CHAPTER 6

The Make-up Of A Person

The Intellect


The Creator has endowed man with an INTELLECT--the ability to think, to know, to understand, to learn, to comprehend ideas and to reason with the mind. Man is a "thinking being." Some psychologists estimate that 10,000 thoughts go through the human mind in one day (that is 3,500,000 a year!).

David once looked up into the heavens on a starry night, and as he thought about himself and about his Creator, he asked the question, "What is _________ that Thou (God the Creator) art mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:3-4). Why should such a great and glorious God be concerned about and mindful of puny man? On another occasion David reflected on the brevity of life (man's "days are like a __________________ that _________________away"--Psalm 144:4) and he asked a similar question (see Psalm 144:1-4). David used his intellect to ponder and to consider man, His Maker, and the meaning of life.

Has an ape or a dog ever gazed into the heavens and then thought, "WHO AM I? WHY AM I HERE? WHERE DID I COME FROM? WHERE AM I GOING?" ?  Do people ask questions such as these? _______  Are our libraries filled with books trying to answer questions such as these? _______

In the days of Isaiah, the LORD actually challenged and invited the Israelites to use their intellect and to reason with their minds: "Come now, and let us _________________ together, saith the ___________: though your ________ be as scarlet, they shall be as ______________ as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Why did God say their sins were SCARLET or RED (see Isaiah 1:15,21; 59:2-3)? __________________________________________________ The LORD was saying something like this: "Come now, let us reason together! Let's think this through together.  Do you want to be clean or do you want to stay dirty (Isaiah 1:16)? What makes the most sense to you--to receive God's gracious forgiveness or to receive God's terrible judgment?" How sad that often people do not think very straight or reason very well!

What Do You Think?

There are many questions that could be asked which would get people to think and discuss and reason together (or even argue together). For example, consider the following:

"What do you think of flying saucers?"

"What do you think of the theory of evolution?"

"What do you think of reincarnation?"

"What do you think of abortion?"

"What do you think of the death penalty?"

 "What do you think of inflation?"

"What do you think of (name someone running for office) as a political or presidential candidate?"

"What do you think of natural foods?"

"What do you think of the (baseball or football team)?"

"What do you think of boxing and wrestling?"

 "What do you think of Communism?"

"What do you think of Islam?"

"What do you think should be done about terrorism?"

"What do you think of the problem of illegal immigration?"

"What do you think of the Israeli Palestinian conflict?"

"What do you think of your teachers in school?"

"What do you think of your Sunday School teacher?"

"What do you think of your parents?"

"What do you think of the President of the United States?"

"What do you think a person needs to do in order to be saved and have his or her sins forgiven?"

"What do you think a person needs to do in order to have assurance of salvation?"

All these questions would probably stimulate a good amount of thinking and discussion.  [Some of these could be discussed even during this Sunday School class.] Some of these questions are important and certainly are worth serious thought and consideration.

What Do You Think of Jesus?

There is one question that is far more important than all these questions combined. The Lord Jesus Christ asked this question Himself in Matthew 22:42: "WHAT _____________ YE OF _____________ (THE MESSIAH--GOD'S PROMISED SAVIOUR-KING)?" Why is this such an important question (Matthew 16:13-17; John 3:18,36; 8:24)? ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JESUS CHRIST?  There is no question more important than this.  Here are some questions pertaining to the Person and work of Jesus Christ which can be profitably discussed in class:

What do you think of the birth of Christ?  Was it natural or supernatural?   Do you think Christ existed before He was born in Bethlehem?   When do you think His existence began?   Was there ever a time when He did not exist (compare John 8:58)?   Do you think Jesus Christ was God?   Can you show from the Bible why you think this is so?

What do you think of the life of Christ?   Did He ever disobey his parents (Luke 2:51)?  Did He experience moral failures like all of us do, or did He live a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22)?    Did He ever break or disobey God's law?  What do you think of His teachings?  Where did His doctrine or His teaching come from?  

Why was He put to death?   Why was it necessary for Him to die (John 3:14; Matthew 16:21--"MUST")?  What do you think happened when He died on the cross?   Did His death have anything to do with you?   How does His death teach us of God's justice?  How does His death teach us of God's love? 

What do you think of His resurrection?   Did it really happen?   How do you know this?  What evidence is there?  Did people who knew He had died really see Him alive days later?   Is He still alive today?   Where is He today?

What do you think Jesus Christ will do in the future?   The early Christians believed He would come again.  Do you believe this?   Why will He come?   How will this affect you?  How will this affect the world?   How will this affect wicked men?   Do you think the coming of Jesus Christ will solve the problems our world faces such as poverty, disease, wars, terrorism, etc.?

As persons, God has given us the ability to THINK, and it is crucially important that we think rightly about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To think wrongly about Him can result in a person's personal doom:  "I said therefore, unto you, that ye shall ______  in your _______; for if ye _________________    ______ that I am He, ye shall ______ in your sins" (John 8:24).

The Right Use of the Mind and Intellect

God wants all men to come unto the _____________________ of the ___________ (1 Timothy 2:4). The Lord Jesus wanted men to KNOW the ___________ (John 8:32). In Ephesians 4:17 we learn that the Gentiles (unsaved people) walk in the V________________ or EMPTINESS of their ______________. The mind of the unsaved person is empty because it is not filled with TRUTH (it is devoid of truth). Where is truth found (Ephesians 4:21; John 14:6)? ___________________________

The Lord wants men not only to know themselves and to know the world they live in, but more importantly to KNOW what (John 17:3; compare Isaiah 43:10)? ____________________________________________________________________________ The unsaved are described as those who _________        ______ God (1 Thess. 4:5). Do you know HIM in a personal way? Can you speak of Him as Thomas did in John 20:28?

One of the most important reasons God has endowed man with intellect is that he might UNDERSTAND what (Luke 24:45; Acts 8:30; Matt. 24:15)? _____________________________________________________________
Are you using your INTELLIGENCE to understand the Word of God and the God of the Word? If you are IGNORANT of God and His Word, who is to blame (see Proverbs 1:20-33)? __________________________

 


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