The whispers of the evil one
As I sat in class, History of the Restoration Movement, and learned about the many roots of Christianity. It was very interesting to see where traditions started, and where man, and the church, got off track. But more and more I found myself asking, who was derailing the train. As we studied the Enlightenment, the worlds of Immanuel Kent hit me, “Dare to know! Have the courage to use you own understanding.” Yep, that sounds like the same serpent that whispered oh so seductively to Eve was back in the Garden Of Eden. “You will not surely die… for God knows that then you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) When the World of God clearly tell us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. (Proverbs 3:4-6).
Descartes shares with his wisdom, “I think therefore I am” and taught, rather misled, us that reason is the fundamental source for knowing. The Enlightenment leaders taught us that humanity had grown up, and could now think and explore on it’s own. Once again, sounds like we are back in Eden. Whether you were a rationalist, reason must preceded experience. Or you were an empiricist, believing that you must experience to understand. The central focus was on man and man’s knowledge and man’s ability. They rejected Anselm’s and the scholastics approach to faith, asserting that rationality and understanding must precede faith. The same lies that Satan has been deceiving us with since the beginning of time. The Word of God was there all along, instructing us, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1-2)
It has been man’s pride since the beginning, starting with Eve’s “desire for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 4:6), that has been part of our fall. But it has been the serpent pulling on our heels from the beginning that we have failed in our fight against. Through our church history man debated doctrine, tradition, politics, and preferences. We fought each other over music and baptism, the role of the spirit, and the meaning of scripture. While the non-instrumentalists have their services in one building and we dance to the beat of the drums in another right down the street, the various sides may win their individual battles, but we are clearly losing the war. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. (Ephesians 6:12)
Read other articles under the topic “History of the Church Papers”
- A people of Exile
- The Priestly Kingdom
- The Holy Spirit
- New Age
- Outside the Gates
- The whispers of the evil one
- Christian Culture vs. Christianity
- The search for meaning
- Martin Luther
- Getting back to the future
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