The Preacher stated in Ecclesiastes 1:9 [RSV], “there is nothing new under the sun.” The older I get, the more I see firsthand how utterly true this is.
In the First Century the apostles warned us against those who would bring about the teaching of false knowledge that would be to the detriment of those who are followers of Christ. The Apostle Paul stated Romans 1:22-23 [RSV]), 22. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. One needs not carve a statue and bow down to it to do as the Apostle Paul said. One needs only to elevate oneself above God in one’s own mind in order for one to be engaged in idolatrous worship. Take, for example, what a friend from my youth had to say this past week. He said,
“Science and reason alone are sufficient for the development of moral values and ethics. I do not need the threats or promises of any Supreme Being to define the moral law within me.”
I kindly pointed out to my friend that he was wrong for in his wisdom, what God calls foolishness, he has lifted himself above God. "Survival of the fittest," a key component of Darwinism and science, by definition leaves no room for compassion or love to others. The ability for humans to feel compassion and love towards others comes from somewhere outside of reason or science. According to the scientific method, compassion and love do not exist because they cannot be measured nor can they be tested empirically. And yet love and compassion DO exist and they ARE real. Without a Supreme Being Whose very definition is that He is love (1 John 4:8) there would be no love or compassion in mankind, there would be no moral values and no ethics. Without our God Who is love there is no moral authority. And without moral authority that originates from God then what results is utter chaos and, which is total negativity. The ONLY reason (pun intended) anyone has any morality within himself is not because it came from reason or science, but because we were created in the image of the Supreme Being, something we should never take for granted.
Even among those who profess to be followers of Christ Gnostic thought permeates. I have seen comments such as the following stated by those who believe they are following Christ, but in reality Gnostic thought has corrupted their doctrine.
“Is it reasonable to conclude that each of us has been born not by the will of the flesh but of God in similar fashion as Jesus? And that God has anointed each of us in similar fashion as God anointed Jesus? And that each of us has been begotten of God and become other children of God in similar fashion as Jesus?”
Now this may sound good and proper at first blush, but it really is not. At its heart and core the above message is stating that each and every one of us is just as much a god as is Jesus. And that, dear friends, is Gnosticism. As to our becoming children of God in similar fashion as Jesus, this is not the case. We are not begotten, for Jesus is the only begotten Son of God: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 [see also John 3:16) We need to be reborn, but Jesus did not need to be reborn for He lived His entire life “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus came into the world already spiritually alive and needing not to be born again from above as we all are. We who believe become not sons of God in our own right but in Jesus we become adopted sons of God when we come to Him in obedient, saving faith. Galatians 4:4-6 [RSV] says, 4. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5. to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
None of us has been anointed by God, as was Jesus. He is the singular Anointed One, and this is the meaning of His title, “Christ.” Yes, in a sense we are anointed with the Holy Spirit when we are immersed into Jesus Christ (1 John 2:27), but not to the extent as is Jesus. The Hebrews writer tells us, 8. But of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of Thy Kingdom. 9. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of gladness beyond Thy comrades.” (Hebrews 1:8-9 [RSV]) One cannot escape from the fact that God says here that Jesus His Son IS God, and that His anointing is beyond any anointing that we receive as His adopted siblings! I believe it is paramount that we heed the warnings given by John when he wrote, 2. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3. and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. (1 John 4:2-3 [RSV]) The significance of these verses is that Jesus is God Who literally took on flesh to become Son of Man Who can understand and empathize fully with each and every one of us. This is such an important tenet of our "like precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1) that John went further and stated in 2 John 7-11 [RSV], 7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8. Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9. Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. 10. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; 11. for he who greets him shares his wicked work.
While writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John calls the doctrine which denies God came in the flesh evil. This doctrine is Gnosticism, and it is still prevalent today and just as evil as it ever was.
In the First Century the apostles warned us against those who would bring about the teaching of false knowledge that would be to the detriment of those who are followers of Christ. The Apostle Paul stated Romans 1:22-23 [RSV]), 22. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. One needs not carve a statue and bow down to it to do as the Apostle Paul said. One needs only to elevate oneself above God in one’s own mind in order for one to be engaged in idolatrous worship. Take, for example, what a friend from my youth had to say this past week. He said,
“Science and reason alone are sufficient for the development of moral values and ethics. I do not need the threats or promises of any Supreme Being to define the moral law within me.”
I kindly pointed out to my friend that he was wrong for in his wisdom, what God calls foolishness, he has lifted himself above God. "Survival of the fittest," a key component of Darwinism and science, by definition leaves no room for compassion or love to others. The ability for humans to feel compassion and love towards others comes from somewhere outside of reason or science. According to the scientific method, compassion and love do not exist because they cannot be measured nor can they be tested empirically. And yet love and compassion DO exist and they ARE real. Without a Supreme Being Whose very definition is that He is love (1 John 4:8) there would be no love or compassion in mankind, there would be no moral values and no ethics. Without our God Who is love there is no moral authority. And without moral authority that originates from God then what results is utter chaos and, which is total negativity. The ONLY reason (pun intended) anyone has any morality within himself is not because it came from reason or science, but because we were created in the image of the Supreme Being, something we should never take for granted.
Even among those who profess to be followers of Christ Gnostic thought permeates. I have seen comments such as the following stated by those who believe they are following Christ, but in reality Gnostic thought has corrupted their doctrine.
“Is it reasonable to conclude that each of us has been born not by the will of the flesh but of God in similar fashion as Jesus? And that God has anointed each of us in similar fashion as God anointed Jesus? And that each of us has been begotten of God and become other children of God in similar fashion as Jesus?”
Now this may sound good and proper at first blush, but it really is not. At its heart and core the above message is stating that each and every one of us is just as much a god as is Jesus. And that, dear friends, is Gnosticism. As to our becoming children of God in similar fashion as Jesus, this is not the case. We are not begotten, for Jesus is the only begotten Son of God: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 [see also John 3:16) We need to be reborn, but Jesus did not need to be reborn for He lived His entire life “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus came into the world already spiritually alive and needing not to be born again from above as we all are. We who believe become not sons of God in our own right but in Jesus we become adopted sons of God when we come to Him in obedient, saving faith. Galatians 4:4-6 [RSV] says, 4. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5. to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
None of us has been anointed by God, as was Jesus. He is the singular Anointed One, and this is the meaning of His title, “Christ.” Yes, in a sense we are anointed with the Holy Spirit when we are immersed into Jesus Christ (1 John 2:27), but not to the extent as is Jesus. The Hebrews writer tells us, 8. But of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of Thy Kingdom. 9. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of gladness beyond Thy comrades.” (Hebrews 1:8-9 [RSV]) One cannot escape from the fact that God says here that Jesus His Son IS God, and that His anointing is beyond any anointing that we receive as His adopted siblings! I believe it is paramount that we heed the warnings given by John when he wrote, 2. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3. and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. (1 John 4:2-3 [RSV]) The significance of these verses is that Jesus is God Who literally took on flesh to become Son of Man Who can understand and empathize fully with each and every one of us. This is such an important tenet of our "like precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1) that John went further and stated in 2 John 7-11 [RSV], 7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8. Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9. Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. 10. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; 11. for he who greets him shares his wicked work.
While writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John calls the doctrine which denies God came in the flesh evil. This doctrine is Gnosticism, and it is still prevalent today and just as evil as it ever was.
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