The Dangers of Basing Your Faith in Your Mind

The Apostles make it clear that having faith in Christ is a spiritual thing and is also an intellectual thing. I find that as Christians we tend to focus too much into just one of those aspects. Most believe in Jesus as a purely spiritual thing based on feelings. Perhaps my assumption is an impoverished view of how some believe in Him, but that's what I gather from my viewing. People like that are doing right, but I think there can be issues with not using your intellect with the truth of Christianity. However, what I want to emphasize is the problems with being too intellectual about it. I'm not an intellectual myself. Heck, I don't know that much at all, and the more I learn the more I realize that. However, many people attest to the fact that I have learned a lot in the year that I've lived here. It certainly has strengthened my faith in Christ. I know He's my Lord not just cause it's a personal experience of mine that some other people share, but also because of objective evidence that I've learned from philosophy, history, and archeology. The problem comes when I soak my mind too much into this evidence stuff. When I spend so much time and effort soaking my mind on theology and apologetics, it gets so cold, so mechanical, and so lifeless that it can numb me to the warmth of Christs love. How do I know Christ is alive? I'd like to say it's because He "lives in my heart" as the old hymn says. While that's true, I might put more stock into facts like "It's the best explanation for how Christianity came about the way it did." I'm not saying that it's not good to know facts like that. It is good to know that stuff these days because that's what the skeptics are asking, but if that is the ultimate reason why I believe it then we have problems. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven." It was my Father in Heaven that revealed who Jesus is to me. It is Jesus whom I put my faith in. It is the Holy Spirit who guides me, ministers to me, and helps me persevere. I don't want to know one hundred facts about God. I want to know God! I pray that the Lord renew the spiritual fullness and freedom that comes only from a relationship with Him! I pray for wisdom in what I've been learning, but I ask that God help me keep my heart centered on Him as the ultimate reason why I believe in Him. I also pray this for my brothers and sisters in Christ. That they may grow in wisdom and love the Lord because they know He loves them.