A little over three months ago I started this adventure in examining the relationship between reason and revelation. One of the primary motives for writing these nineteen articles was to attempt to change the discourse when discussing which mode of learning was preferable: Reason or Revelation. I wanted to show that it is not one or the other, either your given to reason or your given to revelation, rather that both are needed and necessary. Revelation is necessary because it is how we obtain new knowledge, but reason is also necessary because it is how we assimilated that revelation into our everyday lives. Without reason, revelation would come and go but we would never be changed, and with out revelation, we could reason all we want within ourselves, but we would never come to know the sublime and the hidden truths that are all around us.
When we run into problems, it is usually not because we have drifted too far to one side or the other, towards reason or towards revelation, but rather it is most often caused by a problem that is deeper and more systemic in our lives. Our problem is usually not that we have too much reason or too much revelation, but our problem is most often a problem of the heart. The primary factors that affects our learning and our growth in knowledge and understanding is the condition of our heart and the depth of our relationship with God. If we focus our attention on these two areas, then most of the rest of our lives will automatically fall into place.
Each one of us learns and processes information differently, but what we all have in common is our need for relationship with God and our need to be cleansed by Him in our hearts. I hope these post have been helpful. I would greatly enjoy hearing what you think. Drop me a line or leave a comment.
David Robison
Showing posts with label Reason and Revelation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reason and Revelation. Show all posts
Monday, October 01, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Reason (Part 4)
Reasoning in our Hearts
While we all at times reason with others, and may even reason with God, our primary mode of reasoning is in our hearts. Some have relegated the realm of the mind, intellect, and reason to the soul, but Jesus makes it abundantly clear that when we reason, we reason in our hearts. Consider the following scriptures.
The problem with our reasoning is not the process itself, but rather that it is limited and affected by the condition of our heart. If our heart is clean and pure, then so will be our reasoning, but if our heart is polluted by sin, then too will be our reasoning. "To the pure , all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (Titus 1:15) Here are some examples from the scriptures of how the condition of our heart can affect the quality of our reasoning.
"Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; they have called their lands after their own names." (Psalms 49:11) When our hearts are full of pride we loose sight of the brevity of life. We will not live forever nor will our works. Pride causes us to misjudge the things that are of first value and can lead us to pursue things that temporal and passing away.
"Abraham said, 'Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'" (Genesis 20:11) Abraham judged king Abimelech and the people of Gerar, not based upon facts or observations, but rather based on presumption and prejudices. Presumption blinds us to the truth and distorts our vision of reality.
"These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes." (Psalms 50:21) Just because we believe something does not make it true. Believing as true that which is really a lie is called deception. Regardless of the source of the deception, it will keep us from obtaining the truth as long as we insist in holding on to it.
"Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'For there will be peace and truth in my days.'" (Isaiah 39:8) God had just declared judgment against Israel, ye Hezekiah received it as a "good" word. He failed to grasp the gravity of the word of God because his heart was selfish and he thought only of himself.
"And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, 'Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?'" (Matt hew9:4) When we harbor evil motives in our heart we are no longer able to judge between good and evil; evil becomes good and good becomes evil. When we reason with evil motives, we always arrive at the wrong conclusions.
"The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless." (1 Corinthians 3:20) When, in our hearts we reject the knowledge of God, then our reasoning becomes futile. It is only when we open ourselves up to, and submit to, the wisdom of God can we reason effectively and grow in our knowledge, understanding, and insight.
"When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11) It is the Father's will that we would grow in our knowledge and understanding and in our ability to reason well. While we are born again as a babe in Christ, we are not to stay a babe, but we are to grow up in the knowledge and love of God. At times this will mean putting away some of our childish reasonings that we might learn to reason as an adult.
"For she thought, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well." (Mark 5:28) While the scriptures are replete with examples of how the condition of our heart can negatively impact our ability to reason well, here is an example of how a heart of faith can lead us to healing and freedom. When faced with the hopelessness of her situation, this lady reasoned with faith and, in reasoning with faith, she was not disappointed.
David Robison
While we all at times reason with others, and may even reason with God, our primary mode of reasoning is in our hearts. Some have relegated the realm of the mind, intellect, and reason to the soul, but Jesus makes it abundantly clear that when we reason, we reason in our hearts. Consider the following scriptures.
"But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?' Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, 'Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?'" (Mark 2:6-8)Reasoning is not a soulish activity but rather a process that takes place within our hearts.
"But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side..." (Luke 9:47)
The problem with our reasoning is not the process itself, but rather that it is limited and affected by the condition of our heart. If our heart is clean and pure, then so will be our reasoning, but if our heart is polluted by sin, then too will be our reasoning. "To the pure , all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (Titus 1:15) Here are some examples from the scriptures of how the condition of our heart can affect the quality of our reasoning.
"Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; they have called their lands after their own names." (Psalms 49:11) When our hearts are full of pride we loose sight of the brevity of life. We will not live forever nor will our works. Pride causes us to misjudge the things that are of first value and can lead us to pursue things that temporal and passing away.
"Abraham said, 'Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'" (Genesis 20:11) Abraham judged king Abimelech and the people of Gerar, not based upon facts or observations, but rather based on presumption and prejudices. Presumption blinds us to the truth and distorts our vision of reality.
"These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes." (Psalms 50:21) Just because we believe something does not make it true. Believing as true that which is really a lie is called deception. Regardless of the source of the deception, it will keep us from obtaining the truth as long as we insist in holding on to it.
"Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'For there will be peace and truth in my days.'" (Isaiah 39:8) God had just declared judgment against Israel, ye Hezekiah received it as a "good" word. He failed to grasp the gravity of the word of God because his heart was selfish and he thought only of himself.
"And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, 'Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?'" (Matt hew9:4) When we harbor evil motives in our heart we are no longer able to judge between good and evil; evil becomes good and good becomes evil. When we reason with evil motives, we always arrive at the wrong conclusions.
"The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless." (1 Corinthians 3:20) When, in our hearts we reject the knowledge of God, then our reasoning becomes futile. It is only when we open ourselves up to, and submit to, the wisdom of God can we reason effectively and grow in our knowledge, understanding, and insight.
"When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11) It is the Father's will that we would grow in our knowledge and understanding and in our ability to reason well. While we are born again as a babe in Christ, we are not to stay a babe, but we are to grow up in the knowledge and love of God. At times this will mean putting away some of our childish reasonings that we might learn to reason as an adult.
"For she thought, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well." (Mark 5:28) While the scriptures are replete with examples of how the condition of our heart can negatively impact our ability to reason well, here is an example of how a heart of faith can lead us to healing and freedom. When faced with the hopelessness of her situation, this lady reasoned with faith and, in reasoning with faith, she was not disappointed.
David Robison
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Thursday, September 27, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Reason (Part 3)
Reasoning with God
While we my often delight in reasoning with other people, God Himself invites us to reason with Him.
Much of understanding is perspective. When life ceases to make sense, it is most often because we have lost a proper perspective on life. When we open ourselves up to God's perspective then things that seemed hard to understand all of a sudden become more obvious and easier to grasp. Things that are murky become clear and things that are hidden become revealed.
In one of the Psalms of Asaph, the psalmist reflects on a time when he was unable to understand what was happening around him. In his own understanding he tried to understand it, but could not. He recalls, "When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end." (Psalm 73:16-17) While he tried in his own understanding to make sense of life, it only deepened the trouble in his soul, but when he came into God's presence, his perspective changed and he began to understand what was going on around him.
One of the greatest mistakes we make in our search of knowledge and understanding is to forsake the source of all knowledge and understanding. We are quick to run to others and seek their advice, counsel, and reason, but we are slow in coming to the Lord. We want understanding, but we fail to come to the one who can give us understanding. In our reasoning, we must never forget to reason with God.
More to come... David Robison
While we my often delight in reasoning with other people, God Himself invites us to reason with Him.
"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'" (Isaiah 1:18)In our pursuit of knowledge and understanding, God has not left us alone to our own devices, rather He has invited us into His presence that we may gain from His understanding, wisdom, and knowledge. When faced with the profundities, quandaries, and conundrums of life, God has offers to share His answers with us.
Much of understanding is perspective. When life ceases to make sense, it is most often because we have lost a proper perspective on life. When we open ourselves up to God's perspective then things that seemed hard to understand all of a sudden become more obvious and easier to grasp. Things that are murky become clear and things that are hidden become revealed.
In one of the Psalms of Asaph, the psalmist reflects on a time when he was unable to understand what was happening around him. In his own understanding he tried to understand it, but could not. He recalls, "When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end." (Psalm 73:16-17) While he tried in his own understanding to make sense of life, it only deepened the trouble in his soul, but when he came into God's presence, his perspective changed and he began to understand what was going on around him.
One of the greatest mistakes we make in our search of knowledge and understanding is to forsake the source of all knowledge and understanding. We are quick to run to others and seek their advice, counsel, and reason, but we are slow in coming to the Lord. We want understanding, but we fail to come to the one who can give us understanding. In our reasoning, we must never forget to reason with God.
More to come... David Robison
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Sunday, September 16, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Reason (Part 2)
Reasoning with Others
Rehoboam has succeeded his father Solomon as king of Israel. The people came to him and requested of him that he lighten the load and burden that his father had placed upon him. Rehoboam first turned to the elders that had served his father. Their counsel was, "If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." (2 Chronicles 10:7) However, Rehomoam rejected the counsel of the elders and turned instead to the counsel of the young men who had grown up with him and served him. Their counsel was, "Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.' Thus you shall say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'" (2 Chronicles 10:10-11) Rehoboam listened to the counsel of the young men and, as a result, the people revolted and the nation of Israel was divided.
Rehoboam's problem was that he limited the spear of people he reasoned with to those who were like him and who agreed with him. He specifically chose people who would give him the counsel he desired and who would not challenge his assumptions, conclusions, or will. We often do this in the church as well. We set up small groups around common beliefs, activities, or ministries. For example, all the prophetic people get together in one group while the teachers are in another. We separate out the young and the elderly into their own groups. We have separate groups for young parents and empty nesters. We have two Sunday services, one traditional and one charismatic, so that people can be comfortable in their own group.
When we limit our reasoning to be with others who reason like us, we can miss much of what God wants to show us. It can be likened to two groups who are studying an elephant. One group positioned in the rear and one in front of the elephant. As long as the members of each group only consider the reasoning of others in their group, they will only ever have one view of an elephant. However, if the two groups share revelation and reason between them, they will all have a more complete understanding of elephants. Elephants are multifaceted, and so is God.
David Robison
"Jesus said to them, 'I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?' And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, 'If we say, "From heaven," He will say to us, "Then why did you not believe him?" But if we say, "From men," we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.' And answering Jesus, they said, 'We do not know.'" (Matthew 21:24-27)There were many things wrong with the reasoning process used by the chief priests and the elders of the people, least of which was that they "reasoned among themselves". One of the ways we reason is in the company of other people. Reasoning with others is not always a bad idea. When Paul had a dream at night, he submitted the revelation to those who were traveling with him.
"A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:9-10)After hearing and considering the revelation, the entire party "concluded" that it was a word from the Lord and that He was calling them into Macedonia to preach the Gospel. Reasoning with others can be a good idea, the problem comes in our selection of, and the quality of, those we chose to reason with.
Rehoboam has succeeded his father Solomon as king of Israel. The people came to him and requested of him that he lighten the load and burden that his father had placed upon him. Rehoboam first turned to the elders that had served his father. Their counsel was, "If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." (2 Chronicles 10:7) However, Rehomoam rejected the counsel of the elders and turned instead to the counsel of the young men who had grown up with him and served him. Their counsel was, "Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.' Thus you shall say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'" (2 Chronicles 10:10-11) Rehoboam listened to the counsel of the young men and, as a result, the people revolted and the nation of Israel was divided.
Rehoboam's problem was that he limited the spear of people he reasoned with to those who were like him and who agreed with him. He specifically chose people who would give him the counsel he desired and who would not challenge his assumptions, conclusions, or will. We often do this in the church as well. We set up small groups around common beliefs, activities, or ministries. For example, all the prophetic people get together in one group while the teachers are in another. We separate out the young and the elderly into their own groups. We have separate groups for young parents and empty nesters. We have two Sunday services, one traditional and one charismatic, so that people can be comfortable in their own group.
When we limit our reasoning to be with others who reason like us, we can miss much of what God wants to show us. It can be likened to two groups who are studying an elephant. One group positioned in the rear and one in front of the elephant. As long as the members of each group only consider the reasoning of others in their group, they will only ever have one view of an elephant. However, if the two groups share revelation and reason between them, they will all have a more complete understanding of elephants. Elephants are multifaceted, and so is God.
"So that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places." (Epheasians 3:10)No one, by themselves, is able to fully comprehend the manifold, or multifaceted, wisdom and grace of God. However, if we are willing to listen to and consider the revelation and reasoning of others, even those who are different from us or who might disagree with us, we will be embracing a process that can lead us to a fuller understanding of God, His Kingdom, and His creation.
David Robison
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Monday, September 10, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Reason (Part 1)
Reasoning is when we take what we already know, combine it with revelation, and arrive at some new knowledge, understanding, and insight. Revelation alone is insufficient to bring us to new understanding and knowledge. Consider what Jesus said in the parable of the sower and the seed.
Reasoning is a process, and it is a process that is executed with various levels of success by different people. Often, the reason we arrive at wrong conclusions is not because our base knowledge or received revelation was faulty, but rather because our reasoning was flawed. Learning, understanding, and insight are limited by the quality of our reasonings.
Over the next few posts, I want to look at some of the various ways we reason and what counsel the scriptures give us as to how we reason.
More to come... David Robison
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road." (Matthew 13:19)Jesus speaks of the one who hears the word (revelation) but fails to understand it (reason). The Greek word for "understand" means to "put together" or to "mentally comprehend". It is not enough to merely receive revelation, God wants us to "put it together"; to combine it with what we already know that we might grow in knowledge and understanding. James referred to this as "in grafting" or "implanting" the word (James 1:21). This process of bringing together both the rational and the revelatory is the heart of reason and is the process by which we grow in knowledge and understanding.
Reasoning is a process, and it is a process that is executed with various levels of success by different people. Often, the reason we arrive at wrong conclusions is not because our base knowledge or received revelation was faulty, but rather because our reasoning was flawed. Learning, understanding, and insight are limited by the quality of our reasonings.
Over the next few posts, I want to look at some of the various ways we reason and what counsel the scriptures give us as to how we reason.
More to come... David Robison
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Revelation (Part 5)
The Father
One of our greatest sources of revelation is the Father. The Father wants to reveal Himself to us and is waiting for willing vessels in which to pour His revelation into. Here are three things that the scriptures teach us about revelation from God.
First, God wants us to live a life of revelation. In praying for the church at Ephesus, Paul prayed, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:17-19) Paul prayed that, not only would they receive revelation, but that they would have a "spirit of revelation". Revelation was suppose to be a lifestyle, a regular part of their life; part of what defined them in their spirit. Revelation was not meant for a select few, but was to be a common aspect of a normal Christian life.
Second, a revelation of the Jesus is to be the foundation of our life in Christ. Consider the revelation that Peter received. "He [Jesus] said to them, 'But who do you say that I am ?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.'" (Matthew 16:15-18) I believe that the "rock" that Jesus was referring to, upon which He was going to build His church, was the revelation that Peter had as to who Jesus was. It was to be upon this revelation that Jesus would build His church. Revelation is foundational and it should form the foundation of our relationship with God. It is one thing to have knowledge of God, but it is another to have revelation of God.
Third, the agent of revelation is the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that there are those, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."(1 Corinthians 2:9) Yet he also goes on to encourage us that, "to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10) The things that are hidden are revealed to us through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13-15) The Father has revealed Himself to the Son, and the Son reveals the Father and Himself to us through the Spirit. The key to receiving revelation from God is in having a relationship with the Spirit. Apart from the Spirit, we cannot know God. We must draw near to Him and listen and receive His revelation.
David Robison
"At that very time He [Jesus] rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, 'I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.'" (Luke 10:21)There is knowledge and information that God has hidden from the minds of men. By His own design, He has chosen to hide knowledge from those who would seek after it by their own reasoning and understanding, and He has chosen to reveal it to whomever He pleases. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." (Matthew 11:27) There is knowledge that is beyond our intellect, wisdom, and imagination. This knowledge can only be obtained through revelation.
One of our greatest sources of revelation is the Father. The Father wants to reveal Himself to us and is waiting for willing vessels in which to pour His revelation into. Here are three things that the scriptures teach us about revelation from God.
First, God wants us to live a life of revelation. In praying for the church at Ephesus, Paul prayed, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:17-19) Paul prayed that, not only would they receive revelation, but that they would have a "spirit of revelation". Revelation was suppose to be a lifestyle, a regular part of their life; part of what defined them in their spirit. Revelation was not meant for a select few, but was to be a common aspect of a normal Christian life.
Second, a revelation of the Jesus is to be the foundation of our life in Christ. Consider the revelation that Peter received. "He [Jesus] said to them, 'But who do you say that I am ?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.'" (Matthew 16:15-18) I believe that the "rock" that Jesus was referring to, upon which He was going to build His church, was the revelation that Peter had as to who Jesus was. It was to be upon this revelation that Jesus would build His church. Revelation is foundational and it should form the foundation of our relationship with God. It is one thing to have knowledge of God, but it is another to have revelation of God.
Third, the agent of revelation is the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that there are those, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."(1 Corinthians 2:9) Yet he also goes on to encourage us that, "to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10) The things that are hidden are revealed to us through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13-15) The Father has revealed Himself to the Son, and the Son reveals the Father and Himself to us through the Spirit. The key to receiving revelation from God is in having a relationship with the Spirit. Apart from the Spirit, we cannot know God. We must draw near to Him and listen and receive His revelation.
David Robison
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Monday, August 27, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Revelation (Part 4)
Demons
One of the ways we can open ourselves up to the influences and impressions of demons is through drug use. The Greek work for sorcery is "pharmakeia" from which we get our English word "pharmacy". Many religions around the world use drugs to archive an altered state of mind through which they hope to gain enlightenment. However, in reality, the "enlightenment" they are receiving is merely the communications of demons. This is what makes the drug culture so destructive. It not only destroys the body, but it also open our spirits up to the pollution of demons. The impact of drugs go far beyond the impact to our mind and body, they can lead to the destruction of our spirit.
In seeking revelation, especially spiritual revelation, we must be certain of from whom we are receiving revelation. Muses, spirit guides, inner voices, personal "angles", are all substitute names for demons. Our only protection is to ensure that, in our seeking, that we are seeking the Lord Jesus Christ. Only when our search is centered in God, will we be sure of the source of our revelation.
More to come... David Robison
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)One of our primary sources of revelation is the spirit realm. However, not everything that comes to us from the spirit realm is from God. Paul specifically warns Timothy that, especially in the last days, people will be listening to and following the teachings and doctrines of demons. We must be discerning when receiving spiritual revelation as to what spirit, or kind of spirit, the revelation is from. The bible speaks of unclean spirits and of the Holy Spirit. This is why John charges us, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1) When it comes to spiritual revelation, we should be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16 NKJV)
One of the ways we can open ourselves up to the influences and impressions of demons is through drug use. The Greek work for sorcery is "pharmakeia" from which we get our English word "pharmacy". Many religions around the world use drugs to archive an altered state of mind through which they hope to gain enlightenment. However, in reality, the "enlightenment" they are receiving is merely the communications of demons. This is what makes the drug culture so destructive. It not only destroys the body, but it also open our spirits up to the pollution of demons. The impact of drugs go far beyond the impact to our mind and body, they can lead to the destruction of our spirit.
In seeking revelation, especially spiritual revelation, we must be certain of from whom we are receiving revelation. Muses, spirit guides, inner voices, personal "angles", are all substitute names for demons. Our only protection is to ensure that, in our seeking, that we are seeking the Lord Jesus Christ. Only when our search is centered in God, will we be sure of the source of our revelation.
More to come... David Robison
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Saturday, August 25, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Revelation (Part 3)
Teachers and Preachers
In our search for revelation, we must not neglect the revelation that God has given to others. We must be as willing to receive from teachers, preachers, and other Christians as we are to receive directly from the Lord.
More to come... David Robison
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)Revelation is cumulative. What I mean by this is that the revelation gained by one generation can be passed on to the next, who, along with the revelation they gain themselves, then pass it on to the generation that follows them. When God wants to reveal something to mankind, He doesn't need to reveal it to everyone, He can simply reveal it to a few who then pass it on to others. In this sense, revelation can be taught and imparted. After Jesus' resurrection from the dead, He appeared to His disciples and gave them revelation concerning the scriptures. "Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45) They then, in turn, took that revelation and passed it on to others. This is why John said,
"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life -- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us -- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." (1 John 1:1-4)John had received revelation about Jesus that he wanted to pass on to others so that, though their shared revelation, they all may have fellowship with one another. Paul also understood this principal when he told Timothy, "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2) God also intended parents to be one of the primary teachers of revelation. This is why He told His children, "Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'" (Deuteronomy 4:10)
In our search for revelation, we must not neglect the revelation that God has given to others. We must be as willing to receive from teachers, preachers, and other Christians as we are to receive directly from the Lord.
More to come... David Robison
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Monday, August 20, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Revelation (Part 2)
There are many sources of revelation. Here are but a few.
The Creation
We can receive revelation through our study, observation, and experience of God's creation. Many great advances and discoveries have been the result of observing and experiencing nature. This picture shows Sir Isaac Newton "discovering" gravity by watching an apple fall from a tree. While I don't know if it is true that the apple actually hit him on the head, the story persists that it was by watching apples fall that Newton pondered and formed his ideas on gravity. The experience of the falling apple was like a spark that ignited his curiosity and his existing knowledge and lead him to profound understanding of gravity.
The revelation we can gain from the world around us is not limited to knowledge of this present creation. It is also possible to gain knowledge of God through our study of his handiwork. God Himself has left clues to His existence and His nature in all that he has made. When we look and experience His creation, it is as if His very voice is speaking to us, giving us revelation of who He is.
More to come... David Robison
The Creation
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes , His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:18-20)One of the sources of revelation is the world around us.
We can receive revelation through our study, observation, and experience of God's creation. Many great advances and discoveries have been the result of observing and experiencing nature. This picture shows Sir Isaac Newton "discovering" gravity by watching an apple fall from a tree. While I don't know if it is true that the apple actually hit him on the head, the story persists that it was by watching apples fall that Newton pondered and formed his ideas on gravity. The experience of the falling apple was like a spark that ignited his curiosity and his existing knowledge and lead him to profound understanding of gravity.The revelation we can gain from the world around us is not limited to knowledge of this present creation. It is also possible to gain knowledge of God through our study of his handiwork. God Himself has left clues to His existence and His nature in all that he has made. When we look and experience His creation, it is as if His very voice is speaking to us, giving us revelation of who He is.
"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world." (Psalms 19:1-4)The truth of God is evident all around us, it we are only willing to see and acknowledge it. To grow in knowledge, we need more than a mere academic approach to life. We must not only observe but we must also experience the world around us. I had a friend that was an anthropology student. However, when he got saved he left the university and wrote all his class mates telling them that he had studied life long enough and now it was his turn to live it. There is a revelation that is only gained when we participate in life. This is why Jesus said,
"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Matthew 9:13)It is not enough to simply study the laws of nature, we need to experience them as well. Jesus said, "go and learn", not "study and learn". The world around us holds mysteries untold, but when we engage life it opens up to us the finner revelations that it holds.
More to come... David Robison
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Friday, August 17, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Revelation (Part 1)
In chemistry, a catalyst is a compound that assists in a chemical reaction. 
For example, in the chemical reaction pictured here, ethene is converted to ethanol using steam in the presence of phosphoric acid. In this chemical reaction, phosphoric acid is a catalyst. Apart from the presence of phosphoric acid, ethene is stable, but when phosphoric acid is present, it triggers the chemical reaction to produce ethanol. A catalyst triggers a transformation of a substance from one form to another. I believe that, in the same way, revelation is a catalyst. Revelation triggers a transformation of our current knowledge, understanding, and beliefs to something new. Revelation is the trigger to bring us to a new understanding, new knowledge, and possibly even new beliefs. Without revelation, we simply will not grow in our knowledge, especially in our knowledge of God. We can reason all we want within the context of our current knowledge and understanding, but without revelation, we will never arrive at new knowledge.
While some knowledge is easily obtained by simple study of the world around us, other knowledge has been hidden by God. God has hidden knowledge that is only discerned by revelation. Consider what Jesus said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight." (Luke 10:21) Learning takes more than our own personal efforts and reasonings, we are dependent on the catalyst of revelation to transform what we know into new knowledge. No one, no matter how smart or wise they are, can learn apart from revelation. Consider this scene from the Book of Revelation,
More to come... David Robison
For example, in the chemical reaction pictured here, ethene is converted to ethanol using steam in the presence of phosphoric acid. In this chemical reaction, phosphoric acid is a catalyst. Apart from the presence of phosphoric acid, ethene is stable, but when phosphoric acid is present, it triggers the chemical reaction to produce ethanol. A catalyst triggers a transformation of a substance from one form to another. I believe that, in the same way, revelation is a catalyst. Revelation triggers a transformation of our current knowledge, understanding, and beliefs to something new. Revelation is the trigger to bring us to a new understanding, new knowledge, and possibly even new beliefs. Without revelation, we simply will not grow in our knowledge, especially in our knowledge of God. We can reason all we want within the context of our current knowledge and understanding, but without revelation, we will never arrive at new knowledge.While some knowledge is easily obtained by simple study of the world around us, other knowledge has been hidden by God. God has hidden knowledge that is only discerned by revelation. Consider what Jesus said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight." (Luke 10:21) Learning takes more than our own personal efforts and reasonings, we are dependent on the catalyst of revelation to transform what we know into new knowledge. No one, no matter how smart or wise they are, can learn apart from revelation. Consider this scene from the Book of Revelation,
"I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?'" (Revelation 5:1-2)John saw a book that contained the knowledge of what was to be and to happen in the end times. This knowledge was sealed up and hidden from knowing. An angel makes a proclamation asking who was worthy to open the book and to bring forth the revelation of future things.
"And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it." (Revelation 5:3-4)In all of heaven and earth, no one was found who was able to open the book and to look inside it. The book was a closed revelation, it contained knowledge that could not be known or discovered, unless someone could open its seals. John understood what this meant, there was knowledge that was to be known, but it was hidden because there was no one to make it known.
"And one of the elders said to me, 'Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.' And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne." (Revelation 5:5-7)Finally one was found worthy and able to open the book, Jesus Christ. The point of this story is that we are unable to know the full extent of the wisdom and counsel of God apart from that which is revealed to us by Jesus Christ. If we are to grow in knowledge, then we must be able to receive the revelation of Jesus Christ. Revelation is the key to growing in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
More to come... David Robison
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Range (Part 4)
The Surprise of God
This is perhaps the greatest example from the scriptures of a man who's range was blown to pieces by God.
It is always good to have well thought out and reasoned beliefs and opinions, but we must always leave room for the "surprise" of God. We must always leave room in our range for what we don't understand; for what is beyond our present understanding. We must be willing to be taught and shown new things by God. We must be open to God "blowing" our minds and expanding our range. After all, the goal is not to form tightly crystallized ideas, but rather knowing God, and in that process, I am sure that we are going to find lots of surprises along the way.
David Robison
This is perhaps the greatest example from the scriptures of a man who's range was blown to pieces by God.
"Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!' But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.' Again a voice came to him a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky." (Acts 10:9-16)What God was asking Peter to do was unthinkable to him. How could he disobey the law of Moses? How could he transgress the traditions of his elders? How could God be commanding him to do what he had grown up to believe was sinful? I tried to think of what an equivalent request might be for me. It would be as if God came to me in a dream and told me to start preaching the Book of Mormon. Personally, I don't believe that the Book of Mormon is divine but rather simply a fable or novel. How could I take up preaching a false gospel? This is akin to what God was asking Peter to do. The vision left Peter perplexed.
"Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate; and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.'" (Acts 10:17-20)Instead of summarily dismissing the vision, Peter pondered what it might mean. A few days later, when he arrived at Cornelius' house, He understood what God was trying to tell him.
"As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for... I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.'" (Acts 10:27-29, 34-35)All of a sudden, Peter understood. God was calling all men to repentance and reconciliation with God, not just the Jews. Where before, Peter would have never even consider going to a gentile with the gospel, now he is the first to bring them the good news. That day, Peter's range got expanded to include even the gentiles.
It is always good to have well thought out and reasoned beliefs and opinions, but we must always leave room for the "surprise" of God. We must always leave room in our range for what we don't understand; for what is beyond our present understanding. We must be willing to be taught and shown new things by God. We must be open to God "blowing" our minds and expanding our range. After all, the goal is not to form tightly crystallized ideas, but rather knowing God, and in that process, I am sure that we are going to find lots of surprises along the way.
David Robison
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Sunday, July 29, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Range (Part 3)
Not too big, Not too little, but Just right
While our range can be helpful in keeping us from being distracted by "every wind of doctrine," it can also limit and hinder us from learning what God wants to teach us. There are many examples in the scriptures of people who's range actually kept them from the knowledge of God.
The Greeks sought wisdom and knowledge. Their range was limited to what they could know and understand. To them, the Cross was foolishness; it didn't make sense, it didn't seem logical. They had little use for revelation and were focused on what they could figure out themselves; what they could grasp with their own minds. The Jews, on the other hand, sought a sign. This was not because they were expecting a sign, but because they were closed to any revelation that did not fit into their understanding of religion. Any spiritual thing that did not come in a way that their religion expected they rejected, unless validated by special sign. This is why they asked Jesus, "The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?' Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:18-19) The truth is that they were not interested in a sign. Even when Jesus did provide the sign of His resurrection from the dead, they still would not believe. No matter what the sign, they were not willing to receive anything that was outside of their nice, comfortable, religion. Perhaps no where can this be more clearly seen than in the following scripture.
Both the Jews and the Greeks had developed a range that was closed. They had no room in their range for what they could not understand or for what was different than their expectations. When we allow our range to become closed, then our range becomes the proverbial box into which we wish to place and keep God. A range is important, but we must always be open to the idea that our range is not the same as Jesus' range. We must always leave room for that which we do not know, what we cannot understand, and what we do not expect. We must always leave room for Jesus, and allow Him to break out of the box we so often love to put Him in. We must always remember what God spoke about Himself.
While our range can be helpful in keeping us from being distracted by "every wind of doctrine," it can also limit and hinder us from learning what God wants to teach us. There are many examples in the scriptures of people who's range actually kept them from the knowledge of God.
"For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks , Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)It has always amazed me how Jesus could come to Earth and perform the miracles that He did and yet most people missed the importance of what was happening. Especially the Pharisees, who claimed to be waiting for the messiah, yet they failed to recognize Him when He came. I think in part, it was due to their limited range.
The Greeks sought wisdom and knowledge. Their range was limited to what they could know and understand. To them, the Cross was foolishness; it didn't make sense, it didn't seem logical. They had little use for revelation and were focused on what they could figure out themselves; what they could grasp with their own minds. The Jews, on the other hand, sought a sign. This was not because they were expecting a sign, but because they were closed to any revelation that did not fit into their understanding of religion. Any spiritual thing that did not come in a way that their religion expected they rejected, unless validated by special sign. This is why they asked Jesus, "The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?' Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:18-19) The truth is that they were not interested in a sign. Even when Jesus did provide the sign of His resurrection from the dead, they still would not believe. No matter what the sign, they were not willing to receive anything that was outside of their nice, comfortable, religion. Perhaps no where can this be more clearly seen than in the following scripture.
"On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and come forward!' And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, 'I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?' After looking around at them all, He said to him, 'Stretch out your hand!' And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus." (Luke 6:6-11)What more of a miracle could they have asked for? Yet they rejected it simply because the miracle was done on the sabbath. They rejected Jesus and His ministry because He would not play according to their rules; because He didn't fit inside their "box".
Both the Jews and the Greeks had developed a range that was closed. They had no room in their range for what they could not understand or for what was different than their expectations. When we allow our range to become closed, then our range becomes the proverbial box into which we wish to place and keep God. A range is important, but we must always be open to the idea that our range is not the same as Jesus' range. We must always leave room for that which we do not know, what we cannot understand, and what we do not expect. We must always leave room for Jesus, and allow Him to break out of the box we so often love to put Him in. We must always remember what God spoke about Himself.
"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55:8-9)More to come... David Robison
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Sunday, July 22, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Range (Part 2)
Examine your range
We each have a range of what we both expect to be true and what we are willing to accept as being true. Each person's range may be different; some larger and some smaller.
Different ranges can be thought of as concentric circles as pictured here. As the concentric circles increase in size, they correlate to a range that is larger and more inclusive than the encircled range. For example, when considering spiritual knowledge, these four ranges might be:
A: Knowledge and truth that can be ascertained and understood from the physical world.
B: Knowledge and truth that is directly taught by the scriptures.
C: Knowledge and truth that is not necessarily taught by the scriptures but neither is denied by the scriptures.
D: Knowledge and truth that is spiritual in nature, even if it is denied by the scriptures.
Much of science today operates in the "A" range. While not always the case in the past, much of science is involved in the pursuit of knowledge that does not require an acknowledgment of God. Science today seeks to describe the world without reference to God and, in many circles, the inclusion of God in the description of the world is considered "non-scientific". This is why many scientists and evolutionist summarily dismiss the idea of a creator God because it does not fit inside their range.
Many fundamentalist Christians operate with a "B" range. They are willing to receive truth that is (in their perception) clearly taught by the scriptures, but they are leery of experiences and revelation that cannot be traced back to a concrete scripture reference. Throughout history, revivals have often been accompanied by strange manifestations; manifestations not explicitly noted in the scriptures. Manifestations such as jerking, swaying, and falling out or, being "slain in the Spirit". People with a strict "B" range often have difficulty embracing revival because they are unable to relate the strange manifestations back to the scriptures.
My wife is a regional resource person for the Catch the Fire Ministries out of Toronto Canada. Over the past few years I have had the pleasure to meet many people associated with this ministry and the ongoing revival that is happening throughout the world. Many of the people I have met have been "C" range people. There is an openness to experiences and revelation that, while not directly taught by the scriptures, is not discounted or denied by the scriptures either. Sometimes, these experiences have lead to new and creative ministry styles that have proven to be effected, even if they are not directly demonstrated in the scriptures.
Finally, those whom we would title as "new agers" would be included with those who have a "D" range. People who have adopted a "D" range are willing to accept any spiritual truth, even truth that is directly denied by the scriptures. Such examples would include spiritualists, mediums, palm readers, fortunetellers, channelers, and the like. For them, the spirit realm is wide open and anything spiritual is to be embraced and accepted.
While there is nothing sacred about these four ranges, they are provided as an example to help us think about our range. While each of us may have a different range, it is important that we understand what our range is and to examine it before God to see if He might desire to change our range; to increase it or to decrease it.
As for me and my wife
My wife an I have different ranges. For me, I accept as truth everything taught by the scriptures ("B" range), I accept as possible those things not denied by the scriptures ("C" range), and I reject everything denounced and denied by the scriptures ("D" range). My wife, however, is more accepting of revelation and experiences that would fall in the "C" range. She is willing to accept as truth those teachings that have been effective in bearing good fruit in people's lives. While the lack of a strong biblical foundation may make me skeptical, for my wife the evidence of the power and fruitfulness of the teaching is a witness of the truth of that teaching.
So who is right and who is wrong? Neither, rather I believe that our differences are due to the different grace, anointing, and calling on our lives. One of my primary ministry callings is as a teacher. As such, I am very concerned about the precision of my teaching. On the other hand, my wife is called to a more personal ministry of the Kingdom of God to the lives of individual people. As such, she is highly concerned with the power and efficacy of the scriptures. To her, the power and capacity of the scriptures is more important that their precision. The point is, I believe that, in part, our different ranges are due to our different callings by God. One is not necessarily better than the other, nor is one to be judged by the other, they are simply different.
More to come... David Robison
We each have a range of what we both expect to be true and what we are willing to accept as being true. Each person's range may be different; some larger and some smaller.
Different ranges can be thought of as concentric circles as pictured here. As the concentric circles increase in size, they correlate to a range that is larger and more inclusive than the encircled range. For example, when considering spiritual knowledge, these four ranges might be:A: Knowledge and truth that can be ascertained and understood from the physical world.
B: Knowledge and truth that is directly taught by the scriptures.
C: Knowledge and truth that is not necessarily taught by the scriptures but neither is denied by the scriptures.
D: Knowledge and truth that is spiritual in nature, even if it is denied by the scriptures.
Much of science today operates in the "A" range. While not always the case in the past, much of science is involved in the pursuit of knowledge that does not require an acknowledgment of God. Science today seeks to describe the world without reference to God and, in many circles, the inclusion of God in the description of the world is considered "non-scientific". This is why many scientists and evolutionist summarily dismiss the idea of a creator God because it does not fit inside their range.
Many fundamentalist Christians operate with a "B" range. They are willing to receive truth that is (in their perception) clearly taught by the scriptures, but they are leery of experiences and revelation that cannot be traced back to a concrete scripture reference. Throughout history, revivals have often been accompanied by strange manifestations; manifestations not explicitly noted in the scriptures. Manifestations such as jerking, swaying, and falling out or, being "slain in the Spirit". People with a strict "B" range often have difficulty embracing revival because they are unable to relate the strange manifestations back to the scriptures.
My wife is a regional resource person for the Catch the Fire Ministries out of Toronto Canada. Over the past few years I have had the pleasure to meet many people associated with this ministry and the ongoing revival that is happening throughout the world. Many of the people I have met have been "C" range people. There is an openness to experiences and revelation that, while not directly taught by the scriptures, is not discounted or denied by the scriptures either. Sometimes, these experiences have lead to new and creative ministry styles that have proven to be effected, even if they are not directly demonstrated in the scriptures.
Finally, those whom we would title as "new agers" would be included with those who have a "D" range. People who have adopted a "D" range are willing to accept any spiritual truth, even truth that is directly denied by the scriptures. Such examples would include spiritualists, mediums, palm readers, fortunetellers, channelers, and the like. For them, the spirit realm is wide open and anything spiritual is to be embraced and accepted.
While there is nothing sacred about these four ranges, they are provided as an example to help us think about our range. While each of us may have a different range, it is important that we understand what our range is and to examine it before God to see if He might desire to change our range; to increase it or to decrease it.
As for me and my wife
My wife an I have different ranges. For me, I accept as truth everything taught by the scriptures ("B" range), I accept as possible those things not denied by the scriptures ("C" range), and I reject everything denounced and denied by the scriptures ("D" range). My wife, however, is more accepting of revelation and experiences that would fall in the "C" range. She is willing to accept as truth those teachings that have been effective in bearing good fruit in people's lives. While the lack of a strong biblical foundation may make me skeptical, for my wife the evidence of the power and fruitfulness of the teaching is a witness of the truth of that teaching.
So who is right and who is wrong? Neither, rather I believe that our differences are due to the different grace, anointing, and calling on our lives. One of my primary ministry callings is as a teacher. As such, I am very concerned about the precision of my teaching. On the other hand, my wife is called to a more personal ministry of the Kingdom of God to the lives of individual people. As such, she is highly concerned with the power and efficacy of the scriptures. To her, the power and capacity of the scriptures is more important that their precision. The point is, I believe that, in part, our different ranges are due to our different callings by God. One is not necessarily better than the other, nor is one to be judged by the other, they are simply different.
More to come... David Robison
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Sunday, July 15, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Range (Part 1)
While our ethos is our starting point, our range is where we hope to end up; it encompasses what we hope and expect to learn. The term "range", as I am using it, is a mathematical term. In mathematics, a function takes a set of numbers, known as the "domain", and transforms them into a new set of numbers, know as the "range". While a typical function can transform numbers from the set of "real" numbers into the set of "real" numbers (also known as the codomain), the actual set of possible values for a specific function can be quite more restrictive. For example, the function that takes a real number and squares it can only return the set of positive real numbers. In this case the set of positive real numbers would be the range for the square function. If we input a number into the square function and get a negative number, we would not conclude that we learned something new about the square function, rather we would assume that there was something wrong with how we calculated the square. We would reject the negative number as a bad result simply because we know that it lies outside of the range of possible values for the square function.
The idea of a range can apply to more than just mathematics. For example, consider this picture.
While this picture clearly seems to demonstrate water flowing uphill, few of us would take this picture as evidence that water can violate the immutable laws of gravity. Most of us would dismiss that idea out-of-hand and assume that the picture is some sort of trickery or optical illusion. We assume this because we know that "water flowing uphill" is outside the range of the law of gravity. No matter how many pictures we are shown that seem to depict water flowing uphill, few of us would ever be persuaded to even consider the idea that, even in some cases, water cannot defy the laws of gravity.
When applied to learning, we all have a range of information that we expect to learn. When faced with information that falls outside of that range, we either must adjust our expectations or the things we are willing to consider to be true, or we must reject the new information as simply being in error. This idea of a range can easily seen in the debate between creation and evolution. If an evolutionist receives new information that could indicated an intelligent creator, rather than accepting the idea of a creator, the evolutionist sets out to rethink the new information and to find new ways of relating it back to their evolutionist understanding. The same is true for those who are creationist. When faced with new information that lies outside of their range of acceptable knowledge, they either reject the new knowledge as being in error, or construct new theories and/or reasoning to draw that new knowledge back into their acceptable range of understanding.
The Benefit
We all have our ranges of what we are willing to accept as true. When applied to our search to know and understand God, our range can help us and keep us from ending up "in the weeds." It can keep us from chasing every "bunny trail" and from being easily distracted away from the things that matter the most. For an example, consider when Jesus said:
More to come... David Robison
The idea of a range can apply to more than just mathematics. For example, consider this picture.
While this picture clearly seems to demonstrate water flowing uphill, few of us would take this picture as evidence that water can violate the immutable laws of gravity. Most of us would dismiss that idea out-of-hand and assume that the picture is some sort of trickery or optical illusion. We assume this because we know that "water flowing uphill" is outside the range of the law of gravity. No matter how many pictures we are shown that seem to depict water flowing uphill, few of us would ever be persuaded to even consider the idea that, even in some cases, water cannot defy the laws of gravity.When applied to learning, we all have a range of information that we expect to learn. When faced with information that falls outside of that range, we either must adjust our expectations or the things we are willing to consider to be true, or we must reject the new information as simply being in error. This idea of a range can easily seen in the debate between creation and evolution. If an evolutionist receives new information that could indicated an intelligent creator, rather than accepting the idea of a creator, the evolutionist sets out to rethink the new information and to find new ways of relating it back to their evolutionist understanding. The same is true for those who are creationist. When faced with new information that lies outside of their range of acceptable knowledge, they either reject the new knowledge as being in error, or construct new theories and/or reasoning to draw that new knowledge back into their acceptable range of understanding.
The Benefit
We all have our ranges of what we are willing to accept as true. When applied to our search to know and understand God, our range can help us and keep us from ending up "in the weeds." It can keep us from chasing every "bunny trail" and from being easily distracted away from the things that matter the most. For an example, consider when Jesus said:
"Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be." (Matthew 24:23-27)If others come and claim to be the Christ, we don't need to worry or even give consideration to such claims. We know that such claims fall outside of the range of possibilities that Jesus has set down for us. We don't need to think about it or investigate their claims. Such claims are outside the range that Jesus taught us and can be summarily dismissed. Consider also what Paul taught,
"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-9)If someone claims to have received some revelation and brings forth a teaching that is contrary to the Gospel we have received, we need to pay them any attention. Any teaching or revelation that contradicts the Gospel has to be false because it lies outside of the range of knowledge set forth by the original gospel writers, in this case, Paul. We don't need to spend a lot of time thinking about it or worrying about what it might mean if such a new gospel is true, instead we can simply discount such a teaching as false and move on. While some might count this as being closed minded, it is also safe and enables us to move through life without being "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." (Ephesians 4:14 NKJV)
More to come... David Robison
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Ethos (Part 4)
The Proof
Jesus told a parable to describe the two foundations we can build for our lives.
How do you judge the quality of one's foundation? You examine their behavior. If they are living a godly, Christ-like life, then they have a solid foundation built upon the rock that is Jesus. If, however, they are living like the world, then their claims of a Christian foundation are empty. The same is true with our ethos. We can claim to have Biblical and godly values, ethics, and understanding, but if we are living according to the ways of the world, then we are merely deceiving ourselves. We can claim ourselves to be one way, but the truth of our ethos is born out by our behavior.
David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, Ethos, David Robison, The Robe
Jesus told a parable to describe the two foundations we can build for our lives.
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV)Notice carefully what differentiated the two men: they both heard the word but only one did the word. It is not enough to hear and know God's word, it is not enough to believe God's word, but it is essential to do God's word for it to have an effect in our lives. A foundation is not what you know, it is what you do.
How do you judge the quality of one's foundation? You examine their behavior. If they are living a godly, Christ-like life, then they have a solid foundation built upon the rock that is Jesus. If, however, they are living like the world, then their claims of a Christian foundation are empty. The same is true with our ethos. We can claim to have Biblical and godly values, ethics, and understanding, but if we are living according to the ways of the world, then we are merely deceiving ourselves. We can claim ourselves to be one way, but the truth of our ethos is born out by our behavior.
"To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." (Titus 1:15-2:1)Our ethos is shown by our behavior. We can confess one thing, but our behavior shows what and who we are in truth. We must not be like the church at Laodicea, who thought they were rich but in reality were poor.
"Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." (Revelation 3:17-18)We should judge ourselves to determine the source and quality of our ethos; our core beliefs, values, and knowledge. If we are found wanting, then we must go to Jesus to have Him remake our ethos, we should be willing to exchange our old ethos for one the is Christ centered and built upon the Word of God.
David Robison
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Friday, July 06, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Ethos (Part 3)
Influencers
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) What is the "it" that Solomon is referring to? It is the set of core beliefs, values, and knowledge imparted to a child by his or her parents. Parents are the primary influencers of a person's ethos. So powerful is this early impartation of values, beliefs, and knowledge, that it is the basis from which life long patterns and lifestyles are formed and persist. It is a parent's job to indoctrinate and inculcate their children in the ways of God. We cannot afford to let them drift, assuming some day they will choose for themselves. We are to be their teachers and guides to instruct them to hold fast to the Lord. "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him." (Genesis 18:19) For good or for evil, parents have a life long influence upon their children. Therefore we must take great care over the values, beliefs, and knowledge that we pass on to them.
"Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52) Part of our ethos comes from those who have taught us. For example, those who have grown up under teaching from conservative Christian leaders most often have developed a more conservative ethos than those who have received more liberal Christian teachings. The problem with the Hebrew lawyers in Jesus' day was that they had ceased to teach a Biblical view of God and instead taught a message of conformity; conformity to their ways and traditions rather than the way of God. It wasn't that they had taken away knowledge, but rather the "key" of knowledge. James cautions us, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (James 3:1) As teachers, we should take care to avoid teaching as doctrine our own personal views or "pet" beliefs about the scriptures and the Kingdom of God. We must always strive to teach the full Word and counsel of God.
"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33) Our core values, beliefs, and understanding are influenced to a great extent by the company we keep. The Greek word translated "morals" is the word "ethos". While our parents may instill in us a godly ethos, if we later choose to associate with "bad company", our good ethos will become corrupted by the ethos of those we associate with. It is important that we choose our friends wisely. If we are friends with the world (and those in the world) then we will, over time, begin to adopt their ethos. However, if we center our relationships around those who love our Lord, then our godly ethos will be strengthened and built up by those around us. This is why Solomon counsels us, "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." (Proverbs 12:26)
More to come... David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, ethos, The Robe, David Robison
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) What is the "it" that Solomon is referring to? It is the set of core beliefs, values, and knowledge imparted to a child by his or her parents. Parents are the primary influencers of a person's ethos. So powerful is this early impartation of values, beliefs, and knowledge, that it is the basis from which life long patterns and lifestyles are formed and persist. It is a parent's job to indoctrinate and inculcate their children in the ways of God. We cannot afford to let them drift, assuming some day they will choose for themselves. We are to be their teachers and guides to instruct them to hold fast to the Lord. "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him." (Genesis 18:19) For good or for evil, parents have a life long influence upon their children. Therefore we must take great care over the values, beliefs, and knowledge that we pass on to them.
"Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52) Part of our ethos comes from those who have taught us. For example, those who have grown up under teaching from conservative Christian leaders most often have developed a more conservative ethos than those who have received more liberal Christian teachings. The problem with the Hebrew lawyers in Jesus' day was that they had ceased to teach a Biblical view of God and instead taught a message of conformity; conformity to their ways and traditions rather than the way of God. It wasn't that they had taken away knowledge, but rather the "key" of knowledge. James cautions us, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (James 3:1) As teachers, we should take care to avoid teaching as doctrine our own personal views or "pet" beliefs about the scriptures and the Kingdom of God. We must always strive to teach the full Word and counsel of God.
"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33) Our core values, beliefs, and understanding are influenced to a great extent by the company we keep. The Greek word translated "morals" is the word "ethos". While our parents may instill in us a godly ethos, if we later choose to associate with "bad company", our good ethos will become corrupted by the ethos of those we associate with. It is important that we choose our friends wisely. If we are friends with the world (and those in the world) then we will, over time, begin to adopt their ethos. However, if we center our relationships around those who love our Lord, then our godly ethos will be strengthened and built up by those around us. This is why Solomon counsels us, "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." (Proverbs 12:26)
More to come... David Robison
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Monday, June 25, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Ethos (Part 2)
Jesus is the Starting Place
We must remember that, before there was ever a "canon" of the scriptures, there was the "canon" of Jesus. First, and before all else, our lives, values, and believes must be measured against the life of Jesus.
More to come... David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, ethos, The Robe, David Robison
"Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed." (1 Peter 2:6)In constructing a building, the most important stone is the corner stone. It is the first stone that is laid and it is the stone from which everything else is measured. All angles and measurements are made in reference to the corner stone. An angle and a measurement is "true" if it measures "true" from the corner stone. The same is true for Jesus. He is to be the corner stone in our lives. The one stone from which everything else in our life is measured from. The "rightness" and "trueness" of our lives is to be measured in relationship to our corner stone, Jesus Christ.
We must remember that, before there was ever a "canon" of the scriptures, there was the "canon" of Jesus. First, and before all else, our lives, values, and believes must be measured against the life of Jesus.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men." (John 1:1-4)Jesus Himself is the Word of God and His life is the light of men. He is our corner stone, our beginning and our end. In all our pursuit of the scriptures, we must never neglect our pursuit of Him. Jesus rebuked the religious of His day saying, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." (John 5:39-40) The canon of the scriptures is of little value in our lives if we have not the canon of His life. He is our starting point!
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone." (Ephesians 2:19-20)Along with the corner stone of Jesus, our ethos must also include the foundation of the apostles and prophets. I believe that Paul was referring to the authoritative writings of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles. The Old and New Testament authors reveal to us a single, consistent, message of God, His nature, and His plan for mankind. While we have published it as a collection of sixty six books, it really is one book, one revelation, of God's heart and mind to mankind. Peter encourages us to pay close attention to the written word.
"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2 Peter 1:19-21)The written word is the spoken word of God, recorded for our sakes. Peter refers to it as the word "made more sure." The Word of God is a solid foundation upon which we can build our lives. When our ethos is grounded in the person of Jesus and the Word of God, then our ethos will be sure and true. They are like the corner stone and foundation of a large building. If the corner stone and foundation are true, then the building is sound and will survive all that comes against it.
More to come... David Robison
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Friday, June 22, 2007
Reason and Revelation: Ethos (Part 1)
All learning takes place in the context of a person's "ethos". Ethos is a Greek word that can be translated: Starting Point, Disposition, Fundamental Values, or Character. It is the root word from which we get our English word, "ethics." Paul even used this word in his letter to the Corinthians when he reminded them that, "bad company corrupts good morals." (1 Corinthians 15:33) Our ethos encompasses all that we already know, as well as our sence of ehtics, our core values, and our perceptions of right and wrong, truth and falsehood. An ethos is a powerful thing. It grounds us and gives direction to our lives. 
It is like a steady bow in the hands or an archer. The riser, or handle, of the bow allows the archer to steady and aim the bow, while the arrow rest provides a solid foundation from which to shoot the arrow with great accuracy. Without a steady riser or a sure arrow rest, the arrow will fly unpredictably and almost never hit the target. So is the case with our ethos; it holds us steady and provides aim and sets the course of our life. Without a solid ethos, we are certain to "miss the mark" and to end up where we don't want to go. Consider the following results of trying to live without a solid ethos.
"Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith." (1 Timothy 1:19) Without a solid ethos, we set ourselves adrift and run the risk of shipwreck and ruin in our lives. We may have noble ideals and aspirations, but we lack the foundation and direction to actually realize those ideals and aspirations.
"For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge." (Romans 10:2) Zeal is of little use unless it is guided and directed by the foundation of a solid ethos. Without the guidance of our ethos we could end up spending our lives on worthless endeavors. Zeal must be channeled and this channeling is provided by our ethos.
"As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming." (Ephesians 4:14) Without the foundation of a solid ethos, we are gullible and suspectable to every new "teaching" and "doctrine" of men. We no longer stand on a sure footing of knowledge, ethics, and faith, rather we are tossed around by every new idea that comes our way.
Power and Benefit
Our ethos not only defines our starting point, but it empowers us and guides us in our growth, development, and enlightenment. Here are some of the benefits and purposes of a sound ethos.
"However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat." (1 Corinthians 8:7-8) An incomplete, limited, or inaccurate ethos, especially in relationship to our knowledge of God, can cause us to live in bondage to the elemental principles of this world and hinder us from experiencing the true freedom that is found in Christ Jesus. Paul's more accurate knowledge of God afforded him greater freedom and liberty over those whose knowledge of God was more limited. Paul approached the world from an understanding that there was only one God and that idols were not gods at all. Because of this knowledge he could eat meat offered to idols without offending his ethos. However, not all believers had this same knowledge or approached life from the same ethos. For them, eating food sacrificed to idols was a sin, because it offended their conscience and their sense of right and wrong.
"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 -- 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." (Colossians 3:10-11) We are renewed according to the knowledge of God that we possess. If we chose a godly ethos, then our lives will begin to be renewed according to that ethos. The more we allow God to shape and mold our fundamental beliefs and understandings, the more our ethos is brought into conformity with His will, purpose, and plan, the more we will be transformed into His likeness. Changing a person's ethos will change the person.
"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:14-15) Knowledge cannot save us, but it can give us a context from which to receive the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For example, without a Biblical understanding of sin, righteousness, and forgiveness, it is hard to grasp and receive the revelation of Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross and the forgiveness of our sins. As many cultures are slipping into a "post-Christian" era, more and more people are growing up with little or no understanding of foundational Biblical truths. Often this requires first establishing a Biblical foundation, or ethos, from which a person can then grasp and receive the truth of the gospel.
"In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you." (1 Peter 4:4) When a person is born again, there is often a dramatic shift in their ethos. They adopt a new sense of right and wrong, they begin to see obedience as an expression of love for the One who saved them, and often they redirect their lives in new directions that are consistent with their new ethos. For unbelievers who don't share this new ethos, they're often unable to understand the new way of living adopted by the new believer. To them, there is nothing wrong with partying, carousing, and lawless living. They don't understand the new believers new found aversion to their former activities because they no longer share the same ethos. The converse is also true. Older believers can forget what it is like to live as an unbeliever; they see sinners and wonder why they don't want to stop sinning. The reason is, in part, because they don't share the same ethos as the believer. In their ethos, sinning is natural and not seen as sinful, as it would be in a believer's ethos.
"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7) Your ethos directly effects your behavior. Peter identifies a progression from knowledge to self-control. As we grow in knowledge of God and of His high calling on our lives, it causes us to exercise self-control in our speech and behavior. It causes us to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." (Ephesians 4:1) Why are some people hard working and others lazy? Often it has to do with the a person's ethos and the work ethic that they have adopted and developed in their lives. Why are some people law abiding and others law breaking? Sometimes it is due to a person's ethos and their sense of right and wrong.
A New Starting Point
More to come... David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, ethos, David Robison, The Robe
It is like a steady bow in the hands or an archer. The riser, or handle, of the bow allows the archer to steady and aim the bow, while the arrow rest provides a solid foundation from which to shoot the arrow with great accuracy. Without a steady riser or a sure arrow rest, the arrow will fly unpredictably and almost never hit the target. So is the case with our ethos; it holds us steady and provides aim and sets the course of our life. Without a solid ethos, we are certain to "miss the mark" and to end up where we don't want to go. Consider the following results of trying to live without a solid ethos."Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith." (1 Timothy 1:19) Without a solid ethos, we set ourselves adrift and run the risk of shipwreck and ruin in our lives. We may have noble ideals and aspirations, but we lack the foundation and direction to actually realize those ideals and aspirations.
"For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge." (Romans 10:2) Zeal is of little use unless it is guided and directed by the foundation of a solid ethos. Without the guidance of our ethos we could end up spending our lives on worthless endeavors. Zeal must be channeled and this channeling is provided by our ethos.
"As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming." (Ephesians 4:14) Without the foundation of a solid ethos, we are gullible and suspectable to every new "teaching" and "doctrine" of men. We no longer stand on a sure footing of knowledge, ethics, and faith, rather we are tossed around by every new idea that comes our way.
Power and Benefit
Our ethos not only defines our starting point, but it empowers us and guides us in our growth, development, and enlightenment. Here are some of the benefits and purposes of a sound ethos.
"However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat." (1 Corinthians 8:7-8) An incomplete, limited, or inaccurate ethos, especially in relationship to our knowledge of God, can cause us to live in bondage to the elemental principles of this world and hinder us from experiencing the true freedom that is found in Christ Jesus. Paul's more accurate knowledge of God afforded him greater freedom and liberty over those whose knowledge of God was more limited. Paul approached the world from an understanding that there was only one God and that idols were not gods at all. Because of this knowledge he could eat meat offered to idols without offending his ethos. However, not all believers had this same knowledge or approached life from the same ethos. For them, eating food sacrificed to idols was a sin, because it offended their conscience and their sense of right and wrong.
"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 -- 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." (Colossians 3:10-11) We are renewed according to the knowledge of God that we possess. If we chose a godly ethos, then our lives will begin to be renewed according to that ethos. The more we allow God to shape and mold our fundamental beliefs and understandings, the more our ethos is brought into conformity with His will, purpose, and plan, the more we will be transformed into His likeness. Changing a person's ethos will change the person.
"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:14-15) Knowledge cannot save us, but it can give us a context from which to receive the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For example, without a Biblical understanding of sin, righteousness, and forgiveness, it is hard to grasp and receive the revelation of Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross and the forgiveness of our sins. As many cultures are slipping into a "post-Christian" era, more and more people are growing up with little or no understanding of foundational Biblical truths. Often this requires first establishing a Biblical foundation, or ethos, from which a person can then grasp and receive the truth of the gospel.
"In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you." (1 Peter 4:4) When a person is born again, there is often a dramatic shift in their ethos. They adopt a new sense of right and wrong, they begin to see obedience as an expression of love for the One who saved them, and often they redirect their lives in new directions that are consistent with their new ethos. For unbelievers who don't share this new ethos, they're often unable to understand the new way of living adopted by the new believer. To them, there is nothing wrong with partying, carousing, and lawless living. They don't understand the new believers new found aversion to their former activities because they no longer share the same ethos. The converse is also true. Older believers can forget what it is like to live as an unbeliever; they see sinners and wonder why they don't want to stop sinning. The reason is, in part, because they don't share the same ethos as the believer. In their ethos, sinning is natural and not seen as sinful, as it would be in a believer's ethos.
"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7) Your ethos directly effects your behavior. Peter identifies a progression from knowledge to self-control. As we grow in knowledge of God and of His high calling on our lives, it causes us to exercise self-control in our speech and behavior. It causes us to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." (Ephesians 4:1) Why are some people hard working and others lazy? Often it has to do with the a person's ethos and the work ethic that they have adopted and developed in their lives. Why are some people law abiding and others law breaking? Sometimes it is due to a person's ethos and their sense of right and wrong.
A New Starting Point
"For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:19-21, 25)Man, for all his pursuits of God, has failed to find God on his own. His wisdom, intellect, and knowledge has failed him in his attempts to know God. If we are to know God, then we need a new starting point, a new ethos. We need a new set of beliefs, a new view of right and wrong, and a new knowledge of truth - not just information. Paul challenges us, "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise." (1 Corintheans 3:18) If we are to know God, then we must allow God to remake and reform our ethos. We must realize that we cannot make this journey of knowing God on our own, we will need God's help to both renew our ethos and to give us revelation of Himself. Paul gives us this charge,
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2)We need more than education, we need our core ethos renewed. This is a process to which we must both choose and yield to. Nothing short of a renewal of our mind can transform us and bring us into the knowledge of God.
More to come... David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, ethos, David Robison, The Robe
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Monday, June 18, 2007
Reason and Revelation: A working model
I have noticed that, in some circles, there is considerable discussion and debate over the importance and role of reason and revelation. I know some whom are given almost exclusively to an academic knowledge of God. Their understanding of the kingdom is limited to the knowledge they are able to gain through systematic and thorough study of the scriptures. Others, however, operate in a realm of revelation with little concern to how their experience is tethered (if at all) to the scriptures. The see and experience things that are beyond my ability to understand or comprehend. In both groups of people there is often a genuine love for God, although their approach to knowing and relating to God differ greatly. I believe that both extremes are unhealthy and, in some cases, can cause the body of Christ to be come divided with each side devaluating the other.
I believe that one of the primary mistakes we make is in perceiving reason and revelation as being at two opposite ends of a spectrum of leaning and knowledge.
Instead, I would like to propose a different model; a different way of looking at reason and revelation.
In this model, reasoning is the process that moves us from what we know to what we are going to learn, and the catalyst for this process is revelation. Reasoning is what causes us to grow in knowledge and the spark of reasoning is revelation.
The process of growing in knowledge involves four things.
But before we begin, I have two caveats. First, I have called this model of learning a "working" model. I realize that there is nothing sacred about it. There is no passage of scripture that teaches or describes this model. I do believe, however, that there is incite that we can gain from this model and I preset it in hopes that it will be an aid in discussing the issues of reason and revelation. Much of what I will be sharing is still forming in my soul, so I concede that there may be other models and even opposing views that may also prove to be helpful in understanding the relationship between reason and revelation.
Lastly, my personal bent is more towards the academic than the experiential. My wife and I are almost opposites in this. For example, there have been times where my wife has been dramatically transformed by a sovereign touch from God. These transformations have been almost without any concern to understanding, reason, or mental considerations. God touched her and she was changed. As for myself, however, some of the most significant transformations in my life came when I came to such an understanding of the scriptures that I was unable to escape its truth. I received truth and that truth changed my life. My wife and I are both different, but being different does not mean that one of us is wrong. I hope that over the next few posts we can begin to see and appreciate how we are different and not see our differences as something that divides us but rather merely different facets of "the manifold wisdom of God." (Ephesians 3:10)
David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, David Robison, The Robe
I believe that one of the primary mistakes we make is in perceiving reason and revelation as being at two opposite ends of a spectrum of leaning and knowledge.
Instead, I would like to propose a different model; a different way of looking at reason and revelation.
In this model, reasoning is the process that moves us from what we know to what we are going to learn, and the catalyst for this process is revelation. Reasoning is what causes us to grow in knowledge and the spark of reasoning is revelation.The process of growing in knowledge involves four things.
- Our starting point: What we already know, our basic assumptions and beliefs, and our preconceived ideas.
- Where we are going: The end result of our learning, what we want to know, what we expect to learn.
- Revelation: Information that comes from outside ourselves, for example, from teachers, books, and God.
- Reasoning: The process by which we synthesize knowledge and revelation to arrive at some new information. This includes the ways we reason and the filters through which we perceive knowledge and revelation.
But before we begin, I have two caveats. First, I have called this model of learning a "working" model. I realize that there is nothing sacred about it. There is no passage of scripture that teaches or describes this model. I do believe, however, that there is incite that we can gain from this model and I preset it in hopes that it will be an aid in discussing the issues of reason and revelation. Much of what I will be sharing is still forming in my soul, so I concede that there may be other models and even opposing views that may also prove to be helpful in understanding the relationship between reason and revelation.
Lastly, my personal bent is more towards the academic than the experiential. My wife and I are almost opposites in this. For example, there have been times where my wife has been dramatically transformed by a sovereign touch from God. These transformations have been almost without any concern to understanding, reason, or mental considerations. God touched her and she was changed. As for myself, however, some of the most significant transformations in my life came when I came to such an understanding of the scriptures that I was unable to escape its truth. I received truth and that truth changed my life. My wife and I are both different, but being different does not mean that one of us is wrong. I hope that over the next few posts we can begin to see and appreciate how we are different and not see our differences as something that divides us but rather merely different facets of "the manifold wisdom of God." (Ephesians 3:10)
David Robison
Technorati Tags: Reason, Revelation, David Robison, The Robe
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