How Can We Connect Intellect And Faith?

It is very easy to use our human intellect as the basis for all decision making. In a very broad spectrum that would make sense. I want “z” so I have to do “x and y” first. We can go through life as rational, logical beings and that would be perfectly acceptable, unless, you are a believer. Now before you through rocks, let me clarify. The believer should use their intellect to make decisions because it is God given and designed. However, intellect is still part of our natural man and our natural man is corrupt because we are born sinners. (Psalm 51:5) We can not place all our confidence in a corrupted part of ourselves. I’ll continue to clarify. Overwhelmingly what we are called to be, are people of faith. (Romans 1:17)

Faith comes first for the true Christian because faith (believing), is how you came to receive Christ in the first place. (John 3:16) It’s not by our works, not by anything that we could do that would be enough to earn our salvation. It is simply, by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

I’d go further to say that God’s grace and salvation, is not something that comes from a place of reason, in that your IQ score has no weight on whether or not you hear, understand, and receive the gospel. This is evidenced by Jesus telling us to be like children to receive the kingdom. (Matthew 18:2-4) I don’t believe it’s by accident He makes this distinction. Children don’t have a fully developed intellect. It’s even said a human isn’t fully developed as a whole till their early 20’s. So why be more child like to enter the kingdom versus adult like? Children in a way only have faith. They have to trust their needs to be met because they don’t have the capacity to meet all of their own needs. Children are dependent on someone, whether it parents, grandparents, foster parents, older siblings, etc. There is someone they have to trust to get their day to day met. This is the paradox that God wants us believers to be in. I trust God, not myself, to meet my day to day needs. Yes, I have natural abilities, skills, and intellect, but without true faith in God, what do I really have? Without realizing God is the true source and not myself what do I really have? Without acknowledging my dependence on and need for God what do I really have? The answer is nothing. Mark 8:36 “ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”

God wants us to ultimately reach a place where we have full confidence in Him. First, full trust in God and everything else flows from that space first. The abilities God has given me including my intellect come from Him and under His lordship in that, I use them to His glory and not my own. I go to college, earn a degree, use it to put food on the table, put money in the bank, and pay my bills all to His glory. I recognize that without Him, none of it is possible. As a non believer I come under the lie that it is all “me”, but as a believer we recognize it is all “Him”. When we realize this, the burden to perform is lifted. I am no longer performing for man. I am living to please God. Now all my decisions no longer flow from just what makes natural sense, but from a desire for true wisdom, discernment, and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit will lead us to ALL truth. (John 16:13)

God gifts us with intelligence, as well as other abilities. God never intended us to use intelligence and abilities for evil or selfish ambitions. However, that is what came into place after man sinned and became disconnected from God’s original plan. By faith in Jesus, all of this can be restored.

Romans 6:13 “…'Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. “

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

When we give our life to Christ, He seeks to not just forgive our sins , but transform our whole being; spirit, soul and body. Our soul includes mind, will, emotions. Our mind, including our intellect needs to be transformed. Faith is the point A everything else flows from and is connected to. Faith becomes the foundation that everything is built upon because faith is built on Jesus.