When we reason with someone or something, we're tying to understand or have something explained to us so that it meets our own way of thinking about it. We boil things down to a level that we can understand or compromise in agreement with ourselves or another. We hear the word "reason" constantly from politicians. They're always looking for someone to be "reasonable," when it comes to passing bills and legislation. If one side will agree to pass a bill, then they will allow the other side to put in other items (mostly pork spending) if they will be "reasonable" and allow their bill to pass.
Sometimes, it appears like compromising is the lesser of two evils. They may want to pass something that is good, but are forced "by being reasonable," to pass something that isn't good simply to get it through. Thus, we have reasonable legislators.
It seems like when it comes to the Word of God, we've almost "reasoned" ourselves out of most everything except going to heaven when we die. God said in Isaiah 1:18 (Amplified), "Come let us reason together." The word "reason" here has an entirely different meaning to it according to Strong's Concordance #3198 where in Hebrew text means, "to be right, (i.e.) correct, to argue, to decide, justify or convict, appoint, chasten, convince, correct, judge, maintain, reprove, daysman."
When I read the word or title of daysman, I thought about what Job had said in Job 9:32-33 (King James Version), "For He (God) is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay His hand upon us both."
In the Amplified Bible, Job 9:32-35 says, "For (God) is not a (mere) man as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court. There is no umpire (daysman) between us, who might lay His hand upon us both (would that there was) that He might take His rod away from (threatening) me, and that the fear of Him might not terrify me, (Then) would I speak and not fear Him, but I am not so in myself (to make me afraid, were only a fair trial given me)."
The meaning of "reason, daysman" is none other than our Mediator, Jesus. Had He been the One Who Job could call upon (like He is today for us), then Job said that he "would not be afraid" and "he would get a fair trial." The concept of "reason" is a whole different thing than how we mostly think of it. When we "Come and reason together with Him," then it's through our "Daysman," Jesus. It's now through the power of our new covenant and it's through the wisdom granted to us by the Holy Spirit Who indwells in us. We have the Daysman that Job wished he had.
Through our own thinking and reasonings, we have invented some of the most outlandish rules and doctrines that have ever messed up a people. Some of the reasonings we have come up with are simply man's ignorant take of God's wisdom. By reason, we still try getting God to bless us through our works. In other words, we believe that if we're good, then God will bless us or if we're bad, then God will punish me. This sounds reasonable to most of us today, but it's wrong. It's true that there are consequences for wrong behavior, but it isn't God Who is bringing them, they're the result of wrong choices.
The punishment for sin and wrong behavior fell on our Daysman instead of on us. This doesn't sound reasonable to the carnal mind. If God was going to punish us for our wrong doing, then do you think any of us would have lived long enough to even get saved? The Gospel defies reason to any degree when God would actually give His Own Son to die on my behalf, cleanse me, call me righteous and accept and bless me even before I knew Him. Does that sound reasonable to you?
I suppose that's why the Word instructs us in 2Corinthians 10:5 (Amplified) to, "Refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God." In our own way of thinking and reasoning, we feel like there must be more for us to do in order to be blessed with all heaven has given us through Jesus. We say that He "did it all," and then by reasoning, we say we must do something to deserve it. As long as reason rules our spiritual life, faith cannot work. Faith is letting our Daysman stand in our place and trust Him for all of it. Where reason tries to earn it by our good works and deeds, it's no longer faith, but earned credit.
Have you ever really thought about how we have determined the Gospel over all these years? If we only received what we deserved from God, then we would burn. Nothing we got from Him was earned or deserved, but it was only by grace and love. It's not reasonable to expect God to bless people who are still messed up (even after being born again). I've never met a Christian who is perfect in all he does. The only perfect thing about us, is Jesus. When I reason together with Him, I see myself the way He sees me and not the way others see me. This concept alone, seems unreasonable to some Christians.
I've been reasoning together with Him and His reasoning says that, "through my Daysman and Mediator, I am righteous, perfect, sanctified, made one with Jesus, an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus. Now, you can see where some call me "unreasonable."
I refuse to let myself or others to try reasoning me out of what my Father has graced me with. I refuse to walk in guilt or condemnation and I refuse to walk in doubt as to my relationship with my Father. I refuse to walk in the fear that God would turn His back on me or refuse to hear me. I will not let reasonings prevent me from receiving what Jesus has done for me.
"Well, yes, Brother Jim," you say, "Don't you think?" No! When it comes to God's Word, I don't think outside of His Word. If God says that I have been made righteous in Christ Jesus, then I don't even want to reason myself out of that even if it means getting along with someone else. You might say that I'm not reasonable at all and that no one can talk to me or that I won't listen to reason at all. Now, you're getting the picture. I just won't listen to reason. I'm not a reasonable man.
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