Thinking Biblically

Tomorrow at CLC we continue our journey with the second week of the Truth Project. We will look at Colossians 2:8 "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."

The church in Colosse faced a particular form of strange doctrine. It was a mixture of Greek philosophy (an early version of Gnosticism) and Jewish legalism. Today we face numerous forms of unusual teaching. Some of that teaching is even within the church. On one hand there is the teaching of liberalism. On the other hand there is the teaching of legalism.

Perhaps the biggest threat we face comes from the most popular spiritual philosophy in our culture today. It is what is known as New Age teaching. It may be the most dangerous teaching we are facing. It is subtle and popular.

The New Age movement is a loose confederation of networks which share a common philosophical foundation. The New Age movement is a strange mixture of science and Eastern mysticism with a liberal splash of the occult. An emphasis on the idea that "all is one" or that everything that exists composes one essential reality can be found as a common belief. God is seen as an impersonal consciousness and power.

For those of us who hold a Biblical worldview, it should be obvious that we should be concerned, and for very good reason. What we are dealing with is not a rigid cult of mindless robots who are totally dependent on their despotic leader to map out every move.

We are dealing with a philosophy which is in vogue in our culture, and which is being propagated in our public and private schools, colleges, universities, arts, cinema, television, music and government. Rather than being the salvation of our society, it is a subtle cancer for Christianity and culture, one that moves us away from the center of our faith, Jesus Christ our Lord and God, and cause us to doubt the moral center of revealed truth, the Bible.

Hope you can join us tomorrow as we outline a way of thinking about our relationship with God that is different than anything the world teaches, or any other religion teaches, or any other pseudo-spiritual guru teaches. In contrast to what "worldly philosophies" teach, Colossians boldly states that everything we need we have in Christ!