Some of the most discerning people I know when it comes to recognizing the voice of the Shepherd and the voice of the enemy live in parts of the world where formal theological education is not readily available. This does not keep them from knowing the Shepherd, however. Even in the West, discernment is not the direct relation to education. It is always in relation to the intimacy of one’s relationship with the Shepherd. The idea of self—control is relevant here. The Greek word is translated “sober” in the King James Bible, and that is an accurate, literal translation. The word can mean “not intoxicated with ideas and things of the world”. A self—controlled person has observed Paul’s admonition “Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.” (Romans 12: 2) Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within. A self-controlled person is one whose thinking is being shaped by God’s truth and not by the prevailing culture in which that person lives. Our culture tells us that spirits are not very important parts of our world. Cause—effect relationships are almost always thought to be explainable in scientific biochemical terms or with the logical thoughts of fallen human nature. Higher education has given little thought to the reality of the spiritual world. Western rationalism and naturalist pervade our educational system and therefore are absorbed by students without our realizing what is happening. We begin to make a faulty presuppositions about life because we have not examined those presuppositions.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 05:51:44 +0000
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