Proof of God's Will

Overview: Conjecture and Proof

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

One thing that developing mathematicians must learn to do is to design new mathematical systems. At the sophomore level, we begin that process within a system where students have a lot of experience---number relationships. Students look at simple patterns and try to generalize the relationships they see. The generalization created is called a conjecture.

Conjectures are excellent first steps in the design of new mathematical systems; however, to be useful, the person must try to write a convincing argument demonstrating why the statement is true or find a counter-example demonstrating why the statement is false.

Developing Christians are taught to seek the will of God in making life-decisions. To be able to determine the direction God wishes us to go, we must form conjectures and reason to conviction of truth. Paul says in Romans 12:2, "be transformed by renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test [conjecture] and approve [reason to conviction of truth] what God's will is ."