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A.
Yes, that is so.
B. The Scripture does not make the distinction. The brain is never
mentioned, and the idea of thinking with the head as opposed to believing
with the heart is unscriptural. Let us see what Scripture says. Where is
the first occurrence of the word 'heart' in Scripture?
A.
Genesis 6:5.
B.
What does it connect with it?
A.
'The imagination of the thoughts of the heart'.
B. Will you turn to Matthew 9:4; 13:15; 15:19 and Mark 2:8 and see what is
said?
A. The passages connect 'thinking', 'understanding', 'thoughts' and
'reasoning' with the heart.
B. You will find, moreover, that the Hebrew word for heart (leb) is
translated twelve times by the word 'mind', and such passages as Hebrews 8:10
show a great affinity between heart and mind. Without pressing this point
further I think you will see that it is not quite in harmony with Scripture
to speak of 'believing with the heart' as something very different from
merely 'intellectual faith'.
A. While I readily accept the facts of Scripture on this point, the
difficulty I had in mind remains untouched.
B. I think I know your difficulty, and will do my best to help you to solve
it, but I felt that we must first get rid of unscriptural ideas, as otherwise
we should only add to our confusion. Your problem is something like this:
If believing the gospel and the Word of God is the exercise of that
same faith which we put into operation upon the testimony of accredited
witnesses, 'for if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater', how is it that men who are possessed with normal faculties
and exercise faith in everyday matters appear to be utterly unable to
believe the truth apart from some act of grace?
A. Yes, that expresses fairly well my difficulty, and in the attempt to
solve it I concluded that the difference must be between heart belief and
mere intellectual faith.
Repentance
A. When we were talking over the nature of faith you seemed to imply that
something was necessary before the natural man would believe the testimony of
God. I should be glad if you would take up that point.
B. Most readily. You will find the answer in the following passages which
you might read: Mark 1:15; 2 Timothy 2.25; Acts 11:18; 20:21.
A.
(Reads)
'Repent ye, and believe the gospel'.
'If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of
the truth'.