Light Brings Salt
Volume 2, Issue 12 March 21, 2004
Dedicated to the
Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
Two Wisdoms
by
Jim Harmon
We live in an information-rich but
wisdom-poor age. Self-help books, talk shows, infomercials, media counselors,
and seminars abound. Psychologists are at center stage and are ever more
influential. Even E-Therapy, counseling via the Internet, is getting serious
attention. People everywhere are striving to get relief from the strains and
perplexities of life. Counselors, therapists, and researchers, doing what they
are trained to do, continue to pour out an appealing and varied array of
theories, techniques, and therapies. Many Christians are attracted to these
professionals, seemingly unaware or unswayed by the
fact that their ideas are often speculative and contradictory.
There is a distinct and
irreconcilable chasm between what the Bible says about
God, man, life, and living and what society says. In its search for answers,
society-the "world" quite naturally ignores "the wisdom of God" (1 Cor.
Irreconcilable
Differences
One of the disputes that continues
to plague the church involves the mixing of secular ideas and opinions-philosophical
and psychological-with Biblical preaching and teaching. Throughout church
history many have warned, and continue to warn, of the risks to authentic
Christian growth and testimony when unbiblical ideas are absorbed by the church
into its views and practices. Some examples of these warnings:
"Scripture speaks of the
natural man to whom the things of God are mere foolishness. But though the
worldly-minded man cannot know the things of God, yet he can know their names,
and learn to say that which the saints have spoken about them. He can make
profession of them, be eloquent in their praise, and set them forth in such a
desirable view as shall make them quite agreeable to the children of worldly
wisdom. This natural man, having gotten
into the church, and taken church power, has turned the things of God into the
things of this world" (William Law, The Power of the Spirit).
"Some, we are aware, would
fain (feel obliged to) persuade us that things are so totally changed since the
Bible was penned, that we need other guidance than that which its precious
pages supply. They tell us that Society is not what it was; that the human race
has made progress; that there has been such a development of the powers of
nature, the resources of science, and the appliances of philosophy, that to
maintain the sufficiency and supremacy of the Bible, at such a point in the
world's history as the nineteenth century of the Christian era, can only be
regarded as childishness, ignorance, or imbecility" (C.H. MacKintosh, The Bible: Its Sufficiency and Supremacy).
"Listening to Christians talk,
watching them purchase materials in Christian bookstores, and hearing their
comments about sermons and radio broadcasts is like
observing a color-blind painter trying to distinguish chips on a color chart.
The effect of their lack of discernment is often like that of a tone-deaf
singer in a congregation whose singing throws everyone around him off key"
(Jay Adams, A Call to Discernment).
"The church has been far too
willing to embrace the fads of worldly opinion particularly in the area of
psychology and self-esteem. Christians often merely echo worldly thinking on
the psychology of guilt and the importance of feeling good about oneself. The
adverse effect on the life of the church can hardly be underestimated"
(John MacArthur, Jr., The Vanishing Conscience)
"The psychologizing
of faith is destroying the Christian mind. It is destroying Christian habits of
thought because it is destroying the capacity to think about life in a
Christian fashion" (David Wells, Evangelical Theology).
"...when one observes what
goes on in many churches, as well as the behaviors and thought patterns of many
Christians it becomes evident that in spite of the Bible's ubiquity (the Bible
is everywhere), the Word of God has become lost in the house of God and in
homes of Christians" (Ken Jones, Lost in the Church).
It can be said that underlying the
acceptance of unbiblical ideas and practices in the church is the notion that
God's provisions Jesus
Christ, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and prayer-are just not sufficient to give
us what we think we want or what we need.
Why does the church accommodate
unbiblical ideas and practices?
1. The church is made up of many
kinds of people (Matt.
Bad News
Unbiblical ideas often sound good
because they come enfolded in Biblical language and references. As such,
however, they pollute the pure Word of God, spawning unbiblical attitudes, behaviors,
and expectations. Pride, double-mindedness, and false spiritual growth are
among the possible consequences. The whole church is affected. Much like the
frenzy over Harry Potter, -unbiblical- ideas travel quickly.
Good News
Pilate asked, "What is truth?" Jesus
prayed, "Sanctify them through
thy truth. Thy Word is truth" (John
To name a few:
1. It defines the way of salvation
(John 3:3, 14:6; Acts
... for
the Bible tells me so
Peter exhorts believers to be ready
with the answer for what they believe (1 Pet.
The astonished Jews were
questioning Jesus as to where He got his knowledge: "My doctrine is not mine," Jesus answered, "but his that sent me" (John
Note: Jim Harmon is a member of the board of
PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries. This article is from the March-April 2004 issue
of PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter.