Biblically defining Philosophy's relationship to Christianity

Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

Colossians 2:8 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.

Discerning the relationship between philosophy and biblical Christianity
In the two above texts, we see the Apostle Paul preaching and writing in two different environments.  In Acts 17 he is preaching to a group of Philosophers at a place called "Mars Hill".  He uses quotations from their own philsophers to lend support to His biblical message on the Sovereignty of God in creation and salvation. 

In the Colossians text, Paul is under house arrest in Rome.  That text was written 10 years or so after his sermon on Mars Hill.  In reading his remarks in Colossians 2:8, one may have the impression that Paul has changed his tune on the use and value of Philosophy.  Is he forbidding its use all together?  No.  Rather he is warning his readers of misusing Philosophy or uncritically accepting all of the answers that Philosophy offers to the questions raised by people about the meaning and purpose of life.

Paul still used philosophical categories, in a sparing way, to demonstrate the validity of Christianity over against the paganism of his day.  For instance, whenever He states Christ to be the "fulness of the Godhead bodily" in Colossians 2:9, the word used for "fulness" is taken straight out of the pagan Gnosticism of which he was battling.  The Gnostics taught that "the fulness" was an impersonal force that revealed itself in varying levels or "emanations" of lesser deities and beings. 

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul took this Greek Philosophical concept and turned it on its head, taking every thought opposed to Christ and bring it under subjection to Christ's authority. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).  Moses and the children of Israel took the gold of the Egyptians given to them during their Exodus out of Egypt to use in the construction of the tabernacle - demonstrating God's Sovereignty over that false system.  Paul like-wise too took elements of the false system he was battling and revealed how the Gospel calls every Christian to be more than a conqueror.  Christ indeed is Supreme, personal and above any so-called thought of man, philosophy or otherwise.

Sifting everything through scripture
Paul showed that Christ is the embodiment of all authority, and that He alone is the mediator between God and men.  He is the personal Fulness of Deity who revealed Himself in history, and who can be know by Grace through faith.  In one verse Paul undermines an entire philsophical system, with some of the very tools used by the philosophers themselves! 

There are going to be times when encountering any system of thought outside of scripture that believers have to discern whether such a system is valuable, of limited value or of no value whatsoever.  If questions raised by Philosophers mirror those addressed in scripture, then we may have something useful.  The discernment comes in not using the answers given by that system. 

Keeping in mind the distinction between General and Special Revelation
God's General revelation of Himself through nature and special revelation of Himself in scripture can be used to explain why we find similarity of questions raised in Philosophy and scripture.  No doubt Paul had this assumption going into his dialogue with the Athenian Philsophers on Mars Hill in Acts 17.  Paul identified the common questions raised by the pagan philosophy and sacred scripture - testifying to the former's reaction to God's general revelation in nature and God's special revelation in the Bible.  However, Paul was also quick to direct his sermon's answers to those questions to the Special revelation of scripture. 

Conclusions on the biblical relationship between philosophy and Christianity
Questions about meaning, purpose and life, so often raised by philosophy and scripture alike, can only be clearly answers by scripture alone.  Christians can use Philosophy, providing they are careful, discerning,  and draw conclusions that mesh with the biblical record, rather than the philosophical system.  The idea of sola scriptura (the Bible alone) is an important doctrine to uphold in this discussion.  Sola Scriptura is defined as the Bible being the final authority on all matters in comparison to secondary forms of authority - whether it be science, philosophy or tradition.    

One author has noted that "all truth is God's truth".  As we consider how to evaluate things like Philosophy in comparison to scriptures, I would offer this additional thought: God's Truth, perfectly revealed in scripture, discerns the truth He reveals in creation.  There is "truth" that we as human beings imperfectly perceive in disciplines such as science, math, and philosophy and then there is TRUE Truth which is perfectly revealed in scripture alone.  

Why The Christian should be aware of Philosophy

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

Quick Review
As we saw from my wife's guest blog a couple of days ago,  a worldview is defined as: "how we perceive, interpret, and respond to the world surrounding us." Also too, we saw yesterday that if the Christian is to develop an effective Christian Worldview, consideration of Genesis 1-12 must be considered. 

What to do with Philosophy?
One of the subjects frequently encountered in worldview studies is whether or not philosophy has a purpose or place in the Christian worldview.  This is a very important question, since how we define philosophy's role, or lack thereof, will determine how we treat other subjects such as science, technology and the arts.  The umbrella goal of developing a Christian worldview is, as my wife said, "perceive, interpret and respond to the world surrounding us."  As we'll be contending over the next few days, scripture must be the Christian's grid and guide in discerning these matters. 

Equipping our young people going back to school
To be completely ignorant of what philosophy is saying ignores how much of our culture is shaped by it. Most T.V shows are shaped by various philosophies that run counter to scripture. If we can discern what those are, we can offer a more informed biblical response.  If you and I can pick up on questions being asked in the Bible, and find those similar questions being raised in the culture, we can draw a connecting point and hopefully share Christ with those who don't believe in Him.   

My aim on this blog site is to equip Christians with the tools they need to affect a wider sphere of people for Jesus Christ. School will be starting up soon, and more than ever, we need our Christian young people - from the elementary to the college/university levels to know how to give an answer for the hope that is within them. (1 Peter 3:15)

The chief aim of man is to know God
When you survey the whole of scripture, time and again the number one concern is knowing God.  God has made Himself known by revelation in creation, the Person and work of Jesus Christ and the words of the Bible.  One cannot say they have truly known God unless they have experienced the New Birth in conversion, that is, salvation in Jesus Christ by grace through faith alone (John 3:16; 17:3). Flowing from saving faith is sanctification, the "faith-life", wherein the believer has a faith-walk of obedience and desire for God (Philippians 2:12-13).  The faith-walk of the Christian should have an outlook that is governed by a desire to glorify Christ in all things. (Romans 11:33-36; Hebrews 12:1-2).

The Biblical emphasis on Wisdom
When we speak of bridging the gap between the Christian mind and Christian action, we look to what the Bible calls wisdom.  Wisdom in the biblical sense deals with excellence in applying Biblical principles for the glory of God.  To be a lover of wisdom, in the Biblical sense, means my aim is to know God, and by knowing God I know myself well enough to live out the claims of scripture. 

What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is a word that comes from two Greek words: "Philos" meaning "love" and "sophia" meaning "wisdom".  In the formal discipline of philosophy, from the days of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato in ancient Greece to current times, four branches have been identified to describe the task and activity of philosophy.

1. Epistemology - This branch of philosophy deals with how one knows what they know.  For instance, how do I know that there is anything outside my mind? This is usually the first area one looks at when studying philosophy. Epistemology comes from a Greek word that gives the idea of "standing in front of" something and determining how to know it.  It is normally in this branch of Philosophy that questions such as "meaning" come into view.

2. Metaphysics - This second branch of philosophy has to due with the natural of reality itself.  Is reality composed of a supernatural and natural realm? Is God real? Is the world only that which can be seen, or is it more than that?  Questions such as these compose the branch of philsophy we call metaphysics.  Metaphysics comes from two Greek words: "meta" meaning "after or beyond" and "phusis" meaning "the nature of something, or the stuff of things".

3. Logic - The third major branch of the formal study of Philosophy is that of logic.  Logic delves into how we use our minds, and how we can evaluate the sense of things.  You have no doubt heard of terms like "logical", "illogical" to describe arguments, belief systems or statements that have know coherence or consistency.  Logic comes from the Greek word "Logos", which literally refers to that quality that brings order and stability to the world.

4. Ethics - This fourth major branch of philsophy is what many would consider to be the most "practical" branch of philosophy.  You will often hear people refer to "morality" and "ethics", often interchanging the words.  The two terms are, in their historic use, quite different.  Ethics was originally used to describe principles that told people how they "ought to live".  Morals on the other hand, coming from a word "mo-ray", described how a given people or culture actually lived. 

If we were to summarize the four branches of philosophy in terms of questions, they would be these: "How do I know?" (epistemology); "What is there to know" (metaphysics); "What makes the most sense?" (logic) and "How ought we to live?" (ethics).  Philosophy's basic questions can sometimes be useful in communicating the Gospel to unbelieving culture - providing we screen such questions through scripture.

The Bible believing church has held to belief in the principle of scripture's unique authority above all other secondary forms called the principle of sola scriptura (scriptures alone).  This simply means that we don't exclude the use of other authorities, providing we use them according to their appropriate design and function.  However whether it be science, tradition, disciplines such as philosophy, reason - all those authorities play second fiddle to the Bible's unique authority as obligating human beings to its words and being used by the Holy Spirit to convert sinners unto salvation. (Psalm 19:7; 1 Peter 1:23).  The Bible Alone gives us the categories by which we perceive, understand and interpret the world around us.  May we keep those things in mind as we develop our Christian Worldview. 

The Far-Reaching Significance of a Christian Worldview

The Extensive Nature of the Biblical Christian Worldview
In today's blog I want to briefly cover some of the major disciplines, areas of knowledge and life that can be addressed by a Christian worldview.  We noted the beginning point of the Christian worldview as being Genesis 1-12.  From those twelve chapters, key areas of thought in not only the history of redemption, but in virtually every area of thought had their beginning.  Below is a thumb nail sketch of potential areas that a Christian worldview addresses:

1. Origin of the Universe or Cosmology, Astrophysicis, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Anthropology = Genesis 1
2. Cosmogeny or the structure of the universe = Genesis 1
3. Anthropology or the study and origins of humanity, Psychology = Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2
4. Criminology, Ethics, Problem of Evil and Suffering, Family Counseling = Genesis 3-4
5. From some of Adam's descendants we see the introduction of metalurgy, music, the arts, the beginning of urbanization and human culture = Genesis 4
6. Genaeology, Philosophy of History = Genesis 5
7. Hydrological cycle, Hydro-dynamics, Geology, Earth Science, Ship building = Genesis 6-9
8. Population distributions, Statistics, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Development = Genesis 10
9. Linguistics, Palentology, Origin of the nations = Genesis 11
10. Historical, Redemptive and Eternal Promises of God are brought to bear in the Covenant begun with Abram in Genesis 12

The Christian Worldview is the most extensive and comprehensive worldview around
These are but just a few areas.  Every field of human thought and study is addressed in its most basic form in the Biblical worldview.  A Book that does an excellent job on this subject is by Bible Believing scholar Henry Morris entitled: The Long War Again God. Sometimes you will hear such a worldview referred to as a Judeo/Christian worldview, meaning that the basis derives from the Jewish Old Testament and Christian New Testament.  For instance, the Bible may not be an Astronomy Text book, yet some of the most fundamental assumptions of science, such as the regularity of physical laws and the belief in an objective, measurable reality are assumptions scientists borrowed from a Judea/Christian worldview.

Being able to understand how God's revelation in scripture relates to such disciplines as Science, Philosophy, Ethics, Law, Culture, Government, as well as its ability to discern truth from error in other belief systems, makes the Judeo/Christian Worldview (i.e the Biblical Worldview) the most comprehensive worldview in existence. 

Why Christian Worldview Development is so crucial - some thoughts
Worldview development is crucial, since by it Christians are able to reach out to the unbelieving culture with a biblical informed, historical tested and coherent system that is God centered, Christ exalting and Biblical sound.  Worldview development aims not merely at information, but transformation.  It begins with the mind and aims to affect the conscience so as to yield transformation fo the heart.  It is critical for a person to have been Born-Again by the Spirit of God by grace through faith in their human spirit, since the Christian life is all about bringing the soul (mind, emotions, will) and body into allignment with God's Word while making and impact on the world for Jesus Christ.  Without a genuine conversion experience, the Christian Worldview cannot be appreciated, embraced and applied. 

Genesis 1-12: The Beginning of Worldview Development

Genesis 1:1 - "In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth"

Yesterday we began looking at the subject of worldview development.  My wife Debi defined a Christian worldview as: "how we perceive, interpret, and respond to the world surrounding us." This is a fine definition to operate by as we expand and began to develop a Christian worldview.  The question is: from what base do we build a Christian worldview? Thankfully there is one section of the Bible from whence once builds their entire understanding of scripture and the world - Genesis 1-12. 

1. Genesis 1-2 Creation- Defines the Divine Origin of the Universe, Life and Humanity.  We also see God dealing with man in a Covenantal arrangement, whereby He gracefully gave man a period of time to carryout commands pertaining to management of the creation and propagation of the human race.  Man would either avail himself of the grace available to carry out the commands, or He would ignore God's revelation and choose to rely on his own opinion.  In developing your worldview, how you understand the beginning will determine how you'll understand the end. 

2. Genesis 3-5 Fall and Redemption- Defines the origin of sin and describes the devestating effects it would have on humanity.  Humanity's fall from relationship and fellowship with God was followed up by God offering a second covenant, a Covenant of grace, whereby God would slay two animals in Adam and Eve's place.  From Genesis 3 onward, mankind could only be saved by grace through faith in an innocent substitute - foreshadowing the redemption to be won by Jesus Christ.  So we clearly see the beginning (at least in history) of God's plan of salvation, spoken to Eve in Genesis 3:15 and building up to the full Covenant of grace spelled out in Genesis 3:20-21. This Covenant of Grace would be repeated in historical fashion through God's Covenants with Abraham and David, as well as His promise of the New Covenant in the Prophetic books.  Increasingly, the Bible tells us that the Covenant of Grace was to be paid for by Jesus Christ, who in his perfect life fulfilled the Covenant of works broken by Adam. 

3. Genesis 6-9 Worldwide Flood - Noah and his family are the tenth generation from Adam's bloodline.  God's judgment fell on the world by means of the Deluge simply known as "The Flood".  If the Fall in the Garden of Eden can be considered "Catastrophe #1", we could then term the Flood as the second Catastrophic event of human history.  God decided to start all over again with Noah and his family.  By the end of Genesis 9, the episode involving Noah's son Ham uncovering his nakedness would remind the reader that the sin problem is not due to man's environment as it is with the condition of his heart.  

4. Genesis 10-11 Babel and the Sovereign Distribution of the Nations   
It is in Genesis 11:1-9 where we see the Tower of Babel incident - marking the third catastrophic event of history.  God dispersed humanity by means of differing languages.  It was also from Babel where we see the beginnings of false religion.  In Genesis 10 we see the lineage of humanity traced from Noah's three sons:Shem, Ham and Japheth.  70 nations are derived from 70 men listed in this chapter.  These 70 nations would be Sovereignly arranged in accords to what God would reveal in Chapter 12 of Genesis.  Shem's bloodline is the focal point of Genesis 11, revealing the "scarlet thread of redemption" that brings its way into the particular family of Terah and particularly his son Abram.

5. Genesis 12 The Blessing of Salvation to be revealed through Abraham and His descendant(s)
As we noted earlier, the seventy nations listed in Genesis 10-11 were Divinely arranged around the prophetic destiny revealed to Abraham and his descendant(s). (Deuteronomy 32:6)  The reason I have descendant(s) spelled the way I do is to capture the three-fold fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.  The first leg of that promise was to be fulfilled through the bringing about of the Nation of Israel in the Old Testament.  The second leg was to be chiefly fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ through the bloodline of the tribe of Judah in that nation. 

The cradle of Bethlehem, the cross of Calvary and the empty tomb were to be the chief activities accomplished by the "Seed" or "Descendant of Abraham" - Jesus Christ. When Christ ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent, the Church age was born, and the Gentiles are currently getting a spiritual foretaste of the Age to come as fellow heirs of Abraham's promise.  However the nation of Israel, though experiencing a hardening and spiritual blindness in this current Church age, has not been forsaken in God's prophetic planning. (Romans 11:1-36) The third leg of Abraham's Covenant of Genesis 12 will be fulfilled when Israel is restored at Christ's second coming.  Christ will reign upon the earth, giving Israel the chance to be the witness God called her to be among the nations. 

From these twelve chapters, the whole of the Bible and the whole Christian worldview has its start.  I would encourage the reader to make it their business to know these chapters, since everything we know about everything had their beginning in the text of Genesis 1-12. 

Guest Blogger: Debi Smith - Defining a Christian Worldview

Introduction to this week's blog series: Christian Worldview Studies
In this week's series of blogs, the aim is to introduce readers to the topic of what I'm terming "Worldview Studies".  This is a special week because of a new feature I'll be introducing on this blog: what I'm calling "The Guest Blogger".  I hope from time to time to have a special guest offer his or her insights in a post on a given day.  I'm pleased to announce our guest blogger for today: my wonderful wife Debi.  She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's Degree in Christian Counseling at Liberty University and recently completed a summer course in Apologetics (how to defend one's Christian faith).

Guest Blogger Debi Smith defines and discusses Christian Worldview development
What is a worldview?
Nothing can stir a person more than a lively debate. Whether the issue is political or moral, every person has strong beliefs about the world and events that take place around them. These convictions make up our worldview, how we perceive, interpret, and respond to the world surrounding us.

What is the Biblical/Christian Worldview?

In their article The Inerrancy of the Bible, Norman L. Geisler and Lanny Wilson state, “Because the Bible is the Word of God and because it is impossible for God to err, it follows that the Bible cannot be in error.” (Geisler & Wilson, 2008) With this understanding, the Biblical worldview answers the following questions:

What is the origin of life?
Life started with God.  He is without beginning or end (John 17:5, 24). Creator God designed and set into motion the universe and all that is within, including our planet Earth and mankind. (Genesis 1)

What is mankind’s identity? 
God created man in His image.  Though we do not share His deity, He gave man the ability to reason and the responsibility to care for creation.  (Genesis 1:26-30)  Though sinful and fallen, we are still cherished above all other created things, loved and unique. (Psalm 8:1-9)

What is man’s purpose?
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1646).  We glorify God through obedience to His Word (1 Corinthians 10:31). Also, we can have a personal relationship with God, one that brings joy and fulfillment. (Isaiah 12:2-3)

How should we live? 
In the Bible we learn right from wrong and how we should live (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are commanded by God to obey His commands and we see the results of following or not following these commands (Jeremiah 7:23-24).

What is our destiny? 
Death is not final.  For those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, we have assurance of eternal life in Heaven with God (John 3:16-18).  Sadly, those who do not accept God’s free gift of Salvation spend eternity in hell. This is known as a second death, a constant state of dying and torment (Revelation 21:6-8). 

How might/should a biblical worldview influence the way you decide a future career (what you will choose and/or how you will carry it out)?  How might/should a biblical worldview influence the way you think about, treat, and speak to others on a daily basis? 

A Biblical worldview permeates every part of one’s existence.  Therefore, a person with a Biblical worldview would not choose a career that would contradict their morals or deny God glory. A career is a stage on which to display and model a Biblical worldview before the eyes of others.

Finally, a Biblical worldview affects how we respond to others.  Love is and should be the most noticeable trait.  Our purpose is to bring God glory.  Nothing brings God more glory than obeying His commands to share His gift of salvation with others in love.  (John 13:35)    

    

The Holy Spirit's work as the Holy Ghost

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Today's post is going to briefly explain a curious translation characteristic of the KJV concerning the Holy Spirit.  In 90 spots we find the phrase "Holy Ghost" and in at least 4 spots we find the translation "Holy Spirit".  Why is that? Let's first clear up what is not being meant in the rendering of these phrases:

1. The "Holy Ghost" and "The Holy Spirit" are not two separate entities nor two aspects of God.  
2. The "Holy Ghost" is not in reference to a manifestation of Jesus Christ following His ascension into Heaven.  Some groups have made this interpretation, unwittingly confusing the second and third persons of the Trinity.  When we confuse the persons of the God-head with one another, we have unwittingly wandered into the realm of unsound doctrine.  God's One nature or essence is equally shared by all Three Persons of the Trinity.  Titles or names of God never destroy the two most fundamental truths about God: He is One God, and second, He is One God perpetually relating within Himself as the Distinct Personages of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

With those two observations, lets now attempt to see if we can probe into why it is the KJV chose to render the Third Person of the Trinity, the Spirit of God, by these two titles.

1. Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost refer to the third Person of the Trinity
In most of the texts that we see the translation "Holy Ghost", we could literally translate from the Greek: "The Spirit of Holiness".  In the texts that render Him as "The Holy Spirit", we could literally render the Greek text: "The Spirit who is Holy".  In the contexts of all the verses, "Holy Ghost" and "Holy Spirit" are referring to God as He is revealed in the third Person of the Trinity.  As we'll see below, the title "Spirit of Holiness" (i.e Holy Ghost) is in reference to His presence, power or office.  Whereas the title "The Spirit who is Holy" (i.e Holy Spirit) is in reference to the Person Himself. 

A brief illustration of what we're trying to communicate
Much like my role as a dad, or my role as a husband - I as a person occupy those different things.  They define what I do, and are closely associated with whom I am.  My functions in the life of my family flow from who I am in their lives.  In a more profound way, the Holy Spirit and His Work are so intimately linked that for all intents and purposes, there is no way to separate Him from His work.  This is why most modern translations have dropped the phrase "Holy Ghost" and made all the renderings "Holy Spirit". 

The change does not affect the meaning of the text, since its mainly due to the way in which the word "ghost" has changed in its meaning from the seventeenth century KJV.  Even if we didn't have the two titles of "Holy Spirit" and "Holy Ghost", the words and progressive revelation of the Holy Spirit's person and work in scripture would still yield this distinction. 

2. Holy Spirit is used to point out the Person of the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost is used to refer to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit
This subtle distinction helps us to put together a biblical theology of the Person and work of the Spirit of God in the Bible.  The KJV translators in 1611, as well as older English translaters, used the Old English word "Ghost" in its meaning of referring to a being of spiritual or immaterial nature.  The word "ghost" of course has changed significantly since then, which is why in English translations after the KJV, we see all the texts changed to the sole rendering "Holy Spirit". 
Subtle grammatical distinctions had also prompted the older translators to use the different words. 

Without going too technical, the modern move to render "Holy Ghost" into the phrase "Holy Spirit" does not destroy the meaning nor intent of the text.  The word in the Greek text rendered "Spirit" and "Ghost" is the same word, which is part of what prompted all English translations after the nineteenth century to render the phrase "Holy Spirit" across the board. 

The KJV translators had something in mind when they rendered the work, the presence or the power of the Spirit of God as "Holy Ghost".  Furthermore, in studying the Greek texts of the remaining instances where they render "Holy Spirit", it appears they were interested in pointing out the Spirit of God's "personality" or "Personhood".  Even without these two distinct titles, we can still make sense of the distinction between the Holy Spirit's power and personhood from the texts which speak about Him.   

3. The term "Holy Spirit" refers to the third Person of the Trinity and the phrase "Holy Ghost" refers more to His office or activity
I would never want to press this distinction to the level of separate points, but rather distinct points.  As one theologian as pointed out, if I were to distinguish your soul and body, it would not affect you; however if I were to separate your soul and body, you would die. 

Just as the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, cannot be separated from His offices as Prophet, Priest and King, so too with the Holy Spirit.  When He inspired the words of scripture, we see the KJV rendering His activity, His "office", as acting forth as the "Holy Ghost" in 2 Peter 1:21.  When He overshadowed the virgin Mary's womb in the conception of the humanity of Jesus Christ, He is described function in the capacity of "Holy Ghost" in Matthew 1:18.

Whenever we see Jesus referring to how He is going to send the "Spirit of God" or "Spirit of Truth" (i.e the Holy Spirit), the emphasis is upon God's personal presence through the sent Holy Spirit.  Wherever we see the word "Spirit" in conjunction to the Spirit of God, we can conclude in most cases that the emphasis is upon His Personality.  Whenever we see the other 90 cases where the phrase "Holy Ghost" is being used, we can assume, in most cases, that His office, His power, His presence is being emphasized. 

Conclusion: Understand the Holy Spirit's personality and power in your own life
Though our modern English translations have done away with the phrase "Holy Ghost", it does help at least to think of the Holy Spirit's personal involvement as "God in us" who excercises His power or office in and through us.  His aim is to point us to Jesus Christ. 

Tomorrow's blog will feature a guest blogger who has written a very important piece on a subject every Christian needs to know.  You'll be blessed - I promise!

How to not fall apart

Colossians 1:17 "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” 

I'm reminded of a statement I read years ago: "that when your Bible is falling apart, only then will you have a life that is holding together." Wearing out our Bibles - the Written Word - indicates that we have made it our business to daily and perhaps moment by moment meet the Living Word in the midst of circumstances. Why does enjoyment of the Living WORD Jesus Christ and the Written Word, the Bible, reinforce a biblical view of the creation and life?

Creation consists by the Living Word Colossians 1:17

Paul states that Christ Pre-existed from all eternity.  He, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, had enjoyed one another in the shared fellowship as One Eternal Triune God.  Again we see this echoed in John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God.” 

Then we see how all things “consist” or as the NASB renders it: “holds together”.  In the original text of this passage we could literally translate: “all things stand together in association with Him.”  In other words, apart from the Pre-existing Living Word, nothing would stand.  All other things rely on Him for their being.  No created thing has the property of self-existence.  If the Living Word had not been in Eternity with the Father, creation would had been forever locked in the mind of God.  It was by the Son that the Father's plans became reality.  As the Son moderated the infinite thoughts of the Father to Him, the Spirit, being co-equal with the Father and Son, took what was inanimate and put it into motion and breathed life into it.   

In fact, to say all things consists or holds together by Jesus Christ is tantamount to saying Christ has the one quality the universe does not have – Life and existence apart from creation.  It is the Son through whom the universe came was a result of His sharing in the same nature with God the Father.  Likewise, it is through the Son that all things hold together, as He along with the life giving Spirit has given life to all living things and orchestrates history itself to be a gift to God the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

Knowing Christ holds all things together brings me joy, since I know He is the one who holds my life together

All of life and the universe is being preserved and held together by Jesus Christ.  This should be cause for Christian joy, since we can literally say that there is not one thing in life that is not directly nor indirectly excluded from the domain of Christ’s control.  In the KJV we read these words of Jesus from John 16:33 – “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  That word translated “good cheer” speaks of God strengthening and encouraging the believer. 

The confidence to strive for Christ in this world derives from the fact He is Sovereign, and that He hold all things together.  Only a life centered around the Living Word as revealed through the Written word can rejoice that they will not ultimately fall apart. 

May you and I abide in the joy of knowing that Christ and His Word alone can hold us together.