Chuck Colson's latest "Breakpoint" commentary speaks directly to Wayne's post:

BREAKPOINT with Charles Colson
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Missionaries of Learning
Why Christians Must Be 'People of the Book'

January 31, 2006

Ever wonder what Jesus meant when He said, "Let him who has ears, hear?" Well, an experience relayed to me by my good friend R. C. Sproul helps us understand the words of Jesus in today's culture.

Some years ago, Sproul offered a rigorous course in Romans. Two hundred serious disciples signed up. Half-way through the course, Sproul took a week off to enroll in Evangelism Explosion (EE) courses. When he came back, he told his students about EE, including conversation openers like, "Why should God let you into heaven?" On a whim, he asked class members how they would answer.

Anyone who knows Sproul knows he teaches the great evangelical doctrine in Romans, justification by faith alone, in unmistakable terms. Every student should have known the answer. Not so. There were awkward pauses; some people mumbled about living a good life. Only thirty out of two hundred answered correctly. How could this be?

The answer may be found in two contemporary trends. First, modern evangelicalism puts undue weight on experience; if somebody lacks a personal testimony -- and the more dramatic the better -- he is made to feel like a second-class believer. This heavy reliance on feelings carries over in discipleship and worship. Contemporary music is intended to -- and often does -- whip people into a spiritual frenzy.

Our literature talks about "feeling" the presence of the Spirit -- or experiencing God's presence. This is all to the good when it results in people making a personal commitment to Jesus. But it can be dangerous when that is all there is. Doctrine may be seen as abstract and inaccessible because it seems unrelated to personal experience.

The second trend has to do with our high-tech age. Today, information is transmitted by images -- pictures on televisions and computer screens. Modern technology teaches us in the same way cartoons teach us: images, rather than demanding that we wrestle with tough, analytical concepts. Experts tell us that learning through images rather than words results in a diminished capacity for complex thought.

Department of Education surveys tell the shocking story. In 1992, only forty percent of college graduates were deemed literate; that is, able to read and understand complex arguments and to give comprehensive answers. That is shockingly low. But even worse was the 2003 study, when literacy had declined to an astonishing 31 percent. This is why a group of today's college graduates could sit through a course on Romans and complex doctrine and not get it.

Of all people, Christians must learn how to engage the mind and to employ reason and logic, to understand difficult concepts and grapple with complex propositions. After all, the Gospel is revealed propositional truth, communicated to us in a complex book. This is why Christians have always championed public education and launched so many institutions of higher learning.

And, want some good advice? Make your kids read books. Following the barbarian conquest of Europe, Irish monks preserved books in their monasteries. As the barbarian hordes receded, they sent missionaries back to the continent to teach reading and the Bible.

Perhaps it is time again for Christians to prepare missionaries -- to teach people to think.

He who has ears -- let him hear.

As I look forward towards the education of my son, I take Colson's advice very seriously. Reading books, and increasing their complexity over time, is one of the best methods for developing cognitive ability, and is an indispensable part of any education.

... then how can you discern between the Truth and a lie?

In this article, Cardinals in the Catholic church observe that the only reason people are led astray by books such as "The Da Vinci Code" is their general ignorance of the Bible and of church history.

Satan is always looking for ways to separate believers from the Lord, or to prevent seekers from finding Him. As believers, we have a responsibility to use the mind God gave us to become educated about His Word and related matters. To fail to do so leaves us open to attacks on our faith, and prevents us from coming to the aid of others who are victims of such attacks.

This column, by Joseph Farah, raises some interesting questions that are related to Wayne's post.

I would first like to examine Mr. Farah's objection to "theistic evolution," the notion that God created the universe in a "pre-evolutionary" state and then allowed evolution, as described by modern scientists, to bring about the world as we know it. Mr. Farah's correctly identifies the major issue with theistic evolution: "If death had already entered into the world millions of years before man, God is deceiving us in the Bible." For theistic evolution to be true, the cycle of life and death must have begun long before man appeared on the scene. However, Rom 5:12 tells us, "through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin". In other words, there was no death in the world before Adam's sin. Furthermore, consider 1 Cor 15:22, which says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." If the first part of this statement is not true, then how can the second be true? If Adam's sin did not bring death into the world, then how can ישוע (Jesus)'s death save us from it? Of what value is His sacrifice?

This is a strong argument, as it goes straight to the central message of Scripture, which is the redemptive power of ישוע (Jesus)'s sacrifice. However, a more-than-superficial understanding of the doctrine of original sin and salvation from that sin is required in order to perceive the contradiction between the Scriptures and theistic evolution. So, taking a step back from this argument, I would like to ask what we can conclude about professing believers who also claim to believe in theistic evolution? Are they "pagans," as Farah asserts? Or, is it possible for this erroneous belief to coexist with a living, saving faith in ישוע (Jesus)? I think there is no clearcut answer. As always, the condition of the heart is the key.

We are saved by faith, and faith alone. Many seem to think that the primary component of faith is belief. It is certain that faith cannot exist without belief, but James 2:19 tells us quite clearly that belief can exist without faith. I would assert that the primary component of faith is not belief, but trust. Now, it is true that the words "belief" and "trust" are sometimes used interchangeably. For example, if I make a seemingly incredible statement to my friend, I might ask him, "Do you believe me?" What I am really asking is, "Do you trust that I am telling you the truth?"

With that in mind, are those who believe in theistic evolution "pagans"? Which is to say, are they capable of a saving faith in ישוע (Jesus)? To find the answer, we must ask whether the Lord, through His Word, is telling us the truth. If a professing believer has enough intellectual ability to understand the contradiction between Scripture and theistic evolution, then he is saying, in effect, is that God is lying. He might argue -- as many non-Christians and liberal Christians do -- that the Bible was written by men and therefore contains errors. However, in doing so, he is still demonstrating a lack of trust in the truth of Scripture, since 2 Tim 3:16 tells us that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God". So, this "believer" is saying that he doesn't trust that God has told us the truth through His Word. Because of this manifest lack of trust in God, I would say that Farah's claim at least bears an argument.

If, on the other hand, the believer is of the "bubblehead" variety, and simply lacks sufficient understanding of the relevant doctrines to perceive this contradiction, then I would be much less inclined to agree with Mr. Farah. I think it is possible to have one's heart in the right place, even if the head is somewhere else.

Anybody else have any thoughts on this subject? Imperfect as we are, we are bound to harbor some doctrinal errors. How big do they have to be before they threaten to take us away from the Lord?

We have here an example of why sound doctrine is important. The people who follow this wacko claim to be Christians, but they clearly do not know the Word of God. If they did, they would see in an instant that this guy is a false prophet, and damned to Hell. It doesn't take a genius to realize that following someone who is going to Hell is not a clever thing to do.

The Lord Himself warned us that there would be false Messiahs in the latter days: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." (Mat 24:4) There are many similar warnings throughout the New Testament, such as Paul's warning to Timothy: "O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith." (1 Tim 6:20-21) Another can be found in the book of 1 John: "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." (1 John 2:18)

How are we to know when a professing Christian is in fact a false teacher? The Lord tells us in His Word. Here is one such test:

If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God... (Deu 13:1-5)

So, if a supposed prophet entices us to follow another god, then he is a false prophet. Here is another such test:

'... But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deu 18:20-22)

In the New Testament, Paul gives us another very simple test:

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:6-9)

Is it not clear that Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda fits this description? According to the article, he preaches "freedom to indulge," due to the fact that "there is no sin, no devil and no hell to pay," and that "The devil was destroyed two thousand years ago." These are heretical doctrines that contradict quite clearly and obviously the teachings in the Bible. (For example, if there is any question about whether the devil still exists, read the book of Revelation, esp. chapters 12, 13, 19, and 20.)

Some may question my earlier assertion that Senor Miranda, and false prophets like him, are on the road to Hell. While it is true that in general we are not to judge the state of someone's heart, the Scriptures are very clear on the fate of false prophets. In the book of 1 Peter, just about all of chapter 2 addresses this issue. Peter begins thus:

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

And also:

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.... (1 Peter 2:4-9)

Consider also:

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. (1 Peter 2:20-21)

Finally, Paul tells us why we should work towards spiritual maturity: "that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." (Eph 4:14) In other words, mature Christians are less likely to be deceived, whereas spiritual "children" are much more susceptible to deception that leads to doctrinal error and, in some cases, damnation. Study the Word, brothers and sisters! Don't be a bubblehead!

A guest preacher at our church yesterday mentioned something I knew but had special relevance to this thread: Salvation is found in the Person of Jesus, not in doctrine.

Having said this, I'm sure one's doctrine about Jesus can be so warped that it's no longer the same person. Nevertheless, doctrine cannot replace the relationship with Jesus and be saving; only the relationship, one of trust and obedience, matters. Only Jesus saves.