There is one mediator between God and Man

I heard a comment today from someone who was trying to defend a position. The position is of some relevance in that in a certain respect it's a leading indicator of a persons world view. I think it's important, not only to understand your own world view, but be able to interpret others as well. In this I believe we test the spirit to see if it be of God. Some may say that this is not our duty, but I disagree. I think it may seem unkind or untoward, but the scripture is definite that we're not to have anything to do with apostates.

The comment was actually a quote of someone else. "Faith without common sense is fanaticism, and common sense without faith is rationalism". In fairness to both the quoter and the quoted, I'm not certain that this is the ACTUAL quote or if it's a paraphrase. So I can only deal with what I heard. In reference to and in the context of the original conversation, there is a coherent and consistent message. And so, I feel comfortable commenting on what I see as a clearly compatibilist and nearly pelagic viewpoint.

"Faith without common sense"

Where does faith come from? Well, according to Romans, it's the gift of God. What about common sense? Well, this is where we run into a bit of trouble. As the conversation was framed, the whole concept being presented is that man must in some way to take a common sense approach to what can lead some to fanaticism and others to rationalism. But I wonder does faith need common sense? And further more, what common sense would be useful to faith? And then, since we know that not all have the same level of common sense, what common sense would be appropriate? Since, fanaticism is the final and ultimate destination without it, one would be quite remiss to leave the station and not have what they need...lest they become a fanatic. I guess my ultimate question would be is what kind of common sense are we talking about? Are we talking about moderation, wise discipleship, being a respecter of other people's faith? It's the wording that gives the phrase it's meaning. What it doesn't say is;

Faith without common sense can lead to fanaticism.

Which is quite different than the original quote. Faith, without some mysterious, subjectively defined component leads to some other mysterious, subjectively defined condition.

"leads to fanaticism"

What kind of fanaticism I wonder? Is it the kind that walks into a temple and tips over well establish businesses and throws out the patrons? Or, the kind of fanaticism that calls the religious fathers and elites, vipers, hypocrites and white washed graves? Or perhaps in a final act, totally devoid of common sense, one gives their life for those who could never earn or deserve it and in some sort of depraved lunacy, decides to make those whom he chose part of his family? Yes, this sounds like common sense free faith...totally fanaticism.

Look it's this simple. You are not the author of what some call common sense. And if you're a fanatic, it's certainly by God's choosing. Neither would common sense in anyway, balance or prevent you from such a thing. Trying to separate your knowledge from your faith from how you act, would be like trying to separate the color from paint. However possible the mechanics of that process might be, it deteriorates the original substance from recognizability. They cannot be separated and maintain each as individual and complete at the same time.

So, then, how you act, how you think and what you do make up who you are. And that, instilled directly from God. Since we can't learn except that the Father allows it.

My point in all of this is simply this; however quaint and easy to digest this saying might be, it's devoid of any coherent substance. Because, it places God on the left, by calling him faith, depraved man on the right calling him rational, and enlightened man in the middle with the all powerful linchpin called, common sense. And this is the reason I call it pelagic, because man must perform his will and understanding to bridge the gap so that some bad condition shouldn't be arrived at.

Common sense won't keep you from fanaticism, nor can it prevent you from depending on rationalism. In the end, we depend on the one True God, who called us. Who made a covenant and intends to keep it. In these situations keep the scriptures in mind. Without this, all we have is rationalism and it is a god who cannot save.