus during His earthly ministry for about three years. He touched Him, heard His words, and witnessed His miracles. Ten of Thomas’ trusted friends told him they had seen their risen Lord. Yet he would not believe. Indeed, he went so far as to say that unless he could violate the sanctity of Jesus’ resurrected body by placing his fingers and hands in the very wounds Jesus suffered to save his soul – he would never believe.
Then, Jesus appeared again to His disciples eight days later, and this time Thomas was with them. In loving patience, He gave Thomas what he needed to believe.
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28 ESV)
Again, the words of Thomas thunder down through history, “MY LORD AND MY GOD.” What a complete change of heart. Jesus saved Thomas. He worked on me for years with the same loving persistence, and He saved me. He has already given His life to save you. All you need to do is to believe it and receive it.
Jesus then spoke, not only to Thomas, but to all who would come after him:
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 ESV)
Fundamental to Christianity is the faith to believe in things that are not tangible. Like Thomas, there are those who have difficulty with believing by faith. In the 19th century some scholars advocated for what was called “higher criticism” of the claims in the Bible. They disputed its inerrancy primarily because, at that time, they could not find sources outside the Bible that supported its claims. Although subsequent investigation has found archeological evidence, and references in secular writings of the Biblical period that support what is in the Bible, higher criticism still has many adherents today.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:19-20 ESV)
Those who demand tangible evidence often ignore the obvious. For example, estimates vary, but one commonly occurring approximation is that it would take over 90 billion years to travel across the known universe at the speed of light. Could anything that big have happened by accident? Writing for the Journal of Theoretical Biology, Hubert P. Yockey has calculated that the probability of the spontaneous biogenesis of life described by Charles Darwin to be one occurrence in 109 years.[2] That number is large enough to show that life could not have occurred by chance. Shouldn’t even one of these facts cause us to believe in a Creator? Life comes through Jesus Christ. (John 1:4, 14:6; 1John 5:11-12) Who are we – mere specks of protoplasm on the face of a tiny planet – to question so great a God?
The honest scholarship that has been done to prove the accuracy of the Bible is greatly appreciated. It has helped many to believe and to remain strong in their faith. When it comes down to choices, however, one must make what has come to be called “a leap of faith.” You believe, or you don’t. Without belief, the faith in Jesus that is fundamental to salvation may be shaken by every new scrap of information that comes down the pike.
Some skeptics say that pure, absolute truth is unknowable with certainty. Jesus said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32 ESV)
How do we find saving faith? In accord with John 8:31-32, the Apostle Paul tells us:
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 NKJV)
Pray for guidance, earnestly seek God in the Holy Bible, and He will give you the faith to believe … if you will accept it. Believe in Jesus. He loves you and wants you to be with Him forever.
Acknowledgement:
All of the
Bible verses quoted were copied from https://biblehub.com/
