Ungodly Thinking Dialog

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

Questioner: “Why doesn’t God physically reveal Himself? That would make it easier to believe.”

Rocky Rockbuilder: “Everyone knows that God exists, not because they figured it out but because He has revealed Himself through the things He has created. He also reveals Himself through those who speak by His Spirit. If we speak about Christ by the Spirit of Christ to any person, that person may reject what we say. They aren’t rejecting us. They’re rejecting Christ since He was the One speaking to them through us. No one has an excuse for rejecting Christ. They don’t reject Him because of lack of evidence. They reject Him because their deeds are evil.”

Questioner: “How do you define ‘evil deeds’?”

Rocky: “Disobedience to God, which includes ignoring His leading or doing what’s contrary to His leading. Since He is love, this is the same as what’s contrary to love or what counterfeits love. By grace, which is through faith, we’re able to submit to Christ and allow Him to do His works through us. That’s what righteousness is. If we try to self-generate righteous acts, that’s what self-righteousness is. Keep in mind that He speaks through Scripture and never contradicts Himself as we humans do. So, disobedience to the precepts He lays out in Scripture results in evil deeds.”

Questioner: “What if I follow all the moral guidance but just happen to believe that most of the stories in the Bible didn’t happen?”

Rocky: “By trying to follow all the moral guidance, you can become self-righteous, but you can’t do God’s righteousness. Righteousness consists of God leading, you submitting, and God doing His works through you. Unless you’re born again, you can’t see the Kingdom of God. You need Christ. Without Him, all else is useless.”

“Knowing Christ isn’t the same as having a theoretical knowledge about Christ. Knowing Christ means that you’ve submitted to Him and His righteousness. Knowing Christ means that you follow Him as He leads, teaches, and corrects you moment by moment in every situation, and you yield to Him to the point that He does His works through you.”

“Once you know Him in this way, the Holy Spirit teaches you that the Bible is His word without error. The Holy Spirit speaks to you through Scripture and every method mentioned in Scripture, and yet, He never contradicts Himself in any of this revelation.”

Rocky Rockbuilder explained righteousness to this Questioner, but he also went beyond the explanation and spoke by the Holy Spirit to this Questioner. Explanations aren’t proof of truth, but we might understand a concept through an explanation. However, concepts aren’t part of reality. Concepts are tools. And some tools work better than others. Some tools don’t work at all. Others give the illusion of working, but then they injure us. Understanding a concept isn’t understanding truth, and understanding truth is only available through a relationship with the Person Who is Truth. Therefore, we introduce people to Christ. Introducing people to Christ isn’t circular reasoning.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

You can BUY  it on Amazon, but you can get your FREE copy of Real Faith & Reason, which shows the intersection of faith, reason, truth, and sanity.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>
Ungodly thinking always results in one fallacy or another.

Skeptic: “God doesn’t reveal anything to anyone, so no one can know God.”

Christian: “My experience is that, though I don’t always listen, God never fails to reveal Himself, His will, and His truth to me moment by moment. What makes you think I’m not experiencing what I’m experiencing?”

Skeptic: “I know God doesn’t reveal anything to you because you can’t know God, so He can’t be revealing anything to you or anyone else.”

Christian: “But what makes you think I can’t know God?”

Skeptic: “God doesn’t reveal anything to anyone, so no one can know God.”

The skeptic completes the circle of the reasoning.

Now here’s the way we can rationally explain how we know that God exists and that the Bible is valid.

Christian: “The Bible says God exists.”

Questioner: “But why believe the Bible?”

Christian: “I know Jesus Christ, and He reveals the validity of the Bible to me.”

God also speaks to us through the Bible. We could answer the question this way. When God speaks to us through the Bible, He proves Himself to us, but when God speaks to us through the Bible, another person can’t see this proof.

If we’re speaking by the Holy Spirit, this other person hears God directly through us. They don’t hear a speculative explanation, but God speaks to them in revelation. The testimony of Jesus Christ within us is proof, but this person must receive the testimony. Many have said God has no grandchildren. We each must receive Jesus Christ, believe Him, and develop our relationships with Him.
</end quote>
#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>
When we aren’t ashamed of Jesus and as we confess Christ before others, we can avoid fallacies.

Christian: “The Bible says God exists.”

Questioner: “But how can you be sure the Bible is God’s word?”

Christian: “I know Jesus Christ, and He reveals this fact to me.”

We note that what God shows us isn’t proof to anyone other than us. However, God often reveals Himself to another person through us, and He gives proof to that person by showing Himself through us. And at times, God reveals Himself to a person through the Bible and gives proof to that person in that way. God’s revelation is always proof, and this proof is always between God and the person God is leading, teaching, or correcting. Those who are sincere can test this way of knowing. To test it, they merely have to come humbly and sincerely to Christ and ask Christ about it. If they do, He’ll reveal Himself to them by one of His ways, and usually by many of His ways for confirmation.

We could go on to explain how disbelievers can know Christ and how Christ is willing to reveal Himself to them. Since they have access to this revelation, they don’t have to take our word for it. As we witness, we don’t want to be timid like Peter was before he received power from on high. We don’t want to be afraid to admit that we know Christ. Without knowing Him, fallacy (making up stuff and smokescreens) would be our only choice. Thankfully, we can stay out of this trap.
</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

You can BUY it on Amazon, but you can get your FREE copy of Real Faith & Reason, which shows the intersection of faith, reason, truth, and sanity.
http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

Simplicity in Christ

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

Here’s how this simplicity works to avoid circular reasoning and all other fallacies. When God speaks, His faith comes, and His faith is imparted certainty that comes when anyone acknowledges His revelation. Since it’s His faith, it isn’t made-up stuff. His faith is the substance (reality as opposed to made-up stuff) of things hoped for, and the evidence (absolute proof and certainty) of things not seen. ^{(Hebrews 11:1)} This faith comes as a gift when God speaks and we acknowledge Him speaking. And since we can’t draw this faith out of ourselves, we can’t self-generate real faith. Instead, Christ is the Author and Finisher of this faith. ^{(Hebrews 12:2)} Applying this truth to ungodly thinkers, God is speaking to them through us, and if they acknowledge Him, faith will come to them also. If they only acknowledge our fleshly nature, then they won’t acknowledge Christ, and faith won’t come to them.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

You can BUY  it on Amazon, but you can get your FREE copy of Real Faith & Reason, which shows the intersection of faith, reason, truth, and sanity.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

Circular Reasoning Avoiding It

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, I will declare all your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1 International Standard Version)

And as we declare His wonderful deeds, we might tell an ungodly person that Jesus Christ reveals Himself to everyone who seeks Him. Then we might go on to tell the ungodly person that he or she can test this truth. We may invite them to know Christ. However, that isn’t circular reasoning. Although, it’s an ambiguous statement since it doesn’t tell them what it means to seek Jesus Christ. Nor does it explain the limits. Even so, an ungodly person can experience Christ if the ungodly person gets more information about how to know Him. That’s not an unsupported claim since anyone can test this claim. Still, ungodly dogmatic thinkers may refuse to test it even when they know how to test it because of their stubborn dogmatism and open resistance to God.

To give this testimony rationally, we simply admit that we have a personal relationship with the real Jesus Christ, and we avoid the circular reasoning fallacy. And that’s the simplicity in Christ. ^{(2 Corinthians 11:3)} It’s simple because it’s Christ Himself, and we simply acknowledge that He leads us and teaches us moment by moment. But without this leading and teaching, we can’t make rational claims. Of course, we must have a relationship with Christ in which He leads, teaches, and corrects us. We can’t fake it, but we can enter and develop this relationship. Not only that, but those who stay on the Road (Christ Jesus) don’t take any risk. ^{(Isaiah 35:8)} God provides a sure way.

Again, if we give our testimonies in this way, though we aren’t using circular reasoning, ungodly thinkers could yet refuse to look at this evidence, or they could question God’s authority. If they have hardened their hearts against God, ungodly thinkers won’t sincerely submit themselves to God and will abandon any pretense of sanity rather than acknowledging God. While ungodly thinkers may not want to submit to God, we don’t ask them to submit to us, so we don’t try to argue them into oblivion. Since the Holy Spirit is leading, warning, and correcting them through us, they’re dealing with Him. And He gives them a choice to listen or not.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

We wouldn’t give our experiences as proof to someone else. Instead, we would give our experiences as a testimony of Jesus Christ, and this testimony would proclaim the crucified Christ. When we give this testimony, we allow the Holy Spirit to speak through the testimony, so the testimony isn’t ours. The testimony is the living Christ flowing from within us, and the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. ^{(Revelation 19:10)} When Christ flows through us in this way, His testimony makes Him visible. So, anyone who rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit rejects the Holy Spirit—not us.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

I’m glad the President made a symbolic gesture with the Bible in front of a church building this week. The Bible is God’s word without error. I know this because I know Jesus Christ personally. He leads, teaches, and corrects me moment by moment. And the Holy Spirit lives within me to guide me. The Holy Spirit that proceeds from Christ reveals to me that the Bible is God’s word without error. And He speaks to me through Scripture. No one can read Scripture without hearing the voice of God. God reveals the truth through the Bible and every means of divine revelation mentioned in the Bible. He never contradicts biblical revelation with any other revelation, but He often explains the Bible. You don’t have to take my word for it since every person who seeks Christ finds Christ. And Christ leads, teaches, and corrects every person who follows Him. I invite you to know Christ. Anyone who is on the side of truth or who desires truth listens to Jesus.

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>
Rocky Rockbuilder: “Hi there. My name is Rocky Rockbuilder.”

Sandy Sandbuilder: “That’s circular reasoning since you’re referencing yourself.”

Of course, it’s not a circular reasoning fallacy even though Rocky referenced himself. Now, this person could be a Rocky impersonator, but that’s a question of authority. Compare that reasoning to this reasoning:

Rocky Rockbuilder: “I know that Christ exists because He reveals Himself to me and imparts His faith to me.”

Sandy Sandbuilder: “That’s circular reasoning since Christ is referencing Himself.”

We can notice that Rocky didn’t offer his own experience with Christ as proof to Sandy, but rather, he explained that Christ reveals Himself and imparts His faith as proof. Rocky didn’t commit a circular reasoning fallacy, but Sandy may question whether Rocky’s experience is real. And applying the same principle, we could tell the disbeliever that we know God speaks through the Bible (and various methods of revelation mentioned in the Bible) because He tells us that He does. If we say that, it isn’t circular reasoning. And we could tell the disbeliever that we’ve experienced Christ speaking to us, which isn’t circular reasoning either. However, the disbeliever could question whether we’re lying or crazy.

On the other hand, the disbeliever could question God’s truthfulness, but those are questions of authority rather than circular reasoning fallacies. Also, a disbeliever could question whether the Almighty Creator God has power and authority to reveal the difference between revelation and made-up stuff. But that’s also a question of authority. Questions of authority ask, “Can we trust the person to know and tell the truth?” And, in this example, Sandy knows that Christ exists since Christ has already revealed this fact to Sandy just as Christ proclaims through the first chapter of Romans. So Sandy knows, but he still challenges Christ’s authority just as Satan challenges Christ’s authority.
</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

You can BUY it on Amazon, but you can get your FREE copy of Real Faith & Reason, which shows the intersection of faith, reason, truth, and sanity.
http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

Today’s post is about how to witness when someone is challenging the Bible. Skeptics ask, “Why believe the Bible?” Some Christians say, “The Bible is the word of God because it says it is.” Or they’ll say, “The Bible is self-validating.” Both of those responses are circular reasoning fallacies and so unnecessary if we’ll just admit that the Holy Spirit is our teacher. We merely need to admit that the Holy Spirit speaks into our heart that the Bible is God’s word.

The Bible is His very utterance. Anyone hearing the Bible is hearing God speaking specifically to them. In a crowd of hundreds hearing the same Bible verse, God can speak a specific personal and unique message to each person through the same verse without distorting the meaning of the text. God also speaks through every means of divine revelation mentioned in the Bible, but He will never contradict what He says in Scripture. And, when we acknowledge Him, His voice has creative and transforming power in our lives.

If we deny Him, we become irrational, and everyone can spot it.

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>
Imagine you have a letter, and you tell me, “I know that my father wrote this letter because my father wrote this letter.” But that would be a circular reasoning fallacy. To avoid the fallacy, you could have said, “I know this letter is from my father because my father told me he wrote it,” and that wouldn’t be a circular reasoning fallacy. I could question the authority behind the statement. For instance, I might question whether you’re telling the truth—a question of authority. Just because you say something doesn’t mean you’re telling the truth.

Then you could take me to your father who would tell me he wrote the letter. Facing that, I might question whether your father is telling the truth, or I might even question whether your father is your father, and yet these are questions of authority and not circular reasoning. Otherwise, I might refuse to meet with your father in the same way that many ungodly thinkers refuse to seek Jesus Christ.
</end quote>
#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

Amazon Review of Real Faith & Reason Library

This book series will bring you into reality. The layman explanations of true apologetics and epistemology are straightforward, honest, and lucid. How do we know things? Further, why do we know things? And even further, how do we know the things we know are true? Then, how does this compare to the atheist worldview of making up stuff and calling the made-up stuff “true”? And their inevitable and inescapable worldview of an infinite regression of so-called “proofs”? But aren’t we all in the same boat when it comes to discerning what is knowable and what is true? Aren’t we dependent on our own senses and reasoning to determine truth? Petros Scientia explores all of this in this series of books and provides real answers that your mind and soul will find refreshingly simple and yet incredibly profound. These truths are nothing new, just seemingly masked by our own fallen minds and the fact that we live in a society that stresses naturalism and tends to silence all who oppose it. But here I’m finding these suppressed truths to be fully exposed and brought from deep within from the only source of knowledge… Jesus Christ Himself.

Here’s the download Page: https://RealReality.org/downloads

Look the book over and leave a short review–just a line or two. Here’s a direct review link. https://www.amazon.com/Real-Faith-Reason-One-Absolute/dp/0986097217/ref=sr_1_4