Always Ready - Chapter 3-4

Chapter 3 – The Nature of Unbelieving Thought

Word Definitions:

Philosophy – the love of wisdom

So far we have seen that neutral thinking: robs one of knowledge itself; is immoral in character; and is impossible for a genuine Christian. From Ephesians 4 and Colossians 2 let us consider the character of neutralist thinking.

q Paul in Ephesians 4:17 tells us that to have intellectual outlook apart from the LORD is to have a vain mind and darkened understanding. Neutralist thinking is characterized by intellectual futility and ignorance. To do so is trying to see in the dark when there is light available for our path. (Ps. 119:105) God therefore calls such reasoning vain. (Romans 1:21)

q In Colossians 2:8 Paul condemns any philosophy that does not have its starting point in Christ. (Col. 2:3) Any philosophy that does not begin with the truth of God, the teaching of Christ but rather in the accepted principles of the world’s intellectuals – in the traditions of men – is vain deception.

Vain deception is not in accordance to God’s word; is actually in opposition to God’s word; and against the truth of Christ. Paul describes it as the kind of philosophy as according to the tradition of men, after the fundamental principles of the world. Therefore a Christian who strives for neutrality in the world of thought is (1) not neutral at all, and thus (2) in danger of unwittingly endorsing assumptions that are hostile to his Christian faith. All men have their presuppositions; none is neutral. Therefore the question is: what are your presuppositions?

Chapter 4: The Mind of the New Man Rooted in Christ

The believer is directed to avoid philosophy which is rooted in worldly, humanistic, and non-Christian presuppositions. (Col. 2:8) His presuppositions must be the precepts and doctrines of Christ. Neutrality is a suppression of the truth and ultimately a denial of it.

When one becomes a Christian all of his thought patterns change. To receive Christ is to turn away from the wisdom of man and to rest upon the Holy Spirit for illumination and understanding. It is by the Holy Spirit that we have been brought to Christ and it is in him that we stand. Being a Christian means that we submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives. Every thought must be brought captive to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5) Christ has authority in the area of thought and knowledge.

We are called as Christians to be rooted in him rather than the apostate presuppositions of worldly philosophy. Such firm presuppositional faith will reject the world’s demand for neutrality and reject the unbeliever’s standard of knowledge and truth. The Christian has new commitments, new presuppositions, a new Lord, a new direction and goal – he is a new man.

According to VanTil the Bible does not appeal to human reason as the ultimate in order to justify what it says...but rather calls us to subject our human reason to the authority of God’s Word. Further, as Christians we have not chosen the Christian position because we are wiser than others, but only by the grace of God. The Bible alone is the basis for truth!

Key texts: 2 Corinthians 10:5; Colossians 2:6-7; Ephesians 4:17-24