Human Reason Must Submit to the Word of God (Pasche)
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;". 2 Corinthians 10:5.
Jesus says: “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My dis ciples indeed.” To continue in Christ’s Word means to abide by the Word of God, to accept and believe all its doctrines, in spite of all that reason or the wisdom of man may say. Man has no right to add to, or to subtract from, the divinely inspired Word of God. Human reason is not able to fathom the depths of God’s Word; but Christ demands that reason submit to faith, knowing that God does not and cannot lie.
Christians, most certainly, do not despise nor undervalue human reason. They regard it as a wonderful light created in the human soul. Yet Christians do not make human reason their god. They know that there is a right use of reason and that there is also an abuse of it. It is an abuse of reason when men want to penetrate into, and solve, the mysteries of God. Reason was intended to be a light in earthly things, and it was not given us to search out the secrets of God. For divine and heavenly things God has given us His Word. In things pertaining to the salvation of the soul this Word, and it alone, is to be our guide. We must accept and believe what God has deigned to reveal to us just as it reads. That is the very thing God demands of us. Again and again we are enjoined: “Hear the Word of the Lord” ; “Thus saith the Lord.” We are bidden to ‘‘bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” That is the attitude of the Lutheran Church over against the Bible, the Word of God. God speaks in this Book, and we should say: “ Speak, Lord; Thy servant heareth.” God speaks. What does He say? “What readest thou?” This is the all-important question. The how we leave to God. Such is the attitude of the true disciples of Christ. When in the Word of God we find things which transcend our understanding, we must content ourselves to abide within the limits of the written Word and must not attempt to search beyond it.
Prayer.
O Father of all mercies, who through Thy Word and the Holy Spirit gatherest a holy congregation and Church upon earth and keepest it with Jesus Christ in the true faith, we pray Thee that Thy little flock, the true believers, who through Thy grace have received Thy Word and honor and cherish it, may be kept firm and steadfast in the pure and only-saving doctrine, continue in Thy Word, which is the truth, and avoid all those things that are con trary to our Christian profession. Grant us grace always to submit to the words of Holy Writ and to follow all such things as are agree able to Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our Lord. Amen.
