Living in Darkness

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB) But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Colossians 2:8a (NASB) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy [worldly wisdom] and empty deception, according to the tradition of men...

Imagine a person raised in a dark room, who has never experienced light. Imagine a man in a room full of books that he cannot read, full of pictures he cannot see, food that he can barely find. To tell such a man that it is, "Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness," is moronic foolishness to him. He does not know what light is, what a candle is, how to light it, or even why bother. Yet, the saying is wise to those who know how to light a candle.

The wisdom and philosophy of the world is, at best, a wisdom of how to live in total darkness. At worst, it is according to the "elementary spirits" (demons) of the world.

And the things of the Lord are moronic foolishness.

When we are saved, the Lord lights a candle ("He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:22).

It is not futile to talk to a "natural man" about the things of God: His word will not come back void.

However, it is futile to expect a person without the Spirit of God to understand, to experientially know, the things of God.

For example, currently there is a kerfuffle over some MD's, employed by Planned Parenthood, getting caught haggling over the price tags on various organs and tissues from aborted fetuses (offspring, babies, some who are viable outside of the womb).

Christians know that everyone is made by God, in the image of the God (“Let Us make man in Our image..." Genesis 1:26). Even abortion doctors.

This means every human being, as an individual, is valued by God. Individual humans beings have an innate value, honor, and dignity that cannot be taken away by slave owners, abortion doctors, twitter mobs, or the ideologies of fascism, Nazism, communism, socialism, and progressivism.

Do Christians always live this ideal? No. However, it is our ideal.

Oscar Wilde's comment may be appropriate here: "[A cynic is] a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.." The MD's may know how much the parts are worth, but have no idea of the value of the whole child in the eyes of God.

Modern leftist thinking does not see individuals, they see "tribes" at war with one another. Marxist thought divides people into groups: an oppressor class to rule and oppressed groups that are being ruled. Oppressed groups in the US include African-Americans, women, Hispanics, homosexuals and their allies, and other minorities. One of the implications of this is that only white males can be racist, sexist, homophobes, etc. And that they are just by being born white.

A white male opposing abortion must be doing because of sexism. A pro-choice person can not see a white male as having any other motive. They are blind to that possibility.

Expansition: 

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB) But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

"A natural man" - word is derived from Greek word, psyche - the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished from pneuma, or spirit. (From Thayer)

"Foolishness" - word is derived from Greek word, moros - fool, moves into English as "moron" and "moronic."

"Understand" - word translated by Wuest as "experientially know."

1 Corinthians 2:14 Amplified Bible. But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.

Article: We Shouldn’t Be Surprised At Planned Parenthood’s Callous Inhumanity

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood was a eugenicist and a racist who permitted her publications to be used as a platform for Nazis. Planned Parenthood has never acknowleged nor reputiated her or her stands.

High sounding nonsense

Colossians 2:8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

New International Version (NIV)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Amplified Bible (AMP)
8 See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).

Expanded Bible (EXB)
8 Be sure [Be careful; Watch; See] that no one leads you away [takes you captive; captivates you] with false [deceptive] and empty [worthless] teaching that is only human [according to human traditions], which comes from the ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings] of this world, and not from Christ.

Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
8 Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ!

The Message (MSG)
8 Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ.

Wuest
Be ever on your guard lest there shall be someone who leads you astray through his philosophy, even futile deceit, which is according to the tradition of men, according to the rudimentary teachings of the world, and not according to Christ.


"Be on guard," "takes you captive." Military analogies in the Greek.

"Philosophy." 1 Corinthians 1:20b (NASB).  "Has not God made foolish the wisdom [sophia] of the world?
1 Corinthians 1:25a (Mounce). For the foolishness (moros) of God is wiser (sophos) than the wisdom of men.

Gratitude

Colossians 2:6-7 (NASB)

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Characteristics or out-workings of receiving Jesus Christ as Lord:

• walking in Jesus
• becoming firmly rooted
• built up in God (edified)
• established in faith
• receiving instruction
• overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving.

How do we receive Jesus? By grace through faith.

How should we "walk in Him?" By grace through faith. And overflowing with gratitude.

Gratitude is a response to being saved. Gratitude is the standard operating procedure, hardwired in, of saved people.

Just like bitterness is a standard operating procedure, hardwired in, of the fallen state.

However, gratitude, like bitterness, takes time and discipline.

*****

Word study: Thanksgiving/gratitude (eucharistia)

Strong: G2169

GK: G2374

gratitude, thankfulness, Acts 24:3; thanks, the act of giving thanks, thanksgiving, 1 Cor. 14:16; conversation marked by the gentle cheerfulness of a grateful heart, as contrasted with the unseemly mirth of εὐτραπελία, Eph. 5:4

Eucharist
Middle English eukarist, from Anglo-French eukariste, from Late Latin eucharistia, from Greek, Eucharist, gratitude, from eucharistos grateful, from eu- + charizesthai to show favor, from eu, well, good, true and charis favor, grace, gratitude; akin to Greek chairein to rejoice.

Should race matter to a Christian?

Article: Does your race determine your biological age? Controversial research claims black people age more quickly - and are up to THREE YEARS older in health terms

Yet another data point in the continuing controversy over race.

One of the first comments:

The term "race" is racist - as you believe that there are different "races" with superior/ inferior qualities - term first introduced to segregate and disempower people - there is only one "race" the human race - articles like this actually prompt division - please research your article correctly - the term "race" is man made. People have differences, and also similarities but we are all the same "race", and there are many different social and environmental conditions that impact on people and their life chances.

Race is. And believing that different races exist is not inherently racist. Believing that they exist AND that one is superior to another is racist. [A comment made a little later, which I will not quote, claims that the black race is obviously superior. And both comments are politically correct on the left side of the political spectrum.]

The sad thing is, in God's eyes, we are all made in God's image. Different races do occur and can co-exist, if each individual is viewed as important in God's eyes.

It is basic "crooked timber" human nature to group people (tribes, races, ethnicity, religion) AND then place more value on one group over another.

The Old Testament is full of discussion of various tribes and nations. In Genesis, Babel is the story of the tribalization of humanity through the confusion of languages. In Genesis, God choose Abram/Abraham and makes him a great nation of him; a nation of 12 tribes.

In the New Testament, Christ draws all people and all nations to Himself (John 12:32).

Dispersion and tribalization is reversed, and one new people, composed of all people, is the result.

Colossians 3:9-11 (NASB)

9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

Galatians 3:28 (NASB)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

All divisions are reconciled and done away with in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, should Christians accept or deny races? If we do accept them, we cannot say one is inherently better than another.

I think that it is absurd to deny the existence of race/tribe/ethnicity. However, I must treat all individuals I meet as brother/sisters in Christ (actual or potential). In my behavior, I do away with division.

In the current "spirit of the age," the left is very collectivization orientated. That is, the left is highly conscious of divisions due to class, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, yada, yada, yada. And very definitely, the far left views some groups as superior to others.

I have posted a second discussion of this at the Loch Lomond Farms blog: Race and Aging.