Guard Our Minds

I remember one of the few times my father actually wrote me a note while I was in college. In the text of the letter my dad referred to this verse. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Col.2:8). What a fitting warning to any student today, and especially to those studying at our public institutions. But this warning is not just for students. Paul writing to a church assaulted by those trying to turn them away from the truth penned these word which are just as fitting today. So many who follow Christ are being lead astray by worldly philosophies, deception, and the traditions of men. At every turn society is trying to mold and shape our values, priorities, and sensibilities. We are bombarded with the lies that say your physical appearance is what defines you, success is measured in terms of how much money you make, look out for yourself first, honesty and hard work are for losers, if you are economically worse off than others then those wealthier than you "OWE" you something, individuals aren't responsible for meeting their own needs or for their actions, it doesn't really matter what you believe about God, sin, death, or hell; freedom of speech no longer applies if you condemn homosexuality, abortion, immorality, dishonesty, corruption, and/or stealing. These are some of the destructive philosophies permeating our culture. There are many more that are contrary to Scripture. Think for example of the impact of Darwinian evolution and secular humanism. These ideologies and belief systems have stripped humankind of their God given uniqueness as the pinnacle of creation. Under these systems man is no better than any other creatures. This mentality justifies such atrocities as abortion, euthanasia, the holocaust. The foundation of the "Environmental movement" and the "animal activist" movements is a fundamental denial of the God-created distinction between man and the rest of creation. If we are, as God has stated, "Created in His image to rule and subdue the earth" then much of what we are being told today is absolutely in conflict with Scripture. Sadly, the idea that man is created in the image of God distinct from the rest of creation as a being designed to impact his/her is completely at odds with much of the social welfare system. When we reward people for NOT working and punish people who do work by stealing what they earn and give it to other people we are stripping human beings of their God-given dignity. God gave us work before the fall so that it is not a curse, but something that we do as image bearers. After the fall it is much more difficult, but work is NOT a curse. When will we see that able-bodied individuals are created with ingenuity, creativity, and energy for making a difference in society. Whatever system we impose that suppresses our God-given image dehumanizes us. I could continue down this road of contrasting current social engineering with Biblical teaching, but the point I want to make is that Paul's warning is so very important today. Both inside and outside the church Christians are inundated with erroneous ideas of what the Bible truly teaches. Only as we "See to it that no one takes us captive" will we truly be free. May we commit ourselves to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Ro.12:2), pray for discernment, and learn to look for the faulty assumptions behind what the world tells us.