Audio Transcript
Pondering is crucial within the Christian life. It’s important to Bible studying. And we’ve frolicked how a lot we have to focus our minds to hint the logic move of Paul’s thought as we learn his letters — a dynamic you may have proven us, Pastor John, utilizing Romans 1:15–17 and 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 as nice samples to point out how the Bible assumes we are going to learn. For that, see the APJ guide (web page 27 for these). Informative and provoking.
However there are pitfalls to being a deep thinker, too. And Sarah, a thinker, needs to keep away from these pitfalls. Right here’s her e-mail: “Pastor John, hi there to you and thanks for taking my query. I’ve discovered lots from Ask Pastor John through the years, and I hear each week. Thanks, and thanks, Tony, for all of your work in making it, and for compiling the brand new APJ guide. It’s all very useful.
“My query for you is about pondering. I’m a thinker. It’s one cause why I like the podcast. You’re a thinker. Nonetheless, I’ve observed that some pondering could be very harmful. Paul warns of the hazards of pondering in 1 Corinthians 8:1–4. And but he additionally says that pondering is indispensable in Romans 10:1–4. Are you able to clarify how information is each indispensable and harmful, and the way you handle this stability in your individual pondering? Thanks!”
I believe that’s a wonderful solution to say it. Information is each indispensable and harmful. That’s good. Sarah doesn’t make a distinction between pondering and figuring out. So, let me make that distinction. Pondering is the exercise of the thoughts by which we achieve information. So, I’d add the assertion, “Figuring out and pondering are each indispensable and harmful.” The method and the product are each indispensable for the Christian — and harmful.
Pondering Is Harmful
Let’s begin with the hazard. I believe the primary hazard that the Bible warns towards in the case of pondering and figuring out is satisfaction. Qualification: that doesn’t imply that individuals who don’t assume and who don’t know a lot are routinely humble. There may be simply as a lot satisfaction amongst ignorant individuals as there’s amongst sensible individuals. There may be simply as a lot satisfaction amongst individuals who don’t know a lot as there’s amongst individuals who know lots.
However the individuals who don’t assume, they boast in different issues in addition to pondering and figuring out — bodily power; sexual, alluring powers; means to cook dinner, play sports activities, sing, make music, make cash, combat, be humorous. The issues we will boast in are limitless. The chances of satisfaction and boasting are limitless, each for the ignorant and the clever.
“We all know as we ought if our figuring out produces love, not boasting.”
So, the purpose will not be that clever, educated persons are extra proud than ignorant, unthinking individuals. The purpose is that the best hazard about being clever and educated is satisfaction. That’s the best hazard individuals have if they’re considerate and know a variety of issues. And there’s one thing about pondering (and the talent you may have in it) and figuring out a lot that tempts us to exalt ourselves over others and consider ourselves extra extremely than we should assume.
Paul’s Warning
Sarah refers to 1 Corinthians 8:1–3:
Now regarding meals provided to idols: we all know that “all of us possess information.” This “information” puffs up, however love builds up. If anybody imagines that he is aware of one thing, he doesn’t but know as he should know. But when anybody loves God, he’s identified by God.
Now, I discover these verses actually puzzling. How do they match collectively? And I’ve written lots about them.
So, let me simply offer you my interpretation as finest I can. I believe what it means is that this: How do we all know that we all know as we ought? Reply: we all know as we ought if our figuring out produces love, not boasting. If our figuring out puffs up over others, it’s not proper figuring out. But when our figuring out builds others up in love, then our figuring out is correct figuring out.
When Paul provides a reference to loving God in verse 3 (“if anybody loves God”), he evidently implies that the love that builds up different individuals (by the way in which we use our information for them and to not boast over them) is rooted in love for God, which he says originates in being identified by God — that’s, being chosen by God and liked by God, in order that we’re capable of love him and thus be full of affection for different individuals and thus use our information rightly, lovingly. It’s a profoundly God-centered understanding of human pondering and figuring out in these verses.
So, the at the start hazard of pondering and figuring out that Paul focuses on is that information puffs up. Except it’s underneath the management of God-given love, it’s going to make us proud.
Jesus’s Warning
Jesus has an identical warning, I believe, for the clever and understanding. He says in Matthew 11:25, “I thanks, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you’ve got hidden these items from the clever and understanding and revealed them to little kids.” Now, I believe “little kids” there signifies humble individuals, lowly individuals, easy people who find themselves not boasting of their knowledge and their understanding however are trying away from themselves to God, the way in which a toddler seems to his guardian and is keen to obtain no matter he says is true. “If God says it, I’ll imagine it. I’m going to look to God for my knowledge.”
So, the nice hazard of being self-reliant, self-exalting in our understanding is that we minimize ourselves off from God’s revelation. Dependence on revelation from God for knowledge is a humbling factor. We don’t wish to depend upon any individual else having whole knowledge and telling us what actuality is like. People don’t wish to be totally depending on God’s revelation of himself with the intention to have a real information of life.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Instance
One final illustration in regards to the connection between satisfaction and the suitable use of the thoughts is the vivid instance of Nebuchadnezzar. When he boasted in his energy and intelligence to construct an awesome kingdom, God struck him down, made him like an animal who ate grass. Right here’s the way in which Nebuchadnezzar described his restoration from that bestial, animal-like lack of his thoughts, his proper use of his mind. He stated, “On the finish of the times I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my cause returned to me, and I blessed the Most Excessive” (Daniel 4:34).
Years in the past, I put that verse on my workplace door at church, the verse that claims, “I . . . lifted my eyes to heaven, and my cause returned to me.” I adore it. We are going to use our minds rightly when our eyes are lifted Godward. If we flip in on ourselves and start to boast, our cause will develop into bestial and harmful.
Pondering Is Indispensable
Now, let’s shift gears and switch to the truth that figuring out and pondering will not be simply harmful; they’re indispensable. The prophet Hosea stated, “My individuals [perish] for lack of know-how” (Hosea 4:6). And he pleaded, “Tell us; allow us to press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3). So, the school of figuring out is at the start important for figuring out God. Tell us God. Allow us to press on to know God.
I believe Jesus made that plain when he stated in regards to the Nice Commandment in Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your coronary heart and with all of your soul and with all of your thoughts.” Now, I take loving God together with your thoughts to imply use your thoughts. Use your pondering school, your capacities for figuring out. Use your thoughts with the intention to stoke the fires of affection for God in your coronary heart.
If the guts burns, the kindling is thrown by the thoughts. The thoughts works exhausting. It goes out and it finds the reality, the kindling of fact, and it throws it on the furnace of affection within the coronary heart. Put your thoughts on the service of your coronary heart in loving God. That’s the final word objective for having the capability to assume and know.
Time and again, I’m stunned by the sheer actuality that the Creator of the universe has communicated himself to us in a guide. We now have a guide, and the guide is the very phrase of the Creator of the universe. One of many causes that bowls me over is as a result of it implies that the principle manner we all know God is by studying or listening to somebody who has learn. For those who’re preliterate and you must depend upon orality, somebody talking to you, they must learn the guide or any individual has to learn the guide.
So, studying and listening are basically processes of pondering. To learn is to assume. God has ordained to make himself identified and to make a relationship with him potential by a guide, which implies we’ve got to learn to learn. Studying how you can learn means studying how you can assume, which makes pondering indispensable.
I conclude with precisely what Sarah stated: pondering isn’t just harmful; it’s indispensable.
