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 – Colossians 2:8 NLT
In the month of September, many universities and colleges in the UK will welcome “freshers” to study various courses in their institutions. These are both exciting and anxious times for some of these new students who, leaving home, will be a new experience.
University will be particularly exciting for young believers who relish the opportunity to share the gospel with their peers. And perhaps less exciting for those who are a bit reserved or unsure how to share their faith with unbelievers.
A warning, however, for these young men and women and for believers in general is to be mindful of today’s scripture. Christianity is not a philosophy. It is not a knowledge of intellectual, or academic principles. Christianity is all about Jesus Christ and having a personal relationship with Him.
Philosophy, put very simply is human opinion. It is primarily the love of wisdom, the pursuit of truth and knowledge purely from human opinion based on human efforts, thoughts, and feelings. It is a study to unravel the fundamental questions concerning subjects such as God, the meaning of life, and existence, to name a few.
Scientists have always attempted to explain the origin of the universe. The Hadron Collider, located near Geneva in Switzerland, is the world’s most powerful accelerator. It was designed to bore through the earth’s core in the hope that man can “discover” the origin of the universe. To date, the attempts have failed!
There are no human solutions to spiritual issues or problems. Scientists and academic scholars who deny the existence of God often try to explain everything in the universe from their own rational thought patterns. Because they are well read and can be very charismatic and convincing, we are tempted to believe what they say. In their own wisdom, they attempt to discover truth and the meaning of life without God, the author of life. This is sheer futility and foolishness!
The question is, what is truth and knowledge based on? Where can wisdom and knowledge be found? All wisdom and knowledge reside in Jesus Christ! He is the very embodiment of wisdom and knowledge “…I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3 (NLT)
This is what God says about human wisdom – “…I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 (NLT)
So, what about the church today? Do we have preachers who could take people captive with their philosophy and human thinking? We will discuss this in the next blog.
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 