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The Truth Project - Lesson Two – Philosophy and Ethics: Says Who?

WOW! Week two was mind-blowing! First, let me remind you that the goal of “The Truth Project” is transformation and we can only be transformed in the presence of God.

The Bible warns us to “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) This is not a hollow warning. What does deceptive philosophy look like?

Assumptive language is the powerful, deceptive use of words that seem to make a simple statement hoping that the hearer will buy that simple statement without recognizing the huge assumptions behind the simple statement. Oh, boy! Have I fallen for this more than once! We need discernment so that we don’t buy the lie, my brothers and sisters!

One lie that many have bought is the concept of the “Cosmic Cube”. It is a box containing matter, energy, people and there is nothing outside the box. A Biblical worldview dictates that God created the box and its contents and that He is active within the box.

The definition of philosophy is to discover ultimate reality…or truth. The direct translation of the words philo + Sophia is “the love of wisdom”. The perception of what wisdom is can lead a person toward truth or away from it. For example, a Biblical worldview states that God has given us the “big picture” (Universals) so that we might better understand the granular components (Particulars) that make up the “big picture”. A non-Biblical worldview states the opposite: that we have the granular components that help us understand the “big picture”. It took me a while to wrap my head around this one because I’ve embraced this “philosophy” more than once.

Postmodernism says that there is no absolute truth. Truth is relative. LIE! This implies that we are cosmic accidents. I was floored by this question: What is right and wrong? The answer to this question reveals a crisis in ethics: if 51% of the people do it, it’s normal. If it’s normal, it’s good. OY VAY!

Your worldview colors how you think and act. It is comprised of the truth claims that you believe and embrace as reflecting reality. The consequences of a non-Biblical worldview is worldly thinking and action, buying the lie and conforming to the world. But Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” The Greek word for transformed is metamorphoo. From it, we get the word metamorphosis. This word appears three times in scripture: Romans 12:2 (transformed), Mark 9:2 (transfigured) and 2 Corinthians 3:18 (transformed). Take a minute to look up those verses. Then tell me…

How are you renewing your mind?

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