Hollow Philosophies

I have been teaching in a class we've called "World Religions" for the upper multi-level kids. It's a high school level class that is actually more about specific world views, rather than defined "religions". Our goal has been to help the kids understand other views, in order to stand against them and to solidify their own Biblical worldview. It's been a challenge for a couple of the Ghanaians in the class, since they have not had near the exposure to alternative views like the American missionary kids have had. 

In America, especially in higher education and the scientific fields, or even Hollywood and the arts, people are exposed to all kinds of world views. In fact, we are even expected to accept and embrace a variety of beliefs if we don't want to offend anyone. In our class, we have talked about Deism, Atheism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, as well as Christian Theism. That's a lot of "ism"s, but it's been eye opening, even for me. I won't bore you by trying to explain each of these, but there is an extremely important lesson I want to point out to you.

As I've been reading through the book we are using for the class, many of these different views are often referred to as philosophies. For many people who do not know God, their search for meaning can end in any one of these philosophies, especially those which, on the surface, appear to make sense. In the midst of my studies, a passage from Colossians came to mind, and I think it speaks for itself, as a warning to those of us who have heard the truth of the Word of God.      

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

          Colossians 2:8(ESV)

Another version uses the phrase, "fine sounding arguments", but the word philosophies caught my attention. The apostle Paul knew that there was going to be those who would oppose a Biblical based world view with a view of their own, founded on human understanding. Some of those views are simply ridiculous, and few people would fall for them. However, some of them sound rational, and appeal to peoples' sense of logic and human understanding... but they fail to acknowledge God and put Him in his proper place, and some views disregard Jesus all together.

Paul says BE CAREFUL!! Don't be deceived by a philosophy that simply sounds good. Trust the Word of God as truth, and seek Him.

Jesus said,  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Many times, those "empty philosophies" are easy to believe and follow, but they lead to destruction. But there is a way that leads to LIFE!! 

Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, and the life!

Cayle