the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time
“Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ!” (HYPERLINK "javascript:" , Phillips)
The word which Phillips translates “intellectualism” here is the one from which we get the word “philosophy.” Basically it means the love of wisdom, but then it has acquired a further meaning, namely, the search for reality and the purpose of life.
Most human philosophies are expressed in complicated, highsounding language. They are above the head of the common man. They appeal to those who like to use their intellectual powers in clothing human speculations with words that are difficult to understand.
Frankly, human philosophies are inadequate. Phillips speaks of them as “intellectualism and high-sounding nonsense.” They are based on man’s ideas of the nature of things and disregard Christ. As famous a philosopher as Bertrand Russell is quoted as saying toward the close of his life, “Philosophy has proved a washout to me.”
The wise Christian is not taken in by the high-sounding nonsense of modern intellectualism. He refuses to bow at the shrine of man’s wisdom. Instead he realizes that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ. He tests all human philosophies by the Word of God and rejects all that is contrary to the Scriptures.
He is not moved when philosophers hit the headlines with some new attack on the Christian faith. He has the maturity of judgment to realize that he cannot expect anything better from them.
He does not feel inferior that he cannot converse with the philosophers in words of many syllables or follow them in their involved reasonings. He is suspicious of their inability to state their message simply, and rejoices that the Gospel is such that wayfaring men, though fools, can grasp it.
He detects in modern philosophies the lure of the serpent, “…ye shall be as gods”. Man is tempted to exalt his mind above the mind of God. But the wise Christian rejects the devil’s lie. He casts down human reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
'Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time' Copyright 2007 © William MacDonald. 'Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
