The Battle of the Mind
Brother Faith allegorically represents Christians who trust God’s Scriptures as all sufficient – not only for salvation but for life now – including the church (2Tim. 3:16, 17). They might not have degrees bestowed by men but they agree with God that the wisdom of this world is foolishness. They have not thrown away their brains but use their minds to know only the wisdom of God. They are open-minded in the way one chooses food. They are open to the good and closed to the garbage.
Episode #1
| Dr. Phil O. Sophy has mastered the Divine in religious sociology and psychology. He is now residing in HUMAN – Having Understanding Mixed And Natural. |  |
Dear Dr. Phil O Sophy,
A friend told me that the Bible claims that Jesus is the only truth and way to heaven. Is this right?
Con Fused
Dear Con,
There is nothing wrong with the hypothesis of Christianity. The concept of loving your fellow man is good and when practiced is a positive advancement for the common welfare of modern civilization. Who can argue with the golden rule; "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
However, I would caution you to avoid the radical right and its bigoted dogma that Jesus and His gospel is the only way to worship God and get to heaven.
All humanity is derived from the same source and shares in common a religious thirst for the divine. Thus all races and religions have positive aspects to contribute to the whole. To ignore the light of multicultural variety is to ignore the full dimension of the God who created them. Let a thousand points of light converge together, rejecting none, taking the best from each and you will progress to unlimited illumination.
True love tolerates all religions and so you must not tolerate radical Christianity’s bias of only one way. I would never deny Jesus is a way – a good way. To follow the teachings of Jesus can be beneficial. His family and social values are true and timeless.
Follow the love that Jesus taught. Don’t let it be said as another wise one said "I love Christ but I despise Christians because they do not live as Christ lived." For the advancement of your being, engrave it in your consciousness: There are absolutely no absolutes.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy… after the tradition of men, … and not after Christ. (Col. 2:8)
| Brother Faith bases his study on the only source of wisdom and truth: God in the Bible. He resides in CHRIST – Choosing Him Regarding InstructionSufficient Today. |
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Dear Con Fused,
The Lord Jesus has positively spoken in God’s Holy Scriptures:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). Jesus is more than a teacher or prophet. His life and family values save no one. Following are several reasons why the Lord Jesus can be the only way.
- Jesus Christ is the only human who is also God, (God was manifest in the flesh, 1Tim. 3:16). Therefore as the Son of God, He is the only person who has never sinned. (In Him is no sin, 1John 3:5).
- Because of His perfect life, His death could be accepted as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Therefore, His blood was precious, sacrificial and propitious. Christ’s death is the only death that God the Father can accept as a substitution that indeed counts as a full payment for our sin. Thus it has power to cause God to forgive sin for those who trust in Him. ("The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1John 1:7). This is love!
- Jesus is the only one God ever raised from the dead to die no more and placed on His very own right hand as Lord – the highest place and Name of authority under the Father in the cosmos. (This Jesus hath God raised up – when He had by Himself purged our sin, he sat down on the right hand of God, Acts 2:32, Heb. 1:3).
- To rule in God’s coming righteous kingdom the ruler of this kingdom must be of the royal line of King David as well as Divine. ("The mighty God … upon the throne of David", Isaiah 9:6,7). Only the Lord Jesus is both.
Darkness is the absence of light. Since the Lord Jesus Christ is "the Light" wherever His words and cross-work are absent is only darkness. Right is still right no matter how radical that light might be to one blind.
Remember, everyone lives by absolutes. The earth dogmatically orbits 600 million miles in 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 48 seconds to mark absolute time. Air is absolutely necessary for life and so we inhale it. A molecule of life-giving water is always absolutely H20. Think it through and only believe God.
Episode #2
| Dr. Phil O. Sophy has mastered the Divine in religious sociology and psychology. He is now residing in HUMAN – Having Understanding Mixed And Natural. | |
Dear Professor Phil,
A friend told me not to do certain things because I’m a Christian. Isn’t this legalism?
Lib Erty
Dear Lib,
There are many sincere, but misinformed individuals who believe the Christian life consists of externals. That is, a list of thou shalts and thou shalt nots.
Legalism is the insisting that one’s heart-spirit must be channeled through an external rule. How confining! Yes, there are things you might not want to do personally. That’s OK. But don’t judge or force a brother into your mold. That’s when choice becomes constraint. This is wrong and this is legalism – legislating your ways on others.
The love and grace of God displays itself internally in one’s spirit toward God. Thus, God is interested in a loving attitude and not externals. Even the "Good Book" says we have been called unto liberty. Remember, man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.
We must not put God in a box. We need to allow Him the diversity of showing His love in different ways through different methods, styles and circumstances. This way we experience the wholeness of God.
For example, if you drive a car, it is the internal that counts. You may have a variety of externals such as color, materials, options, etc., but none of these effect the internal power and performance of the engine.
I anticipate this supposition of legalism and interior disposition will give you rational direction in your encounter with your God.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly … in His [God’s] law doth he meditate day and night. (Psa. 1:1, 2)
| Brother Faith bases his study on the only source of wisdom and truth: God in the Bible. He resides in CHRIST – Choosing Him Regarding InstructionSufficient Today. |
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Dear Lib Erty,
The actual word "legalism" is not used in Holy Scriptures although the negative concept of putting a believer "under law" is found. According to Galatians and Colossians, putting believers under law and man-made traditions (true legalism) involves two areas.
One, claiming it is necessary to do any part of the Mosaic law (works) in order to become saved and right with God (justification). Justification is based on faith alone in the blood sacrifice of the risen Lord (Rom. 3).
Two, using any part of the law or man’s tradition as a requirement to stay accepted with God and become holy (sanctification). Practical sanctification (living a holy life unto God) is based on the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms from the inside out (2Cor. 3:18).
But remember, what God works on the inside is to come out (Philp. 2:12, 13). What should "come out" of the Christian life is where the written word takes us. That’s why there are still commandments to obey even in the New Testament (1Cor. 14:37). These don’t justify us or keep us accepted but they do define holiness (separation from what God calls wrong unto what God calls right). Christians are most definitely called unto the holiness of God (1Pet. 1:16, 2Cor. 7:1).
While we have been called unto liberty, the Bible adds: "only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh" (Gal. 5:13). Liberty is never viewed as a license to do it our way rather than God’s: that is sin.
Joshua was told not to go to the left or the right but simply to meditate and observe God’s word as it was given. To go to the left is to subtract things that are meant to be done: liberalism. To go to the right is to add things to do that God never gave: legalism. But to obey God is never legalism -but love -"if ye love me keep my commandments,", John 14:15.
A car’s internal power must be controlled by external control or serious damage will result. If you take away the external rules (speed limits, stop signs, etc.) then the internal power becomes destructive.
Episode #3
| Dr. Phil O. Sophy has mastered the Divine in religious sociology and psychology. He is now residing in HUMAN – Having Understanding Mixed And Natural. | |
Dear Doctor Sophy,
While the Bible is God’s truth, isn’t it also true that "all truth is God’s truth whether revealed or discovered"?
Sir Ching
Dear Sir,
Yes, you’re right on. We would certainly agree that the Bible is true. It claims to be a revelation from God. And who would want to argue with what God reveals? But as you alluded to, there is also truth to be discovered in God’s big universe. To believe the Bible’s revelation is the only source of truth is narrow-minded and denies the other works of God.
For example, take God’s creation. We know it’s true a monkey has two eyes, two ears and one mouth – yet the Bible doesn’t tell us that. But we know this is also truth by the simple science of observation. As man grows in knowledge and technological advancement he is constantly discovering new truths from nature, the human mind and behavior patterns. These take on the names of science, philosophy, psychology and cover thousands of areas in life.
Since God is the author of creation then these discovered truths are also His. We need not feel guilty when we embrace them for His speaking is not limited to the Bible. Even the Bible says, speaking of creation, "day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge" in Psalm 19.
The science of math tells us two plus two is four and we know that is truth. We know that red and green are truly different colors. As man advances there is a universe of truth yet to be discovered that we can embrace confidently and with excitement knowing that the source is a big God who speaks in many ways.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)
| Brother Faith bases his study on the only source of wisdom and truth: God in the Bible. He resides in CHRIST – Choosing Him Regarding InstructionSufficient Today. |
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Dear Sir Ching,
One must be very cautious with that statement for it is pregnant with the serpent’s hiss – "hath God said?" Such a statement infers that there is truth to be discovered outside Scripture’s interpretation.
It is true that God’s creation operates on what He calls "my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night" (Jer. 33:20). These principles or laws of the universe that control our solar system (its speed, distances, order, etc.) are absolute and therefore true. These laws of nature (actually of God) do indeed reveal the glory of God in His existence, power, order and designing genius.
To observe a "discovery" from God’s nature is one thing but to interpret it is quite another. Correct interpretation requires all the knowledge which we usually don’t have. That’s why many science books that were once considere true are now outdated, proven false.
It is true a monkey has two eyes and a mouth as we do. The lie is in interpreting this truth of similarity apart from what Scripture says and concluding that evolution is a "discovered" truth. To interpret the observations of science or psychology, etc. and believe such"discoveries" are truth over the authority of Scriptural revelation is spiritually disastrous. This is hellish, nothing but rank subjectivity. It enslaves the learner to the teacher’s opinion and interpretation of truth.
The Lord’s Scriptures counsel the man of God to avoid "science falsely so called." (1Tim. 6:20). (False science occurs when man, with the blind pride of his fallen mind, attempts to understand and interpret his observations apart from God’s revelation through His written Word- Holy Scriptures).
The man of God is taught that God’s inspired Scriptures are all-sufficient for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness to completely equip for every good work unto God. (2Tim. 3:15-17). Truth sets one free from self, sin and Satan’s deceptions (John 8:32). The Son of God revealed this about truth: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).
The Battle of the Mind
2Corinthians 10 shows that the believer’s warfare is in the mind. The mind is the battlefield where the enemy wages war. Actions are usually a result of what one thinks and believes. Proverbs 23:7 says:
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
There has been a closing of the Christian’s mind in the name of grace and love. Our society has overthrown the fear of God and holiness in favor of self-satisfaction and therefore tolerance of all. To justify this sinful departure, good concepts such as grace and love are twisted and perverted to make the departure appear right. The church as a whole is not far behind.
A person who tolerates error and sin might be truly persuaded in his mind that he is right because he thinks he is demonstrating grace – "and isn’t that biblical?" Yet we read in Titus 2:11 and 12:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
People who condone disobedience to the Word without judgment or consequences might think they are godly for isn’t it true that "God is love?" Yet the Scriptures say in John 14:15 and 1John 5:2:
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
To win this war to please and glorify God one must reject any reasoning that is different than the naked truth of God’s Word. 2Cor. 10:5 gives this strategy:
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
