Beware The Philosophies Of Men

NonChristian Philosophies of Men:

1. I DID IT MY WAY

Christian rebuttal: The Christian is a slave to Jesus Christ (I.Corinthians 7:22) called upon to follow the will of God whether he or she likes it or not. Mark 3:35

2. There is no such thing as “absolute truth” two people can define “truth” in conflicting ways and both still be correct….

Christian rebuttal: Then God spoke all these words…the 10 commandments followed(Exodus 20:1-17), these were absolute truths and will always remain so for the

Christian who believes in the inerrancy and infallibility of the God-breathed Old and New Testaments

II. Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:160

3. Marriage is just a piece of paper…it’s all right to live together out of wedlock…

Christian rebuttal: Marriage was created by God as a covenant union both public and private between a man and a woman that was to signify the mystical union,the new covenant, between Jesus Christ and His Church. The Bible gives many clear directives about marriage: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.

Hebrews 13:4 also I. Corinthians 7; Matthew 22:1-10; Ephesians 5:21-32

4. Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jews and all other people pray to the same god,even though they use different names for their god….

Christian rebuttal: The god of the Muslims and Buddhists is very very different from Jesus Christ; people who pray to Satan (Satanists) are not praying to the same god Christians pray to; no other religion believes Jesus Christ is God or in the trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost)…no one comes to the Father but by Me (Jesus Christ).

John 14:6; Isaiah 45:5

5. You can tell if something is morally/ethically right for you by whether or not it works in your life and feels right…

Christian rebuttal: Being beaten, mocked and crucified did not feel right or good and all the disciples couldn’t make any sense of such a horrible loss of Jesus on the cross; they were discouraged and broken in spirit until the resurrection. Never forget:

“Jesus Christ was at the center of His Father’s will at the worsemoment in His life” (Matthew 27:46) Morality and ethics have very little to do

with my feelings and how well something works out; but they have a whole lot to do with my obedience to the will and Word of God (John 14: 23)

See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the

universe and not according to Jesus Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in Him, who is

the head of all rule and authority.

Colossians 2:8-10; 1:19

“The opinion of man is no substitute for the Word of God.” Read it and live by it !

Beware the Philosophies of Men

(Mark 7:6-13; 12:18-27; Colossians 2:6-10)

Last week Bob R. was sharing with our Sunday school class the story of a man who recently had sent away for some lecture tapes. After listening to the tapes about religion and science and the Bible, the man who had believed in God and considered himself a Christian, no longer believed in the truth of the Bible and stopped going to church.

This falling away from the Christian faith is the very issue Paul is talking about to the Christians in Colosse. Paul says in verse 8:

See to it that no one takes you captive (no one cheats you) through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the

elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Like it did with this man listening to some lecture tapes, or going to a secular

university where a seemingly erudite college professor is proclaiming the

“death of god”, or watching so many of the TV shows that think nothing of using

explicit sex scenes and vulgar language (parental discretion is advised they say),

or just drifting along with the latest political correctness under the euphemisms of

diversity and tolerance, before you know it you are questioning or doubting your basic Christian morals and beliefs, turning away from the church, and quietly deciding to yourself that the Word of God is out of step with the times.

Of the many songs Frank Sinatra sang, one of his favorites was:

“I did it my way”. Crowd after crowd loved that song- not just the way he sang it but the message as well. In your bulletin this morning I have included an insert listing 5 what I call non-Christian philosophies of men; there are many more than these 5 but hopefully as we talk about them it will awaken you and me to the warning Paul speaks about.