"The first step in forming a Christian worldview is to overcome this sharp divide between "heart" and "brain." We have to reject the division of life into a sacred realm, limited to things like worship and personal morality, over against a secular realm that includes science, politics, economics, and the rest of the public arena. This dichotomy in our own minds is the greatest barrier to liberating the power of the gospel across the whole of culture today."
Nancy Pearsey, Total Truth, 20.
Have you ever met a Christian who puts down "book learning" as unimportant and prideful? I have met plenty. These folks cloak their ignorance in religious pride. The result is far from attractive.
Have you ever met a Christian who thinks that unsophisticated people are the greatest problem in the world? These folks look down on the "little old ladies" of our churches who don't know as much, think as much, or appreciate "truth" as much as they do. Again, an unattractive form of spirituality.
Both of these rather large groups within the Christian community do great harm to the cause of Christ. In holding to either the importance of "heart knowledge" or "head knowledge" they have somehow missed the boat of true Christian living.
How?
Have you ever met a Christian who thinks that unsophisticated people are the greatest problem in the world? These folks look down on the "little old ladies" of our churches who don't know as much, think as much, or appreciate "truth" as much as they do. Again, an unattractive form of spirituality.
Both of these rather large groups within the Christian community do great harm to the cause of Christ. In holding to either the importance of "heart knowledge" or "head knowledge" they have somehow missed the boat of true Christian living.
How?
I think it is primarily because we have not learned how to develop a authentic Christian mind. We have not been taught even the basics of how to understand and live in this world.
The first basic Truth we should know is that all things were created good. If we look honestly, the ringing cry of Genesis 1 is God's declaration that what He made is good. Over and over again, God creates and declares it good. The final summation of the chapter concludes, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (vs. 31)
What does this mean? All things were created with an inherent goodness. This includes humanity that is created in the image of God (vs. 26). Not just individually but also corporately since male and female together reflect the full image of God. This means that human interaction and culture was created to be good and to reflect the character of the God who created it.
As a result, we should not neglect nor ignore learning and education. We should appreciate cultural sophistication and expressions. To do so, we ignore the good God who created us and the world around us.
As a result, we should not neglect nor ignore learning and education. We should appreciate cultural sophistication and expressions. To do so, we ignore the good God who created us and the world around us.
The second basic Truth we should know is that all things were infected and effected by the fall. Genesis 3 details how Adam and Eve turned away from listening to God to listen to their own desires. At the prompting of the Evil One, they ate of the so called knowledge of the good and evil. The result is alienation from God (3:10), alienation from others (3:12), alienation from self (3:13), and alienation from all creation (3:16-19).
These various forms of alienation from the way we were created cause us great pain. In fact, they are the cause of most of the pain in our world today. As believers we should affirm this truth. In love we should declare that the more we move away from our created good the more pain, suffering, and alienation we experience and feel.
We also should affirm the opposite. The closer we are to our created good, the more harmony, peace, and joy we will experience. The irony is this is true no matter what. Even if a person is not a believer, they may walk closer to their created good than others. As a result, they have more harmony, peace and joy.
We also should affirm the opposite. The closer we are to our created good, the more harmony, peace, and joy we will experience. The irony is this is true no matter what. Even if a person is not a believer, they may walk closer to their created good than others. As a result, they have more harmony, peace and joy.
In other words, Pearsey is truly onto something in the above quotation. Believers in Christ should be life affirming people who know how to balance their life of faith with a life in their culture. We should affirm what is good in our culture and acknowledge what is unhealthy. We should engage in debate and discussion so we can be informed.
We also should acknowledge that because of sin, all of us need a heart transformation by grace. Such a transformation propels us to trust in Jesus more and more. It does not lead to religious pride, but profound trust and rest in God's grace.
May this weekend be marked by a heart open to learning something new from an unexpected source. May our heart also be marked by a deep-seated trust in God's grace.
We also should acknowledge that because of sin, all of us need a heart transformation by grace. Such a transformation propels us to trust in Jesus more and more. It does not lead to religious pride, but profound trust and rest in God's grace.
May this weekend be marked by a heart open to learning something new from an unexpected source. May our heart also be marked by a deep-seated trust in God's grace.
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