Dear Christian, here is a tool for you to use in the endless upward struggle of preaching to yourself the faithful love and steadfast promises of your Saviour, Christ Jesus. Common to the Scriptures is a kind of argument called ‘a fortiori’ which means ‘from the stronger’, and it is used to demonstrate the sureness of a comparatively small thing by showing the sureness of a much larger thing.
If you would permit this author to create some of his own for illustration, here are some homebrewed a fortiori arguments.
- If my roof racks can support the weight of a kayak, how much more easily can they support the weight of a pillow?
- If my friend will surely drive 45 minutes to see me, how much more readily would he drive 5 minutes?
- If this patient reader has read 2,500-word essays on this blog, how much more easily will they read this brief encouragement?
Ok, so you get the picture. Now, let’s see what God has to say.
Update: a faithful reader has pointed out that the following arguments in Matt 10 and Matt 6 argue from the smaller to the larger, rather than the larger to the smaller. This is true, and upon reflection, this author posits that these two arguments demonstrate God’s readiness for a given action and his trustworthiness to pursue and complete it. Consider the following: “If a doctor readily shows care to even the smallest cut, covering it with a band-aid, much more then, when he sees a large gash in your arm, will he not spring to action to cleanse and bandage it?” Therefore, this author will keep the following arguments in this list, petitioning the reader to forgive this oversight in the first publication.
Fear not (Matt 10:28-31)
In this text Jesus makes this argument: the value of two sparrows is very low, and yet not one sparrow will fall to the ground and die apart from his will. How much more then, since you are so much more valuable than a sparrow, will God look after you, and not let anything befall you that he has not purposed?
Therefore, do not fear people who can only destroy your body, but fear and trust in God.
Do not be anxious about your needs (Matt 6:25-33)
Once again comparing us to the birds, Jesus describes how the birds of the air neither sow seeds nor reap for harvest nor store up food in barns, and yet God feeds them and provides for them. Aren’t you much more valuable than those birds?
Then he makes a comparison to the flowering lilies of the field. They grow up and bear a beautiful flower, but they neither toil away at the sewing machine or work at the loom to create their finery, and yet not even Solomon in all his kingly glory and pomp was dressed as beautifully. So, if God clothes the field, which is here today and cut down or burned tomorrow, why would he not also clothe you, despite your little faith?
Therefore, seek first the Kingdom of God, and your heavenly father will provide for you the things he knows you need.
Christ is mighty to save you (Rom 5:8-9)
Here, Paul makes the following argument: While you were still a sinner, and therefore deserving the judgement of God, Christ didn’t destroy you but rather died in your place. How much more then, since you now have peace with God, can you trust Christ to save you from God’s wrath?
He gave you his Son. He’ll give you everything. (Rom 8:32)
This text is so beautiful and profound that it is hard to believe it can even be written with words. We have, on paper, a reassurance so divine and immense that it just about ought to be rendered in bold and underlined in the printed Bible.
The almighty God, the great Creator who knows and governs all existence itself, was willing to sacrifice his one and only dearly beloved Son. Just hold onto that for a moment. He didn’t just give up half his kingdom, or a prized steed or a great sword. He spared not his only Son. So, if the God of the universe gave up his Son, who is himself the eternal God, on YOUR behalf, how much more then is it OBVIOUS that he will also graciously give us all things?
Let’s double back and get that again. Of course God will give you faith, hope, comfort, food and drink, clothing and friendship, as well as so many other things. Of course he will! Don’t you see? He already gave his SON, his only son! The son that he gave to be sacrificed is the God-man! How absurd it should seem to ask if God will grant you little transient things like success and reconciliation and friendship and career when he has already given Jesus.
So, beloved, if you find yourself doubting, or need a mighty fortress to take rest in, preach to yourself God’s a fortiori. If he will provide for and deal lovingly with the sparrows and lilies, how much more a dearly loved son or daughter? If Christ saved you when you were in sin, how much more can he save you in today’s trouble? If God gave Jesus for you, will he not also provide all your earthly needs?
Distilled Orthopraxy 