06 - What's So Special About Jesus 2009

8 “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” 2:8

SPOIL: to lead away as stolen valuables, like valuables stolen from a crime scene, or valuables taken from a residence in a time of war.

IN other words, don’t let anyone lead you away from Christ like stolen goods. This is what false philosophies do—they seduce one away from Christ.

PHILOSOPHY: the branch of knowledge or academic study devoted to the systematic examination of basic concepts such as truth, existence, reality.

It comes from two Greek words:

Phileo-love for.

Sophia-wisdom.

So philosophy is the love of wisdom. The philosophy you accept into your life is the truth you have the strongest affinity for; it is your world view, the values, ethics, morals and principles by which you decide to live your life.

How important is your philosophy of life? TOTALLY IMPORTANT! Because you will behave, live, and treat others according to your philosophy.

For instance, if your philosophy is one of agnosticism—which says there may or may not be a God, no one can be sure—then you will live life according to your own set of morals and ethics, not those that spring from scripture or any other source of ultimate truth.

If your philosophy is such that you believe we all evolved from monkeys, that we are not created, that life is a matter of the survival of the toughest and it’s every man for himself, then that will determine how you treat people, handle conflicts, and view the world.

If your philosophy is Christ-centered—meaning that you believe in the death, burial and resurrection of the God-sent Messiah, Who came to earth to redeem us from sin and to whom we will answer for the way we live our lives and treat others—then that philosophy will determine your morals, ethics, the way you treat others and the way you live your life out.

Notice that Paul taught those of us who name the name of Christ to receive no philosophy into our lives that is not Christ-centered:

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” 2:8

Notice that Paul nails the two sources of wrong philosophy: Human thinking or reasoning, and the spiritual powers of this world, which would be the realm of the demonic.

We really have a tri-fold choice in the source of the philosophies we choose: That which comes from the reasoning of men, or from the world of the demonic, or from Christ Jesus the Lord.

And the superior choice is not hard to arrive at. For instance, we are told in scripture about the reasoning of men.

“There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.”—Prov. 16:25

According to scripture, man is fallen. His reasoning, therefore, is flawed, blinded and fogged up by sin.

We’re not saying that everything non-Christian people say is wrong; that is, many non-Christian thinkers have said things that are sensible and practical and worth hearing.

But philosophy that springs from man alone will never lead you to Christ and the saving of your soul. There is advice and counsel that goes by the name of wisdom, but it does not come from God!

God says through the Prophet Isaiah, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Paul writes to the Corinthians: “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.”—1 Cor. 1:20,21

So the acid test of true wisdom is whether it leads one to a true knowledge of God! And man’s wisdom does not.

James talks about the wrong kind of wisdom and says, “This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, even devilish.” 3:15

So here again we’re given the 3-fold source of wisdom: Earthly, demonic, or that which comes from Christ.

In light of this, I am constantly amazed at what is happening in the church world today.

If certain parts of the church do not return to whole-hearted devotion to the wisdom of Christ and commitment to the scriptures, they are DOA.

I read this week of the Episcopalian Church, and the confusion they are in because they have walked away from the scriptures.

George Conger in this month’s issue of Christianity Today writes, “Jesus saves, the Episcopal church teaches, but a growing number of its clergy believe other faiths may lead to salvation as well.”

IN February, a devotee of Zen Buddhism…was elected bishop of the Episcopal Church’s Northern Michigan diocese.

The problem that is afflicting large slices of the church pie today is called SYNCRETISM—which is a blending of belief systems.

It’s like someone that goes to a different cafeteria week by week, depending on what they’re in the mood for.

A little Buddhism here, a dash of Hinduism there, salted with a little secular humanism and peppered with a dab of Islam. What you get is a spiritual potpourri, a religious pot pie.

The result of this slow encroachment of syncretism in Christianity is proving disastrous. Conger says again in his Christianity Today article:

“The results of an August 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life said: 52 Percent of American Christians overall and 47 percent of evangelical Christians believe that some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life.”

I can almost hear Paul’s question to the Galatians echoing down through the ages:

“Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.”

Paul wants to know how in the world, having heard the clear message of the cross of Christ, they could possibly be turning to anything else! Then he says:

2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? (And we could add, “or by Buddha, or Muhammad, or Confucius, or Krishna, or your own good intentions…Did any of these things bring the Holy Spirit into your heart?)

“Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.”

Paul says, “Our faith is backed up and affirmed by the undeniable power of the Holy Spirit, Who is given to everyone that calls on the name of Christ and Christ alone.” Paul closes by saying:

“How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort (Or anything else for that matter)?”—Gal. 6:1-3

And so, to the cafeteria Christians and the preachers that aren’t sure about the uniqueness of Jesus we ask in love and humility, What has happened to you?

Having begun in Christ are you now perfected by another god that is no god?

Did your other god die for you?

Was he or she born of a virgin?

Did they live a sinless life?

Did they leave a volume of teaching unmatched by any other philosopher or teacher in all of history?

Did they rise from the grave on your behalf?

Did they ascend into the presence of God to continuously pray for you?

Did they undertake building a home for you in eternity?

Are they coming back to receive you to themselves?

Are they the Lord of all Lords, the King of all Kings, the Savior of the world?

If not, then may I ask What are you doing with another?

This is why Paul wrote in Colossians:

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” 2:8

It’s sort of like Popeye. Popeye is an example of someone whose strength didn't come from himself, but something else—his spinach.

You and I don't have any strength in ourselves; our strength is in the quality of our walk with Him. Jesus is our spinach!

Our focus should not be on whether we will do good deeds or bad deeds throughout the day; our focus should be on placing our faith entirely in Jesus, and relying on him to give us the strength to do what we must do.

“Stablished in the faith…”

“Stablished” means to “stabilitate.” We are to be stabilized, steady, consistent, predictable in walk with God.

If someone were watching us they should be able to say, “I didn’t see a lot of ups and downs, ins and outs, or fluctuations in their walk. They were steady as she goes.”

AND we are to do all of these things in a spirit of THANKSGIVING. Overflowing with thankfulness.

THOUGHTS TO PONDER:

If it seems impossible for you to establish any kind of stability in your walk with Christ, it could be that you are placing your faith in the wrong person or thing.

Or that your priorities are off.

WE must do the same thing today that we did the day we were saved: put our faith entirely in Christ, not just living

For Him, but in Him.