UNREASONABLE PEOPLE

 “Come now. Let us reason together,” said the Lord.” Isiah 1:18.

 “Pray for us…that we might be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.”    2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
 
In Thessalonica Paul reasoned with them from the scripture, explaining and demonstrating…and many were persuaded.
But some evil men and those who were envious gathered a mob and set the city in an uproar.
Paul then left Thessalonica and went to Berea. The Bereans were of noble character. They listened to the word and searched the scripture to find out the truth. They made an honest effort to judge the message by the written word of God, rather than simply reacting based on their traditions and the imaginations of their own hearts. (Read Acts 17:1-21).

The unreasonable people from Thessalonica then followed Paul to Berea and stirred up the crowd there also. Paul then asked the Thessalonians to pray for him to be delivered from these people. Unreasonable people can be instruments of Satan to tempt the most gentle and peaceful person to anger. They create disputes, arguments, and wrangling that upset peace and logical discussion. You can’t reason with unreasonable people. You’ll be fortunate to “get a word in edgewise.” Trying to reason with unreasonable people can be very frustrating, oppressive, and usually impossible. They attack truth and create dissension. That’s why Paul asked the Thessalonians to pray for God to deliver him from unreasonable people.
 
He knew that trying to reason with them would expend useless energy and distract from his ministry to the more noble of heart who would sincerely listen. Unreasonableness is a character defect and is an affliction of mind and heart. It is a tool of Satan that causes mental blindness and prevents the pure flow of truth in communication. It stirs up conflict and prevents resolution and peace. Unreasonableness is a Satanic tool to create and perpetuate chaos and lack of peace and to prevent people from being influenced by logic and truth.
 
CONDITIONS THAT CREATE UNREASONABLE PEOPLE
 
Insanity.
People under the influence of mental instability who are delusional and not in reality.      

Drug abuse and drunkenness
 
Prejudice and bias
A preconceived opinion or an attitude formed without just grounds and before sufficient knowledge, and which firmly resists change or enlightenment.
 
Anger
When a person is controlled by anger, he may have no control over his spirit. Uncontrolled anger clouds reason and logic and causes a person to have no regard for consequences.
 
Ignorance
It’s difficult to reason with a person who is ignorant and who does not know it. This is especially true of those who are willfully ignorant or stubbornly holding to error, and a wrong opinion because he has been brainwashed.
 
 Wickedness.
When a person knows the truth, but has an evil heart inclined to lie and do wrong. He does not respond to truth because he does not care for it. He wants his own will and way, and acts with an evil desire or with wrong motives regardless of facts and evidence. He loves darkness rather than light (John 3:18-21).
Wickedness and selfish desires blind a person to truth and reason, or cause him to ignore or reject the truth he does see. When the end justifies the means, a person can rationalize without being rational.
Selfish motives and evil intentions remove a person’s need or desire for truth. It also prevents compassion.
 
A MOB
You can’t reason with a mob. They don’t listen to logic and reason. They are ruled by emotions, demagogues, blind prejudice, and social contagion. A person under mob influence will engage in acts that he would never approve if he were alone. An individual does not feel responsible for his actions when in the anonymity of the mob.
 
FALSE WITNESSES
Honesty, reason, truth, and reality play no part with false witnesses. Their activity is based on lies and falsehood.  Matthew 26:59-61; Mat 5:11;
2 Cor 4: 4; Eph 4:17-24.   John 8:13-19, 42-47.
They operate from the following motivations: They may be getting paid to lie or are receiving some benefit from it. They may dislike, hate, and be personally set against the person they are attacking. They are fearful and are protecting themselves. They may be deceived.
 
CONCLUSION
On our part the Lord wants us to have a sound mind and a sincere heart. He wants us to love truth and reality, to have the ability to listen, and to search the scriptures to make sure we are on a biblical foundation.
So how do we deal with unreasonable people? It is pointless to debate or try to argue with them. We make our point and leave it with them. We pray for them knowing the Lord is able to open their eyes, hearts, and minds.
The Apostle Paul tells us. “Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And the servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps  will grant repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:23-26).

Billy Long
P.O. Box 147, Longs, SC  29568
www.billylongministries.com
broblong@gmail.com