NO ONE TAKES THEOLOGY SERIOUSLY

There are reasons that things are not taken seriously. This does not mean that they are not important. It means that the majority of people are not able to see the tie in. We live in a time when the predominant thought pattern is visible orientation. This means that people are only concerned with what they can see with their physical eyes. They can only understand effects, not causes. In other words, they are mentally stunted.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh fo us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." Paul is giving us a perspective concerning priorities. He is telling us what is most important.

The "seen" that Paul is talking about are effects. The effects are temporary. They will not endure forever and therefore to put all of our trust in these temporary things is to become an idolater. It is what Paul described in Romans 1:25, "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." Another way of saying this would be that "they worshiped and served the effect more than the cause." Being visibly oriented thus leads to being an idolater just as the night follows the day. It is effect worship.

Only the spiritual understand the law of cause and effect. The spiritual worship the Cause and not the effect. This is because they have understanding. The natural man (man without the Spirit), as Paul described him, cannot see the spiritual realm and therefore to him this invisible world is a myth and yet, this world is the underlying basis for all things that the natural man sees with his physical eyes. The invisible world is as real as the visible world.

The world that God created is based upon ethical cause and effect. The problem for the idolater is that he does not understand ethical cause and effect because this is spiritually discerned and the natural man lacks discernment. When someone does not understand anything, it is going to cause spiritual problems. Visibly oriented thinking is circular thinking. Once they begin to think in terms of what they see with their physical eyes, they cannot then jump to seeing things spiritually. They are stuck in an endless loop that keeps leading them back to where they started from.

For this reason the natural man (idolater) does not take theology seriously because he is incapable of understanding it. He is a dolt. This is why there must be a spiritual transformation before someone can be open to the invisible realm. Likes beget likes. Idolatrous thought begets idolatrous actions. The one precedes the other every time. The spiritual always precedes the physical because the cause always precedes the effect. The natural man must be born again spiritually. He will then begin to take theology seriously.

UNDERSTANDING THEOLOGY

The Bible is God’s word or if you will God’s testimony concerning Himself and truth. Truth is an absolute that can never not be truth. Basically, man can only think in one of two ways. When man thinks in that particular way, he cannot think in the opposite direction. Man can only think one thought at a time. Man is limited in his thinking ability. The only way that man can think in the opposite way is for there to be a transformation. A transformation is the changing of the cause.

Man will either think in spiritual or visible terms. The spiritual thinker thinks in terms of cause and effect and understand that the spiritual precedes the physical. The visible thinker thinks in only what he can visibly see. He thinks only in terms of effects. These two types of thinking will obviously have two different results. The spiritual will look at the world through the lens of absolutes, while the natural man (Paul’s word for the unspiritual) will think that there are no absolutes and therefore, the world is relativistic.

There is no third alternative available. To understand where the truth lies, all one has to do is to know what mode of being God is. John 4:24 reads in part, "God is a Spirit..." God is Spirit and therefore all truth will be spiritual, not physical. In other words, all causes are spiritual. Effects are a result of the preceding spiritual reality. When someone thinks in spiritual terms, they are thinking like God, who is Spirit. When man thinks in terms of effects, his thinking is false and dead, which is the definition of idolatry.

Hebrews 11:3 reads, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Faith is spiritual and through faith we have understanding. To understand means to comprehend. Comprehension means to grasp with the mind the significance of truth. To understand a topic means one must think in terms of cause and effect. God created the world by uttering it into existence. Words are not visible. Words are spiritual. It is through words that effects come into existence. Once again, the axiom is that the spiritual precedes the visible or the cause comes before the effect, every time.

Man can only be an imitator of God. He can never be God. There always will be a distinction between God and man that can never be bridged. Understanding who God is enables us to be in accord with His world that He has created. Only those who think in spiritual terms can operate effectively in His world because they think in terms of absolutes. God has preordained how His world is to operate. He has predefined the world. Understanding theology means knowing what these definitions are and making the necessary adjustments to be in accordance with these predefined limitations. This demonstrates our understanding and wisdom.

JUSTICE DEMANDS IMPARTIALITY

Introduction

In any civil case, it is essential that the truth about the matter come to the forefront. Civil law is designed to punish evildoers. This means that the one guilty must be guilty of the crime and not falsely accused. Impartiality is therefore paramount in biblical law. Truth telling is absolutely necessary in a court of law. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." This would even mean being witnesses against our family members and church members if we are witnesses against them. There are many secret societies that are forbidden to turn in fellow members even if they have committed murder. This is a perversion of justice and a Christian will have no part with this evil.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Exodus 23:1-3, 6-7 reads, "Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: 3Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 6Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. 7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked." These are case laws under the ninth commandment against bearing false witness. The ninth commandment prohibits false testimony and therefore on the positive side encourages telling the truth regardless of who is involved.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "impartiality" as, "1. Indifference of opinion or judgment; freedom from bias in favor of one side or party more than another; disinterestedness. Impartiality is indispensable to an upright judge. 2. Equitableness; justice; as the impartiality of a decision." An impartial jurist is one who will hear the testimony of the witnesses and look at the evidence and make a determination based upon what has been presented no matter who is involved. An impartial witness is important for the jury to make an impartial decision.

James 2:1-7 says, "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" Here is an example of partiality. This is showing favoritism to the rich over the poor. This is showing a respect of persons. This is not in keeping with God. He is not a respecter of persons.

Proverbs 14:20 show a disparity between the rich and the poor, "The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends." Poor men do not possess much so they are often excluded especially from being able to obtain justice because the of the expense involved. The rich are able to gain access to judgments because of their wealth. Biblical law grants access to the civil courts regardless of financial ability. Proverbs 29:14 reads, "The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever." This means that this king has not despised a man because of his financial wherewithal. God will ensure him staying on the throne. Job 34:19 says, "How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands." Whether rich or poor, God expects us to uphold justice by testifying truthfully and impartially.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:6-8, "But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" For a brother to take another brother to law before unbelievers is showing a partiality against that brother by thinking that one could get better justice from an unbeliever than from believers. This is clear violation against God’s law. Matters pertaining among believers are to be resolved within the church, not in the civil courts.

Conclusion

We are to be truthful in our dealings with our fellow man. This means not perverting justice by showing respect of persons. Even in testifying against a family member that tries to lead one into following a false god, Deuteronomy 13:8 says, "Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him." Even such must be exposed for their wickedness. Justice demands it.