How should a Christian view logic?

from the old testament

• Through the prophet Isaiah, God condemned Judah for disobedience. But He goes on to promise to forgive them if they turn from their sin. In that, God’s comment shows that He expects us to be reasonable: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). God is the source of logic, and as His creations, we have been imbued with logical reasoning capabilities.

from the new testament

• During his ministry, Paul regularly entered synagogues and “reasoned with them [the Jews] from the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2). We can do the same; logical truths along with our personal testimony can be a compelling message.
• The apostle Peter advised believers to be prepared to defend the truth: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Our defense of the truth may involve our personal testimony as well as logical reasons.
• The writer of Hebrews uses the metaphor of milk versus solid food to warn believers to use discerning skills to avoid apostasy: “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14). We, too, should train our discernment skills, which means using our logical capabilities.
• Logic alone will not bring anyone to the truth. Jesus identified the reason that people reject truth, and it had to do with the heart, not the mind: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). Logic can be a useful tool in a Christian’s walk and witness, but those who accept Christ do so with a changed heart.

implications for today

Though God blessed us with logic, logic alone doesn’t generally convince people about the truth of Christ. Jesus identified the darkness in the human heart as the cause for rejecting Him (John 3:19). The Holy Spirit moving within believers equips us to share the truth (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12–13). Logical arguments can be part of our witness, but often the most powerful witness is how we live our lives (Matthew 5:13-16) and our personal testimony.

Our society today often values emotion over logic. Topics like abortion, same-sex marriage, and other moral issues can get heated; emotions tend to overtake logic. That’s why, when we’re sharing the truth about Christ, we need to do as the apostle Paul did and tailor our approach to suit our audience (1 Corinthians 9:19–22). We don’t compromise the truth, of course, but we change our approach to delivering it. Logical arguments may resonate more with some we encounter; others will be more touched by how we live our lives and our personal testimonies. Whatever tools we use, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to help us be salt and light in a dark world.