I mentioned lately that our society, culture, has shifted its sense of truth...and therefore where authority comes in showing us how to live as a society...from the wisdom and foundation we had in law derived from scripture to one that has no authority - the individual choices of so called intellect of humans.
Think about this.
With the logic of post-modernism ruling in our world today (largely western world I admit), we have not moved forward in terms of human concerns; but rather we have moved backwards...a sort of devolving.
We have seen regression in terms of economic equality; regression in terms of racial equality; regression in terms of human rights; regression in terms of intellectual growth. The press gives more weight to the opinion of celebrities in terms of major societal issues than any other social group.
The Post-modernist philosophy is that there is NO truth, so we flit from one crisis to another, from one potential to another, with no sense of where we are going.
It seems the larger question needs to be asked: "How did we get here?" Consider this:
We live in a world where the word "terrorism" is part of our daily news.
We live in a world where kids are more likely to grow up with a single parent than a Mom & Dad.
We live in a world where video games regularly drop the "F" bomb, and allow kids to kill virtual humans, or zombies, or alien creature. It makes no difference, it is a glamorization of taking life.
We live in a world where sexuality in movies and TV shows is uninteresting unless it is provocative, outside of the marriage, and explicit.
We've come along way haven't we?
In reading Calvin's Institutes, I've been struck by how he framed the necessity of reading, understanding, and aligning values to the authority of scripture. It might not sound that thrilling, but the attack of the post-modernist on the authority of scripture is telling - and I would remind you of what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6..."We don't wrestle against flesh and blood (humans) but against principalities and powers in the heavenlies (i.e., the fight is spiritual, not earthly).
On scripture, Calvin said:
It is necessary to attend to what I lately said, that our faith in doctrine is not established until we have a perfect conviction that God is its author. Hence, the highest proof of Scripture is uniformly taken from the character of him whose Word it is...
Profane men think that religion rests only on opinion, and, therefore, that they may not believe foolishly, or on slight grounds, desire and insist to have it proved by reason that Moses and the prophets were divinely inspired. But I answer, that the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason. For as God alone can properly bear witness to his own words, so these words will not obtain full credit in the hearts of men, until they are sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit, therefore, who spoke by the mouth of the prophets, must penetrate our hearts, in order to convince us that they faithfully delivered the message with which they were divinely entrusted. This connection is most aptly expressed by Isaiah in these words, “My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever,” (Isa. 59:21)...
For what is the beginning of true doctrine but prompt alacrity to hear the Word of God? And God, by the mouth of Moses, thus demands to be heard: “It is not in heavens that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart,” (Deut. 30:12, 14). God having been pleased to reserve the treasure of intelligence for his children, no wonder that so much ignorance and stupidity is seen in the generality of mankind"
Now, I know that many will dismiss Calvin's arguments. We cannot frame a society by our adherence to the scripture...they will say.
Yet, we continue to see regression that is killing us: increases in poverty, drug use, suicide, violence, losses in family, parenting, and child hood education...
SO...is Calvin wrong in pointing out that a society, or persons, who ignore scripture as its authority, demonstrate the "ignorance and stupidity in the generality of mankind."
I don't know about you, but I'll continue to claim that the authority of scripture is far superior to the so called intellectualism of post-modernism. Insanity reigns when you continue to do the same things over and over expecting different results.
Just something to think about.
Think about this.
With the logic of post-modernism ruling in our world today (largely western world I admit), we have not moved forward in terms of human concerns; but rather we have moved backwards...a sort of devolving.
We have seen regression in terms of economic equality; regression in terms of racial equality; regression in terms of human rights; regression in terms of intellectual growth. The press gives more weight to the opinion of celebrities in terms of major societal issues than any other social group.
The Post-modernist philosophy is that there is NO truth, so we flit from one crisis to another, from one potential to another, with no sense of where we are going.
It seems the larger question needs to be asked: "How did we get here?" Consider this:
We live in a world where the word "terrorism" is part of our daily news.
We live in a world where kids are more likely to grow up with a single parent than a Mom & Dad.
We live in a world where video games regularly drop the "F" bomb, and allow kids to kill virtual humans, or zombies, or alien creature. It makes no difference, it is a glamorization of taking life.
We live in a world where sexuality in movies and TV shows is uninteresting unless it is provocative, outside of the marriage, and explicit.
We've come along way haven't we?
In reading Calvin's Institutes, I've been struck by how he framed the necessity of reading, understanding, and aligning values to the authority of scripture. It might not sound that thrilling, but the attack of the post-modernist on the authority of scripture is telling - and I would remind you of what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6..."We don't wrestle against flesh and blood (humans) but against principalities and powers in the heavenlies (i.e., the fight is spiritual, not earthly).
On scripture, Calvin said:
It is necessary to attend to what I lately said, that our faith in doctrine is not established until we have a perfect conviction that God is its author. Hence, the highest proof of Scripture is uniformly taken from the character of him whose Word it is...
Profane men think that religion rests only on opinion, and, therefore, that they may not believe foolishly, or on slight grounds, desire and insist to have it proved by reason that Moses and the prophets were divinely inspired. But I answer, that the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason. For as God alone can properly bear witness to his own words, so these words will not obtain full credit in the hearts of men, until they are sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit, therefore, who spoke by the mouth of the prophets, must penetrate our hearts, in order to convince us that they faithfully delivered the message with which they were divinely entrusted. This connection is most aptly expressed by Isaiah in these words, “My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever,” (Isa. 59:21)...
For what is the beginning of true doctrine but prompt alacrity to hear the Word of God? And God, by the mouth of Moses, thus demands to be heard: “It is not in heavens that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart,” (Deut. 30:12, 14). God having been pleased to reserve the treasure of intelligence for his children, no wonder that so much ignorance and stupidity is seen in the generality of mankind"
Now, I know that many will dismiss Calvin's arguments. We cannot frame a society by our adherence to the scripture...they will say.
Yet, we continue to see regression that is killing us: increases in poverty, drug use, suicide, violence, losses in family, parenting, and child hood education...
SO...is Calvin wrong in pointing out that a society, or persons, who ignore scripture as its authority, demonstrate the "ignorance and stupidity in the generality of mankind."
I don't know about you, but I'll continue to claim that the authority of scripture is far superior to the so called intellectualism of post-modernism. Insanity reigns when you continue to do the same things over and over expecting different results.
Just something to think about.
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