Humanism challenges our theology right where we first stumbled with God - in our self-centeredness.
The first consequence of the fall and arguably the only real consequence thereof, was knowledge of self. The tree of knowledge did not imbue intellectual awareness, for knowledge of life and its workings, is a virtue of God, celebrated by many biblical writers. Knowledge of sin was also not given by the tree, in fact knowledge of sin really only came through the law, as we read in Romans 5:20.
The text of Genesis ascribes the knowledge of good and evil to the tree, but as that knowledge did not do the work of the law, in giving us the knowledge of sin, we must look into the context and examine the implications of eating the tree. There were two implications: death, which implies separation from God, and awareness of nakedness.
These two ideas are linked, for self-awareness begets alienation from God. Thus Paul teaches in Romans 8, that the carnal mind is enmity from God. God may have thrust us from His presence, but we actually alienate ourselves from God through our carnality (self-centeredness).
Humanism looks at our weaknesses and regards them as purely circumstantial: a function of learning, upbringing, context or social predispositions. God does not see it that way. He blames sin and when Jesus hung on the cross He set aside all human solutions to world problems by pointing back to sin and its consequence, a consequence that was supremely borne by Christ on His cross.
Humanism also proposes all kinds of solutions to our innate vulnerabilities, which Paul refers to in Romans 8, as vanity. We need to cover our nakedness, because of our self-awareness, but fig-leaves are hopelessly inadequate. Modern proxies for fig leaves include: status symbols, careers, wealth, material possessions, cosmetics, self-improvement philosophies, etc. But they never address our underlying vanity, rather they fuel it.
Marketers have learnt that giving some sense of wellbeing through commercially available fig-leaves, provides a broader incentive for the masses to part with their hard-earned billions in desperate search of a better fig-leaf. I must ask, do you really think the marketers of such products want you to feel fundamentally whole and fulfilled – never, that would destroy very valuable markets? Do you really think modern medicine want you to get better – never, that would wipe out the wealth or the wealthiest segment of our population. But as long as you have some perception that wellness is possible, you will spend, spend, spend and then suffer the resulting stress or debt-induced disorders that will recycle your spending into another round of fruitless waste.
Hey, the Pharisees sent Jesus to the cross because he threatened their well-developed trade in human vanity. Jesus is the single greatest threat to materialism and capitalism, because He offers real freedom and fundamental wholeness.
I have been deeply challenged about my current circumstances and have had a lot of input relating to my own sense of self-confidence. I accept, in part, that lack of self-confidence is not helpful and there is a form of self-deprecation that is as carnal as pride and as alienating as any other sin. It can sometimes do more harm than pride, for it not only excludes God, it excludes people from our inner worlds. To this end, we at least need to redress the ways we respond to God, for negativity is a cancer to the soul.
But, Paul said in Philippians 3 that he would put no confidence in the flesh. He had more than enough personal credence to put confidence in his own flesh: his impressive resume included an outstanding education, noble birth and Roman citizenship. But Paul said, “I count these things but dung (there are modern substitutes for dung that might convey how strongly Paul felt when he wrote this). He cast it all aside, not for self-knowledge, but for the surpassing knowledge of Christ.
He conceded to an ambition, a shrewdly-worded counter-trend to human ambition, which is fuelled by self-awareness. Paul’s ambition was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection - that quest consumed his soul. He accepted that he had not yet achieved his goal or attained to the fullness of his faith, but he was committed to fighting for supremacy, just as a runner might do in a race.
The secret to his power lay not in his human presence, powerful words, learning, intellect or a forceful nature. Paul’s power and authority lay exclusively in His knowledge of God. He mastered a sense of God-confidence that far exceeded the best of human confidence.
Human confidence is fragile and based on passing fancies. What works for a season, rarely works throughout life and what bolsters us in our youth, rarely sustains us in old age. Human confidence is a life-sapping, tiring, wearisome effort that brings limited fulfillment, but God-confidence is peaceful and joyous, because its departure point is the clothing of our nakedness by a great, heavenly Father.
Satan will exploit and weaken us as long as our centre-of-gravity is self, for self-awareness is the gateway of sin and the principle lever of Satan. But the devil stumbles in the dark or clutches at straws, when Jesus becomes our centre-of-gravity and the foundation for a divine sense of personal wholeness.
The first consequence of the fall and arguably the only real consequence thereof, was knowledge of self. The tree of knowledge did not imbue intellectual awareness, for knowledge of life and its workings, is a virtue of God, celebrated by many biblical writers. Knowledge of sin was also not given by the tree, in fact knowledge of sin really only came through the law, as we read in Romans 5:20.
The text of Genesis ascribes the knowledge of good and evil to the tree, but as that knowledge did not do the work of the law, in giving us the knowledge of sin, we must look into the context and examine the implications of eating the tree. There were two implications: death, which implies separation from God, and awareness of nakedness.
These two ideas are linked, for self-awareness begets alienation from God. Thus Paul teaches in Romans 8, that the carnal mind is enmity from God. God may have thrust us from His presence, but we actually alienate ourselves from God through our carnality (self-centeredness).
Humanism looks at our weaknesses and regards them as purely circumstantial: a function of learning, upbringing, context or social predispositions. God does not see it that way. He blames sin and when Jesus hung on the cross He set aside all human solutions to world problems by pointing back to sin and its consequence, a consequence that was supremely borne by Christ on His cross.
Humanism also proposes all kinds of solutions to our innate vulnerabilities, which Paul refers to in Romans 8, as vanity. We need to cover our nakedness, because of our self-awareness, but fig-leaves are hopelessly inadequate. Modern proxies for fig leaves include: status symbols, careers, wealth, material possessions, cosmetics, self-improvement philosophies, etc. But they never address our underlying vanity, rather they fuel it.
Marketers have learnt that giving some sense of wellbeing through commercially available fig-leaves, provides a broader incentive for the masses to part with their hard-earned billions in desperate search of a better fig-leaf. I must ask, do you really think the marketers of such products want you to feel fundamentally whole and fulfilled – never, that would destroy very valuable markets? Do you really think modern medicine want you to get better – never, that would wipe out the wealth or the wealthiest segment of our population. But as long as you have some perception that wellness is possible, you will spend, spend, spend and then suffer the resulting stress or debt-induced disorders that will recycle your spending into another round of fruitless waste.
Hey, the Pharisees sent Jesus to the cross because he threatened their well-developed trade in human vanity. Jesus is the single greatest threat to materialism and capitalism, because He offers real freedom and fundamental wholeness.
I have been deeply challenged about my current circumstances and have had a lot of input relating to my own sense of self-confidence. I accept, in part, that lack of self-confidence is not helpful and there is a form of self-deprecation that is as carnal as pride and as alienating as any other sin. It can sometimes do more harm than pride, for it not only excludes God, it excludes people from our inner worlds. To this end, we at least need to redress the ways we respond to God, for negativity is a cancer to the soul.
But, Paul said in Philippians 3 that he would put no confidence in the flesh. He had more than enough personal credence to put confidence in his own flesh: his impressive resume included an outstanding education, noble birth and Roman citizenship. But Paul said, “I count these things but dung (there are modern substitutes for dung that might convey how strongly Paul felt when he wrote this). He cast it all aside, not for self-knowledge, but for the surpassing knowledge of Christ.
He conceded to an ambition, a shrewdly-worded counter-trend to human ambition, which is fuelled by self-awareness. Paul’s ambition was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection - that quest consumed his soul. He accepted that he had not yet achieved his goal or attained to the fullness of his faith, but he was committed to fighting for supremacy, just as a runner might do in a race.
The secret to his power lay not in his human presence, powerful words, learning, intellect or a forceful nature. Paul’s power and authority lay exclusively in His knowledge of God. He mastered a sense of God-confidence that far exceeded the best of human confidence.
Human confidence is fragile and based on passing fancies. What works for a season, rarely works throughout life and what bolsters us in our youth, rarely sustains us in old age. Human confidence is a life-sapping, tiring, wearisome effort that brings limited fulfillment, but God-confidence is peaceful and joyous, because its departure point is the clothing of our nakedness by a great, heavenly Father.
Satan will exploit and weaken us as long as our centre-of-gravity is self, for self-awareness is the gateway of sin and the principle lever of Satan. But the devil stumbles in the dark or clutches at straws, when Jesus becomes our centre-of-gravity and the foundation for a divine sense of personal wholeness.
(c) Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com
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