Always Ready - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Immorality of Neutrality

Word definitions:

Antithesis – a counter propositions and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition.

Agnosticism – basically meaning without knowledge or the denial that one can know with certainty

Epistemological method – the process by which we can acquire knowledge

Presuppositions – foundational truths with which everyone begins their arguments.

To try to arrive at truth apart from the authority of Jesus Christ is to be robbed through vain philosophy and deluded by drafty deceit. (see Colossians 2:3-8) Therefore a Christian should never surrender his religious beliefs so that he might arrive at genuine knowledge ‘impartially.’ That is to begin a journey which is impossible for the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. (Prov. 1:7)

Attempting to be neutral (and we never can be) will mean that it erases the antithesis between the Christian and the unbeliever. The line between the believer and unbeliever is obscured. “Such indiscrimination in one’s intellectual life not only precludes genuine knowledge (cf. Proverbs 1:7) and guarantees vain delusion (cr. Colossians 2:2-8, it is downright immoral.” Paul in Ephesians 4:17-18, commands believers not to walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance in them, because of the hardening of their heart. Therefore for a Christian to live, act, or think like an unbeliever is immoral!

One has to make a choice in his thinking – either to be set apart by God’s truth or to be alienated from the life of God. Either have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) or the vain mind of the Gentiles. (Eph. 4:17) Either bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5) or continue as enemies in our mind. (Col. 1:21) We can never follow the intellectual principle of neutrality and at the same time honour the sovereign Lordship of God. The Christian is completely different from the world when it comes to intellect and scholarship; he does not follow the neutral methods of unbelief, but by God’s grace he has new commitments, new presuppositions, in his thinking.

“It should come as no surprise that, in a world where all things have been created by Christ (Col. 1:16) and are carried along by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3) and where all knowledge is therefore deposited in him who is the truth (Col. 2:3; John 14:6) and who must be lord over all thinking (2 Cor. 10:5), neutrality is nothing short of immorality.

Does your thinking operate under the Lordship of Jesus Christ or have you become an enemy of God through neutral, agnostic, unbelieving thought patterns?

Key texts: Ephesians 4:17-18; Romans 1:21