The Independence of Human Mind

Every human mind is independent, in the sense that no one forces/compels one to believe anything. A person's beliefs, however, are shaped by his perception of things around him- the things he hears, sees, perceives(smell), tastes and feels. All these, products of one’s senses, are analyzed by his brain(what the Bible calls mind or heart) and his INDEPENDENT mind arrives at conclusions based on these. So, as time goes on, everyone builds for himself what I call a personal faith(a collection of beliefs that may not exactly match any other persons "personal faith").

Let us take a look at something very basic. Two people might eat of the same plate of rice and from their SENSE OF TASTE(tongue) and the processes of their minds on the perception of the food, one may say it is salty and peppery, and the other will say it is neither salty nor peppery. However, the first person may talk to the
second(EAR-Sense of hearing) and show(EYES-Sense of sight) him pieces of pepper in the food, all in an attempt to convince him that the food is peppery. The second person, after his mind must have worked on the information heard and seen, may decide that the food, indeed, is salty and peppery or hold on to his earlier belief that it is not. So, a man's mind is independent and builds its own beliefs independently too. But one's beliefs are shaped by his knowledge and his knowledge is shaped by his interactions with things around him.

And this brings into perspective Romans 10:17 - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (NIV). Of course, the (independent) mind still has a choice to make, either to believe or not. To enable you make the best choice/decisions for yourself, it is essential to study wide so that you are(your mind is) not making a "short-sighted" decision.

And now, the Word of God says,"For ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God", do you believe it or do you not believe it?

The Holy Scripture says, “For the wages of sin is death…” And if ALL HAVE SINNED and THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, then ALL should DIE! 

But God is not interested in the death of a sinner but that ALL should come to repentance. Jesus said in John 3:14-18, “14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” These verse clearly portray that:-

• By default man should be condemned but God is not interested in man’s condemnation.(verse 17)
• Man should perish(die)(verses 14-16) but “God is not happy when a wicked man dies”
• God wants ALL to be saved through Jesus Christ(verse 17 especially)
• Belief in Christ is the way to escape the condemnation(verse 18)

All of these are information(Word), you still have a choice either to believe or not.