During my sojourn in Switzerland I had the opportunity to sit at the feet of the well-known American apologist Francis Schaeffer as he gave a series of public lectures in Basel.
I regret to say that his talks were not well received. You see, in sophisticated, post-Christian Europe, very few are attracted to the gospel. Christianity is for little children and old people who don't know any better. No educated person would ever be willing to make a "leap of faith" to become a follower of Jesus. In the words of H. L. Mencken, "Faith may be defined as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable."
If you are a student of mine, may I urge you to reject such nonsense. Faith is not synonymous with credulity, superstition, let alone ignorance. Faith is neither irrational nor illogical. Faith and reason are never set against each other in Scripture. Faith and sight may be valid alternatives, but not faith and reason, for faith is eminently reasonable. And the reasonableness of faith lies in the fact that it never exists in a vacuum. It is always a rational response to a revelation of God. When God says something, faith responds with "I believe what you have said." Why do we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Because God said so. Why do we believe that Jesus will come again to receive us unto himself? Because God said so. Why do we believe that God forgives sinners who repent and put their faith in Jesus? Because God says so.
Like Noah, Christians today have to choose between believing God and believing the ridicule of their contemporaries. Faith believes what God has said. Period. But to know what God has said, we have to read and study his word diligently. We must lift up our hearts by faith and lay hold of his promises.
May God grant each of us such faith.