Let Me Reason With You

August 27, 2000 LET ME REASON WITH YOU
by Paul D. Fisher I

"Now therefore stand std4 that I may reason with you before the Lord of all
the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers "
(I Samuel 12:7).

     How often today do we hear someone say, "Just accept Jesus into your heart
right now and you will be saved." Often we also hear people say, "I know that I
am alright with God because I feel it right here in my heart." Maybe some of your
friends or family have said these things to you when you would try to talk to them
about God and about the need to be obedient to His will. We turn on the radio or television and hear this kind of religion being preached all the time. Many millions of people in our country &e basing their hope of eternity on this type of religion.

     Samuel, God's prophet of old, had something to say to the people of Israel
many years ago about their religion. Samuel did not believe in a "just accept God
into your heart" type of religion. He did not believe in a religion of emotionalism.
Yes, Samuel did believe that to be acceptable to God we must worship God with
our whole being, including our emotions. Samuel believed in a religion based on
reason and rational thinking. Samuel knew God was an intelligent being and that
God did not expect or want us to base our worship to Him just on emotions.
Samuel wanted the people to stop and stand still so that he could reason with
them about all the great things God had done for their forefathers and for them.
Samuel knew that the only way a person could be saved was by being obedient to
God's will. He also knew that the only way a person could be obedient to God's will
was by examining what God haddone and what God had commanded for man to do.

     True gospel preachers today must have the same understanding about religion
that Samuel had. We must preach what God has done for us and what He has
commanded we do! The apostle Paul, by inspiration of God, wrote Romans 12:1, "I
beseech you therefore,brelhren,by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
Christian religion is based on facts and reasons. It is based on faith that comes from
learning about God and His commandments for us by study of His revealed word.
Christianity is not a better felt than told religion! Study God's word, invite your
friends to study with you, because this is the only way we can find salvation!