Christianity Is Good Psychology...

"There is something about the way God is that is like the way we are." --J. P. Moreland and Scott Rae  

"Psychologist, heal thyself." --Joyce Milton  

"If there is no God, all things are permissible." -- Dostoevsky 

"... [A]nd [God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul"  (Gen. 2:7, KJV).
Remember the Greek antiquarian axiom:  Know thyself!  

NB:   PSYCHOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE SOUL BY DEFINITION.  

The Christian faith is a school of psychology, in fact, a better one than pop or even traditional psychology, and it is a competing one for the hearts and minds of Christians, some of whom feel alienated from the church and don't find solutions in its traditions and teachings.  Too often Christians seeking psychological counseling just have unresolved personal problems and aren't obedient believers repenting of their sins and being accountable--the troubled souls need guidance and support for the social maladjustment.  But psychology is starting to realize the importance of accountability and of making choices again, which is a kind of recognition of sin, the ultimate irresponsibility. The point is that without God there is no sin and we are not accountable!

The fact is that only the church offers answers to all the ultimate questions and dilemmas of man, and psychology focuses on behavior, dodging the bullet.  Psychology is supposedly the study of the soul or psyche, but it has reverted to studying and modifying behavior.  They don't have the big answer to what's wrong with us but focus on diagnosis and so-called self-help therapies. We instinctively sense something is awry with our condition.  William Kirk Kilpatrick concludes, "The real test of a theory or way of life, however, is not whether it can relieve pain but what it says about the pain it cannot relieve."  Why is it that religious people are known to be less stressed than nonbelievers?

Christian psychology, which seems like an oxymoron, focuses on positive psychological hygiene, as well as avoiding bad, destructive behavior.  We are supposed to cease to do evil and learn to do good.  Don't just avoid sin, but do the right thing and live right.  According to Christian psychologists, most mental illnesses don't really exist, but they are over-diagnosed to people who have emotional problems with life adjustment and coping in the real world.  They have not learned to hack Reality 101.  (Modern psychology doesn't know any answers to life's problems and issues, such as the meaning and purpose of life, where we came from, where we're headed, and why we are here.)  They study behavior but cannot define human nature and don't know what makes us human--the image of God!

Every rational person knows about the existence of good and evil, and has eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Adam, but most people still think man is basically good, while Christianity is counter-cultural and says we are basically and intrinsically evil and corrupt through and through--no one escapes corruption and is pure in God's eyes.  This raises a red flag when they cannot account for the evil in the world and don't even have a definition for it.  But Paul said, "Wretched man that I am, who will rescue me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24).  We must know ourselves as the Greeks admonished, and the picture isn't pretty.  A famous Christian philosopher remarked:  "What is wrong with the world?  I am, sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton."  Christianity gives us dignity and makes us accountable and oriented toward reality, and isn't a cop-out or escape.  Christianity is the only worldview that adequately answers all the ultimate questions plaguing mankind.

Christianity is unique too:  the problem is sin, Christ is the answer!  Man is plagued by real guilt (not a guilt-complex a la Freudian psychology) and needs forgiveness and freedom from guilt which can only be realized in spiritual renewal and salvation.  We are each individually responsible to God and accountable and will be judged as to what we did with our gifts from God.  Christianity doesn't give us the freedom to live as we want, but the power to live as we ought and sets us free from the bondage of sin's power over us. We were born in bondage not born free!  Only in Christianity is there meaning in suffering and the guilt problem is dealt a final blow and resolved for good so that it doesn't dog a person the rest of his life.

We are in the image of God, having intellect, will, emotion, intuition, conscience, etc., and must seek the good and moral choice, as well as avoid the evil one:  Doing the right thing while avoiding bad behavior as well.  We all have human traits of wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence to name a few of the known 52 virtues delineated in Scripture.  The goal is not to pinpoint blame or to point the finger, but to bring healing through reconciliation to God.  Only then will we realize what makes life worth living.      Soli Deo Gloria! 

How Does Knowledge Puff Up?

"Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:25, NIV).  
"... How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" (Prov. 1:22, NIV).
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid" (Prov. 12:1, NIV).  
"The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin" (Prov. 10:14, NIV).
"... We know that 'We all possess knowledge.'  But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:1-2, NIV).

1 Cor. 8:1 says that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."  Paul also warns in 1 Tim. 6:20 that there is "knowledge falsely so called."  Why is it that Hosea says that the "people perish for lack of knowledge" and that those "without knowledge will come to ruin"?  There must be a valid knowledge that God wills us to possess.  Point to ponder:  Scripture isn't anti-intellectual or anti-intellect.  It's not the intelligence or the knowledge that offends God and others, but the arrogance so often accompanied with it.  We must cater to intellectual honesty or integrity, but not pander to intellectual arrogance.  Job challenged God without proper knowledge and needed to be clued in.  He found out that no one has a monopoly on knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or truth.

It is said of sophomores (wise morons) in college that they are wise guys because they have enough knowledge to be dangerous or are half-educated.  When you think you have all the answers, like a youth rebelling against parental authority, you don't know as you ought to know.  It is said that all knowledge begins in faith and we cannot find a knowledge of the truth unless we are willing to admit we are wrong!  Because no one is infallible and can't stand corrected at times.  It is no shame to love wisdom and knowledge--philosopher means love of wisdom--because true believers have an innate love of the truth and unbelievers reject the truth (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10; Rom. 2:8).

A sign of a truly wise man is that he's hungry for the truth and is a permanent student in the school of Christ, ever increasing and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.  Sir Francis Bacon, Christian philosopher, scientist, mathematician, said that "knowledge is power," echoing Prov. 24:5 that says we increase strength with our increase of knowledge.  Getting back to the sophomore analogy:  we never really graduate from the school of Christ we have matriculated in and are permanent students of the Book and the more we learn the more we realize we don't know, but that we have merely scratched the surface.  A student entering college thinks he knows something, then gets somewhat overwhelmed, then he becomes a wiseguy thinking he knows it all and is "educated," but then gets humbled and finds out how ignorant he is, and hopefully, he will see graduation as only the beginning of his search for the truth and not the endpoint of it.   It is said of the true student of Christ that he has a thirst for the truth and knowledge because "all truth meets at the top" (acc. to Aquinas) and "all truth is God's truth" (acc. to Augustine).

There is a spiritual gift of knowledge and God grants a spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we all can become wise men and counsel others to the truth.  The wise are known as those who are hungry for the truth, while the fool feeds on trash.  The lips of the wise disperse knowledge according to Prov. 15:7.  We are commanded to add knowledge to our virtue in 2 Pet. 1:5.  We must never forget that according to Prov. 1:7 all knowledge is contingent and begins with a fear of the Lord; for without God's knowledge and revelation, we could know nothing for certain.  "To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..." (Eccl. 2:16, NIV).  CAVEAT:  If we have all knowledge and not love we are nothing; one must keep the main thing the main thing and realize that the aim and focus are to use our knowledge wisely, for the inclination of man is to increase in knowledge and not know how to use it to God's glory.  That's why Peter warns us not to be unfruitful in our knowledge (2 Pet. 1:8).  Solomon also realized the importance of acquiring knowledge from God to be able to lead Israel.

Solomon noticed that too much knowledge can be a grief and bring sorrow, but that is only when it's not focused on Christ and not oriented to the glory of God and one has no God-centered purpose in learning but is only learning for its own sake or for the wrong motives--knowledge is not an end in itself, but a means to an end!   "But since you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you...." (2 Cor. 8:7, NIV).  Daniel is the patron saint of those of the knowledge of the system, and the priest is to guard and preserve knowledge for he is the messenger of the Lord (cf. Mal. 2:7).

Likewise, we ought to avoid the presence of the fool, the one in whom we don't find the words of knowledge.  Never forget that true knowledge of the Lord is real understanding and wisdom and something to boast in (cf. Jer. 9:24).  Remember that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and therefore one must commit to a serious, lifelong pursuit of it to keep from conceit, lest we become like Job who "spoke without knowledge" and his words had no insight, thinking he knew it all per Job 34:35. An example of foolishly using knowledge is to be a showoff or to parade it or to endeavor to "wow" people with our scholarship or higher learning when we need to meet people where they are and connect with them at their level--no one likes the know-it-all.

Some knowledge is too wonderful (cf. Psa. 131:1) for us because of our human limits (cf. Psa. 139:6).  A sign of the last days is that according to Daniel 12:4 "knowledge shall increase," but this is the unwise use of it and referring to a technical advance of civilization, not true godly knowledge, which doesn't increase but remains to be discovered anew in each generation.  I believe we are going backward in this category!  Caution:  Ignorance is not bliss, and it's ignorance that binds us not knowledge.   In sum, we all need to know the value of knowing the scoop, but we need to add a cup of discernment with it to keep it in perspective and ourselves properly oriented to reality and the main thing that counts--love.   ("I desired the knowledge of God ... more than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6, NIV).    Soli Deo Gloria!

The Heavenly Quest

Man has been on the quest for paradise on earth, much more in the afterlife ever since the dawn of time. God implanted this idea, it is not of our creation or imagination.   But this has meant different strokes for different folks!  Man is not invariably pure spirit, nor is he spiritually pure or meant to be a spirit--we will have spiritual bodies in heaven, but they will be bodies like Christ's, nonetheless, that can live in other dimensions so as to walk through walls, and probably eat without gaining weight!  No man is so spiritual he can worship God forever, unceasingly ad nauseam; however, there are angels assigned to this task and they are privileged to be so close to God, not cursed to praise God in worship songs forever!  Watching reruns of Green Acres would be hell on earth to me!  We all have our dreams and nightmares of eternity.  But one thing for sure, we will be fulfilled and filled with joy everlasting knowing and praising God, even in our work and labors.  

There is a multitude of ways to worship God and we will find ways to bring Him glory in all we do in our heavenly estate and an eternal home in the heavenly city of the New Jerusalem.  People who are extremely musical wish they could enjoy music all day, and there are Christians who listen to Christian radio and think they are worshiping God all-day-long--this is passive, and worship is active or something that takes effort. Both work and play can become worship!  God is the receiver and recipient of worship in the Spirit and not ourselves--we find our fulfillment in worshiping God in the way we are hard-wired, but certainly to worship in spirit and in truth. 

Personally, I wish I was so spiritual I could sing praises to Him night and day, but I don't think that level of spirituality is possible in the flesh.  People say that heaven is not a perpetual church service, and I hope not, because God can be worshiped in so many ways besides that.  But we should never put down some one's idea of what heaven would be to them because no one will be disappointed.  The Christian life is not about walking in the glow of a transforming experience the rest of your life nor about living in a perpetual high on Cloud Nine to be no earthly good.

The important point is that we will all be fulfilled and spiritually joyful and content in our realization of heaven--God will let no one down.  The important thing about thinking of heaven is that it helps us to live in light of eternity, to get proper focus, and put things in perspective.  We are but pilgrims just passing through and have spiritual green cards that we will one day exchange for a heavenly occupation and residence.  This life is but a dress rehearsal or prelude to heaven and every note we strike sounds a chord that will vibrate into eternity.

Many Christians think we are here to get the American dream realized: education, culture, standard of living, and freedom, but these will find us fleeting fulfillment, and they only get our focus off Christ the center of our attention and what it's all about--bringing Him glory and living for Him, enjoying Him in the process.  Christ came to give us eternal life and a more abundant one, even in the here and now, and this life, which is not probationary, beginning at salvation and cannot be forfeited by sin, for Christ is our intercessor when we do and holds onto us and won't let go nor give up on us (cf. Phil. 1:5).

The joy we share in Christ now is but a preview of our heavenly, beatific vision.  Many believers get a misconception of the real life in Christ by focusing on musical megastars, who perform before large crowds, and consequently believe they should imitate them or emulate them as living the ideal Christian life by virtue of their gifting in the Spirit--we all need to be ourselves and look to Jesus as our Supreme Exemplar and not to any man as personifying the Spirit--as an ideal of spirituality, or as being spiritual giants.

One thing heaven is not is monotony or routine:  Is there anything you could do without ceasing, ad infinitum without getting bored or out of your comfort zone?  If you love reading, would you love to read forever?  Nothing is mundane or perfunctory in heaven! There may be routines but no monotony.  Even if you enjoy preaching, eating, or even singing, you wouldn't want to engage it forever; for we are hard-wired for work (though some think work is a curse--not in heaven!) and productivity; diversity is the stuff of life and we ought not to strive with our Maker (cf. Isaiah 45:9)!

We are not self-deceived like Muslims believing in a Paradise is of man's own imagination and "wine, women, and song" or having "seventy virgins," but we believe heaven is far more surreal than we can envision with our limited senses and intellects--the finite cannot contain the infinite.    Soli Deo Gloria!