Making Sense Out of Nonsense

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten son, which is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him. 1 John 4:10

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Question: Professor Roane, how can I really be sure that Christ is real, or even that God exists?

Answer: Seeing and knowing are really many times two different things. I’ve seen a lot of things in life that I have absolutely no way of knowing—or shall I say, very little chance of knowing? Sight depends on perception and perception rightly interpreted brings about a knowledge of sorts. However, if we like the positivists insist on solid scientific or mathematical proof before we are willing to verify spiritual truth, then we most likely will have a long wait.

How then may we know, if we cannot trust our senses or reason, as in mathematics? No, that’s not the case. We must, as a matter of fact, we are compelled to trust what C. K. Chesterton calls our “common sense."

Commonsense is given, it is never learned nor can it be taught. Commonsense is human intellect graced with understanding. Thus, a graced sense can, make sense out of nonsense. What sense can one make out of a virgin birth? That’s nonsense. However, a grace commonsense gives the concept the wings of reason when we consider that with God all things are possible.

Remember when Christ asked his disciples, and “who do you say that I am?” And, Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah, the son of the living God?’” Christ, of course, followed that up with, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven” after which on the strength of that confession He gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom Of Heaven.

I find it interesting that this knowledge was not made possible by as it were “flesh and blood,” but rather it came as a revelation. In other words, God graced Peter’s common intellect—his commonsense, and Peter came to the only logical conclusion possible. To put it another way, commonsense began to make sense out of nonsense. Flesh and blood—human reason had all kinds of explanations about who Christ was; however, Peter began to put his spiritual two and twos together and all that he had experience as a disciple of Christ began to made sense. “Surely,” he said to himself, “this man is the Messiah. There is simply no way around it!”

Many years ago one of the Latin fathers, Tertullian by name, wrote, “For the knowledge of God is, from the beginning, an endowment of the soul.” In short what he said was that God has graced the soul with the knowledge of God. Not flesh and blood, mind you, but God has graced the soul, that, of course, includes the intellect as well as the will of man. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (prov. 3:5, 6)…” are not idle words just to fill up the pages of a book called the bible. These words are there to encourage you. No you may not know the answer, but God does and if you will only listen and trust he will make your paths straight! In other words, he will take care of things. Just trust.

So the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of his ways—including his will for our life make sense, but only if we trust him. Commonsense tells us to do that.

We must tap into our “inner-self,” not in the New Age sense of the word, but rather from a Biblical and spiritual perspective. And, when we do, we will find that not only is the concept of God there but that His image provides the parameters within which we must operate to remain safe and secure in our pursuit of truth.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out (Romans 11:33 NIV)!”

Take Care!

JimR__/