Среда
Machine translation from the original · Show original
(1 Tim. 5, 22–6, 11; Luke 18, 15–17, 26–30)
“Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Luke 18:17). How to accept this - “like a child”? Here's how: in simplicity, with a full heart, without hesitation. Rational analysis is inapplicable in the area of faith. It can only take place in anticipation of it. Just as an anatomist decomposes the whole body down to detail, but does not see life, so the mind, no matter how much it reasons, does not comprehend the power of faith. Faith itself gives contemplations, which, as a whole, represent faith as completely satisfying all the needs of our nature, and oblige consciousness, conscience, and heart to accept faith. They accept it, and having accepted it, they no longer want to leave it behind. The same thing happens here as with someone who has tasted pleasant and healthy food. Having tasted it once, he knows that it is suitable and accepts it among the substances that nourish him. Chemistry has neither before nor since helped him in this conviction. His conviction is based on personal experience, directly. So the believer knows the truth of faith directly. Faith itself instills in him an unshakable conviction that it is faith. How then can faith be reasonable faith?
This is the rationality of faith, to know directly that it is faith. Reason only spoils matters, cooling faith and weakening life according to faith, and most importantly, it boasts and drives away the grace of God - evil of the first importance in Christianity.
You might be interested in: