A Warning Concerning Education

The Bible warns against men in too high esteem.

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:3-7).

We are also warned not to hold ourselves in too high esteem.

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

Too often in the scholarly realm the man is put on the pedestal. It then becomes more important what men say than what God says. Besides holding men and their teachings too highly, many educated men and women become proud of their status of wisdom in the eyes of the world. But the Bible tells us that God’s idea of wisdom is radically different from man’s.

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?… Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:20, 26-31).

So we are not to boast in worldly wisdom but in the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the work of the gospel that has made us who we are today in Christ Jesus.

We are given many warnings in the Word of God about what happens when we boast in our own wisdom. “Knowledge puffs up, but loves builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1b).

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

If we miss the point of the gifts God has given us – if we do not love God with all we are and love others as Christ loves us – our work is meaningless. It doesn’t matter how many books you’ve read, if you have a college degree, or if you have climbed the academic ladder as high as it goes. It is possibly to completely miss God and what he’s doing if you become puffed up about yourself. We are warned, “Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought” (Romans 12:3).

Do you need proof that God delights in using people this world views as foolish to confound the wise and to do his work? Look at D.L. Moody. Moody only had a sixth-grade education, and he went on to lead hundreds of thousands of people to Christ. More than that, our Lord used him to found a Bible college that is still standing today. Or look at A.W. Tozer. Tozer wasn’t educated either, but he was a man who knew God better than most scholars, and his life, preaching and writing showed it. A.W. Tozer preached by the power of the Holy Spirit. No education can replace that.

I’m not saying that education in and of itself is a bad thing, but that basing one’s worth on education is unbiblical and sometimes idolatrous.

Ecclesiastes, that great book of the Bible themed on meaning and futility, ends with these words:

Of making many books there is no send, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:12-14).

Without Scripture We Can Know Nothing

“Not only do we know God by Jesus Christ alone, but we know ourselves only by Jesus Christ. We know life and death only through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ, we do not know what is our life, nor our death, nor God, nor ourselves. Thus, without Scripture, which has Jesus alone for its object, we know nothing, and see only darkness and confusion in the nature of God, and in our own nature” (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 547).

Reason and Revelation

We can only reason so much when it comes to faith, because the nature of faith is to “be sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The truth is that at some point the Christian actually became a Christian, and that was a moment of faith. For many that has meant taking the knowledge and evidence accumulated concerning the credibility of belief in God and the message of the gospel and translating that into a real faith commitment in receiving the salvation offered through Christ.

At the point of salvation something very real happens. It is true that faith takes courage because it is put in something that cannot be seen with natural eyes. But it has been said that faith in God is like seeing the wind’s effects on the trees – you can’t see the wind, but you can sure see it blowing the tree from side to side, it’s effects on the things it touches. Seeing God is a lot like that.

Revelation is one of those supernatural things that you experience when you meet the Lord. Not only does the Christian know about God, but they can honestly say they know him because he has revealed himself to them through Christ. This is a life-changing experience. To have a revelation is to have God show you something about himself or his Word, the Bible. It is to have a new understanding or insight that you didn’t have before.

Revelation will always line up with the Bible, what we already know that God has revealed. There have been many false prophets who have come along and claimed to have been given a revelation from God, but that has not resembled the Word in the least. God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18) and does not change (Hebrews 13:8), so we can trust that he will not contradict himself in what he reveals to one person compared to another. God is the God of truth (Psalm 31:5).

Come Let Us Reason Together

“Come now, let us reason together,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

A Perspective on Mary

Before I got married I did a short stint in the Canadian Armed Forces pursuing chaplaincy. While I was there I got into a discussion with a few of the Catholic students in my course about my perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus. I was asked why I think it’s wrong to pray to Mary, and how I view her if not in that kind of veneration and devotion.

The answer to the first question is two-fold. First, the Bible says that we are not to pray to images and idols (Deuteronomy 5:8-10). This covers the worshipping of statues and pictures of Mary. But for those who claim they are not worshipping an image but praying to or venerating Mary as a mediator, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men – the testimony given in its proper time.” Throughout Scripture it is seen that under no circumstance should anyone other than God be prayed to.

I would like to now shift our attention to the second question. If we are not to worship or venerate or pray to Mary, what should our attitude be towards her?

Mary was a woman of great faith. She had the faith courage to say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be done to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). Mary is a picture of faith and obedience to God. As such, she is someone who is to be viewed as an example for our faith in life.

Besides putting her trust in God, Mary proclaimed God’s glory (Luke 1:46-55). She remained faithful to her betrothed and remained pure until after the Lord’s birth (Matthew 1:25). She fulfilled the requirements of the law (Luke 2:39) – that same law which her child would ultimately fulfill once for all on the cross. She treasured everything the Lord was doing in her heart (Luke 2:51).

This Christmas season, let us remember that the faith of the young woman Mary is one to be emulated in our own lives. May we also say to the Lord “I am the Lord’s servant,” and submit to do everything he has called us to do.

The False Gospel of Prosperity – Part 5

When all is said and done, one must only look to the life of Christ Jesus to see how unbiblical the claims of the prosperity gospel are. The Lord said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). He did not own a home. And rather than earn any sort of income, the Lord was supported by a few female followers “out of their own means” (Luke 8:3).

Neither did the Lord have an abundance of money to purchase food. At least twice he miraculously multiplied bread and fish to feed crowds of his followers (Matthew 14:13-21; 15:29-30). In Matthew 12:1 we find the Lord’s disciples gleaning from a grain field. The law actually decreed that the corners of the fields be left untouched at harvest time so that the poor may glean from them (Leviticus 19:9).

This lack of material wealth is seen all throughout the Lord Jesus’ life. To name a couple more instances, he rode into Jerusalem not on a valiant steed, but on a borrowed donkey (Matthew 21:1-11), and he was buried in a borrowed tomb (Matthew 27:57-60).

Besides these things, the Lord also discouraged the greedy accumulation of wealth. He did this in the form of parables (Luke 12:13-21), commands to specific people (Matthew 19:21) and teachings (Matthew 19:23). He emphasized that our true treasure is in heaven, and we should therefore not be preoccupied with the wealth of this world (Matthew 6:19-20).

We must learn the meaning of the words “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People we want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:6-10a)

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11b-12).

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'” (Hebrews 13:5-6; cf. Deuteronomy 31:6).

The False Gospel of Prosperity – Part 4

The Bible is clear that God will always provide for the needs of his people. What is the difference between this and the prosperity gospel?

I think the key to this is motive: the prosperity gospel preaches that God is pretty much obligated to provide what you ask for, whereas the Bible teaches that God provides for his people for his own glory. The Christian has no right to demand things of God.

I think the key verse is Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” If you seek after God, he provides for your needs. Note that these are needs, not wants. You need food and clothing and shelter. You do not need a million dollar home or a fancy car.

So what about when God blesses his people with abundance? The Bible indeed talks about prospering his people, but this is a blessing based on their obedience in seeking His face, not their own ends. Any time in Scripture we read of God prospering a godly person, we never see them boast about it, nor do we see them “claiming” God’s blessing. We only see God blessing and the person receiving.

The False Gospel of Prosperity – Part 3

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I’ve seen this verse used to promote the prosperity gospel. There are two problems with this interpretation.

First of all, the Hebrew word translated here as “prosper” is the word Shalom – peace. It is not talking about material wealth per se, although the passage of a whole does mention that God will make provision for his people materially. But the point of the matter is that God will give his people peace if they will serve him, not wealth.

Secondly, taking this verse to mean that God will always prosper us and we will always be healthy takes it out of context. The context is that of God telling Israel they are about to go into exile. That should seem like a bad thing, and it is because the exile was punishment for turning away from God. However, for those who turn back to God and serve him, he will bless them and all that they do. Also, the point of that prosperity is for the glory of God – so that everyone will know that he is God, and will turn from their sin and worship him.

Tomorrow we will take a look at what exactly we mean when we say that God will bless and prosper us. The words are found in Scripture, but they have been greatly distorted into some sort of self-centered replacement gospel that takes the place of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

The False Gospel of Prosperity – Part 2

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26a).

At the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is self-denial. At the very heart of the prosperity gospel is the belief that God owes you something. People who believe the false gospel of prosperity of course do not see it that way. They believe that they are only “claiming” the blessing God has for them. But that kind of claim is to tell God what you want him to give you, and the basis of the belief is that God will give you what you are claiming. This makes God out to be obligated to give you something.

Let me tell you something, God cannot be bought and God cannot be played.

To serve Christ is to deny yourself. A big part of self-denial is to not expect anything in return for your service to God. We receive our salvation with joy because this is the goal of our faith: to receive eternal life. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life has nothing to do with the material things of this world. If it has anything to do with this world at all it is only to know God more and more in this life we live and to bring glory to his holy name. It has nothing to do with earthly possessions, for everything on this earth is destined to be destroyed. But our treasure is in heaven.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no mother destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:32-34).

The False Gospel of Prosperity – Part 1

There may be no teaching circulating the church that appeals to the itching ears of people more than the prosperity gospel. After all, what can sound like a sweeter deal than God wanting us to receive wealth? But this gospel of health, wealth and prosperity is a false gospel, as we will see in this week’s examination of its teachings.

“If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:3-10).