Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Deism. Theism. Naturalism. Postmodernism. Pluralism. Humanism. Hedonism. Syncretism. Progressivism. Marxism. Socialism. Communism. These are the most common worldviews/philosophies that are available to almost every human on the planet via digital technology. Gone are the days when you lived a largely homogeneous life, surrounded by people that think and believe a lot like you do. For people under 30 all they have known is an unending smorgasbord of options when it comes to how you see the world…and therein lies the trouble.
Spurgeon once said, “Modern philosophers will accept anything except the bleeding Substitute for guilty man.” He went on to say, “You will philosophize men into hell, but never into heaven.” So why are there so many competing worldviews and philosophies? I think Jesus said it best when he announced, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (Jn 3:19). So how do we get rid of “the light” that convicts us of our sin? How do we extinguish the one worldview that demands our absolute surrender? We suppress it and replace it with a lie (Rom 1:18).
Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist and has become perhaps the best and most widely known thinker of the past ten years, especially in the western world. His YouTube channel has nearly 8 million subscribers and his videos have been viewed 681 million times (and climbing). Just a few years ago, when asked if he believes in God, he replied “I think the proper response to that is No, but I’m afraid He might exist.” In a recent interview with an orthodox Christian friend of his, he fought through tears and deep emotion as he wrestled with his growing fondness and openness towards Jesus:
“The difference — and C.S. Lewis pointed this out as well — between those mythological gods and Christ was that there’s a historical representation of his existence as well, So what you have in the figure of Christ is an actual person who actually lived plus a myth, and, in some sense, Christ is the union of those two things. The problem is I probably believe that…but I’m amazed at my own belief, and I don’t understand it,” he continued, beginning to cry.
To his credit, Jordan Peterson is willing to be objective when it comes to his consideration of the world’s various philosophies, but he is a rare breed. Most people pick and choose in order to suppress the truth that God has placed in their hearts. To justify their rebellion, they latch on to any worldview or philosophy that seems to make their case for them. The same thing can happen to a Christian if they are not careful…and especially is they are young and uninformed.
Treasury agents can easily spot counterfeit money because they have spent hours and hours studying the real thing. Christians must do the same, but they must also understand that the Christian worldview/philosophy is objectively true…not just another option. Christianity isn’t true simply because millions and millions of people have chosen to believe it and it makes them feel good—It is actually true, which is why the world, human tradition, and the forces of spiritual darkness continue to offer up multiple other options.
See to it that no one takes you captive.
