Always Ready - Chapter 5-6

Chapter 5: Revelation as the Foundation of Knowledge

The new man in Christ has new presuppositions and a new Lord over his thoughts. He is rooted in Christ and therefore there is neutrality to his thoughts. The Christian presupposes the truth word of God as his standard of truth and direction. This is in contrast to worldly philosophers today who either deny that there is absolute truth or else deny that one can be certain of knowing the truth. However, as Proverbs 22:17b asserts you must apply your mind to My knowledge. Man must think God’s thoughts after him.

David’s testimony was that The Lord my God illumines my darkness. [Ps. 18:28] God’s Word gives us light and understanding. [Psalm 119:30] We believe so that we can know. Similarly Proverbs 5:1-2: Attend unto My wisdom: incline you ear to my understanding in order that you may preserve discretion and in order that your lips may keep knowledge.

When God’s Word is your presupposition, your standard, your instructor, and your guide that means that you must denounce intellectual self-sufficiency which is the attitude that you are autonomous and able to come to knowledge apart from God. All knowledge which we have about the world has been given to us by God. It is only when we understand that the Word of God is the foundation of our knowledge that we will ever be able to have true knowledge. The foundation of knowledge is God’s revelation.

Key Texts: Proverbs 22:17b; Psalm 119:30; Proverbs 5:1-2

Chapter 6: Summary and Application:

God’s Self-Attesting Authority

1. All knowledge is deposited in Christ so that true knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord, and requires submission to God’s Word.

2. Philosophy which does not presuppose God’s Word is vain deception; suppresses truth; submits to human tradition; and leads to a dark mind and futile conclusions.

3. It is immoral to think that you can take a neutral stance in regards to the truth of God’s Word.

4. Neutralist thinking erases the Christian’s distinctiveness; blur the antithesis; endorses assumptions hostile to his faith.

5. The Christian is a new man having a new mind; new commitments; new direction; new goals; and hence new presuppositions in the world of thought. He renounces the human arrogance of human autonomy and unashamedly is grounded in the Word of God.

6. This leaves only two alternatives. Either ground all your thought in Christ’s Word and acquire true knowledge, or else follow the dictates of autonomous thoughts and follow vain philosophy.

7. Therefore, God’s Word has absolute authority for us and is the final criterion of truth.

Our knowledge is a reflection, a receptive reconstruction, of the primary, absolute, creative knowledge of God’s mind. God’s Word must be the standard by which we judge all things and the starting point of our thinking. The Lord Jesus taught with his own authority and anyone who calls the Word of Christ into question is building their lives on sand. [Matthew 7:26-27] The Word of God is self-attesting true and authoritative. It must be the rock bottom foundation of all our thinking. It is our presuppositional starting point. We must not depend on the changing opinions of men but upon the sure Word of God!