Bringing Thoughts Into Captivity Part 6

X. Another vain imagination that must be cast down is “All roads lead to God.” A. The assumption here is that all religions are valid and merely diverse expressions of the god-man in everyone seeking God: the “upward reach” of mankind. B. This deception basically must concede that child-sacrificing heathen religions are approaches to the true God on par with Biblical faith. But see 1CO 10:20-21. 1. This deception would have to assume that worship of Baal and worship of Jehovah are actually both acceptable. But see 1KI 18. 2. This deception would also hold that antichrist Judaism is as valid an approach to God as is Christianity. But see 1JO 2:22-23. 3. This must be renounced in favor of the Scripture's declaration that Jesus Christ alone is the hope for sinners and through Him only and on His terms only will God accept worship. JOH 14:6; ACT 4:10-12; JOH 4:23-24. 4. This is perhaps the most important application of bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 5. To not renounce this Satanic lie that “All roads lead to God” is to put oneself in the bondage of the spiritual and mental turmoil of equating light with darkness. C. The very notion of “the god-man in everyone” is itself a vain imagination. 1. Sometimes it is expressed as “a spark of divinity in every man.” 2. But fallen man without any change of his nature is totally depraved: any spark in him is a fiery ember of hell. ROM 3:9-19. 3. There is a big difference between the concept of “the god-man in everyone” and the reality that all sinners desire to be God, controlling everything and answerable to noone else. 4. “...ye shall be as gods...” (GEN 3:5) is the very bait of Satan that led to the loss of the untarnished image of God in man and plunged Adam and all his posterity into spiritual death in trespasses and sins, bodily death, and (without Christ) the second death in the lake of fire. ROM 5:12; REV 20:6, 14-15. D. Sometimes the notion of “all roads lead to God” is a weak defense mechanism where one touts tolerance rather than be bothered with discernment. 1. “Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” (G. K. Chesterton) 2. Tolerance is virtuous when applied to the ignorance of men who have not yet come to the knowledge of the truth. ROM 9:1-3; 10:1-4; 2CO 10:3-4. 3. “Tolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons. Tolerance applies to the erring; intolerance to the error.” (Fulton J. Sheen) 4. It is not tolerance that liberates men but faith in the truth (JOH 8:31-32). Tolerance can make men civil but truth liberates from the bondage of a lie and its implications and prepares men to meet God on His terms. 5. We are commanded to “...earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (JUDE 1:3). a. We are fools to blur lines and definitions of good and evil. ISA 5:20. b. Being tolerant of others in error does not erase the call to discernment. MAL 3:16-18. c. “Moral relativism can easily be a trick of an egotistical mind to silence the voice of conscience.” (Theodore Dalrymple)

XI. In bringing every thought into the obedience of Christ, we need to exercise reason to justify God, not ourselves. PSA 51:4; LUK 7:29-30 ct/w LUK 10:25-29. A. reason: n. A statement of some fact (real or alleged) employed as an argument to justify or condemn some act, prove or disprove some assertion, idea, or belief. B. Too often, we reason ourselves into sin, and then reason our error as defensible. 1. This is an errant form of rationalization. 2. rationalize: Psychol. To give plausible reasons for (one's behaviour) that ignore, conceal, or gloss its real motive. C. Rationalization makes provision for the flesh, which we are commanded not to do. ROM 13:14. D. Rationalization leaves you a way out if you fall into a weakness. E. Rationalizations are a way of saving face rather than admitting guilt or that some desire has power over you. F. You will never overcome a weakness as long as you rationalize it. G. Some examples of rationalization are: 1. Denial. a. This is denying that you are doing anything wrong. PRO 30:20. b. Consider Jonah who said he did well to be angry when his anger was foolish. JON 4:9. 2. Minimization. a. This is downplaying the seriousness of what one is doing. b. Example: “I may be a womanizer but at least I'm not a sodomite.” (1) The same law which forbids one sin forbids the other. (2) Either sin makes one a transgressor of the law. JAM 2:10-11. 3. Comparison. a. This is a form of minimization where you are comparing something you do with something that another person does which you deem to be worse than what you are doing. b. Example: “Sure, I drink six martinis every day but I don’t smoke marijuana like my neighbor does.” c. Such comparisons are not wise. 2CO 10:12. 4. Blame-shifting. a. This is blaming someone else for one's error or resistance to reform. b. Example: “He made me so mad.” (1) Israel provoked Moses but that did not justify him speaking unadvisedly with his lips. PSA 106:32-33. (2) Christ was oft reviled yet reviled not again. 1PE 2:23. c. Example: “God made me this way.” (1) This cop-out is tantamount to saying that you either don't have the new birth or that the new birth is inadequate to help you overcome the sin or the flaw in your character. (2) The new nature of the new creature of grace enables one to obey God and be free from the mastery of sin with Christ's blood and help. EPH 2:10; ROM 6:14; 1CO 10:13. d. Example: “The person who reproved me is flawed so that cancels out my responsibility to correct myself.” (1) This thinking would nullify the value of any human reproof. (2) If the reproof is scriptural, it should be received as if from God, regardless of the flaws of the messenger. (3) The scribes and Pharisees were blatant hypocrites yet Christ commanded men to submit to their appropriate rule. MAT 23:2-3. e. Example: “I had a bad childhood / I was mistreated in the past so I am justified in my resistance to needed reform.” (1) Again this is ultimately shifting blame to God Who suffered you to be put in such circumstances but Who also sent His Son to shed His blood for you that you might have abundant life through Him. JOH 10:10. (2) Joseph was badly mistreated by family and fellows but committed his lot to God and lived righteously. GEN 45:5-8. 5. Affirming one's good points. a. This is when one thinks that the good things that he/she does lessens the seriousness of a wrong. b. The church at Ephesus had several good qualities but that did not excuse them from correcting the one area where they were wrong. REV 2:2-4. c. EZE 33:13 expressly warns against trusting to one's righteousness and committing wickedness. 6. Assuming God's approval. a. This is when one assumes that God is blessing him and therefore approves of whatever he is doing. b. Example: “God is blessing my business so He must not be too upset with my lifestyle or beliefs.” c. God may be “blessing” as a judgment. PSA 106:14-15. d. God may be blessing for His own sake, not for your goodness. EZE 36:32. e. God did not destroy Jehoram because of His covenant with David, not because He approved of Jehoram's ways. 2CH 21:5-7. 7. Delay. a. This is when one realizes he is doing wrong but delays dealing with it. b. Example: “I am going to quit/change/improve .......” (You fill in the blank). c. This assumes that you don't outrun a space of repentance. PRO 1:24-32. d. God's help to deal with the problem is available now and therefore now is the accepted time to do something about it. 2CO 6:2. 8. Euphemizing. a. This is when one puts a positive spin on improper conduct or something unpleasant in order to make it palatable or acceptable. b. Example: “I do not have a rage problem; I am just full of righteous indignation and zeal for God.” c. Scripture condemns the idea of calling evil by a nicer name. ISA 5:20; MAL 3:15. 9. Accepting defeat. a. This is when one thinks that he cannot overcome his weakness. b. Example: “But I just can't quit ......” (You fill in the blank). c. God's answer is that grace abounds over sin (ROM 5:20) and “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (PHIL 4:13). F. Rationalizing sin or weakness is no escape. 1. If you have been guilty of any such forms of rationalizing sin or weakness to escape dealing with something, renounce it and yield to Christ. 2. The escape is found in acknowledging the sin and trusting Christ to cover it. 1JO 1:9-2:2. Bringing Thoughts Into Captivity 4-5-26 Page 12 3. Christ promises to undergird you with His own prayers for your faith for victory. LUK 22:31-32 c/w 1JO 5:4.