Today we are living in a very materialistic and elitist society. The main reason is because of root sins: covetousness and pride and a lack of commitment in an increasing offended society. To every bad habit there is always a root sin and it manifests itself through various symptoms. The symptoms are of course the worship of idols (materialism) in other words the same belief that Eve had in the garden of Eden that the fruit she looked upon and eventually took (Eve believed) could do something for her that God could not fulfill in her own life. Notice what the word of God says Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:6 ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
God told Eve not to touch the fruit. You will notice in verse 6 that the woman first looked at the tree implying that just looking at it was her first mistake. She was coveting it before she even laid hands on it.
Ex 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Ps 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
When you are covetous you cannot have an understanding of the truth. Covetousness alters our understanding of Gods spoken word. Just like Eve, she could not understand the truth if it hit her between the eyes because she was coveting after something that she thought could do something for her that God could not do.
So let me ask you something do you try to keep up with the Joneses, do you have to have name brand possessions, do you have to wear clothing to draw attention to yourself so that you fit in with the world? If you answered yes to anyone of those questions then you are doing the same thing that Eve did in the Garden of Eden and you cannot know the truth. You cannot be a man of truth if you are coveting. You are blinded by covetousness so therefore not able to understand the Bible correctly and are very easy to deceive. For example most people who go to church are characterized by just let me be a pew warmer and when church is over lets just resume life as normal don't bother me with doctrine I just want to have fun in life and enjoy all the temporal possessions of the world.
Life is not about fun. God did not create the Earth to be a play ground for Christians. Life is all about glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Not glorifying ourselves. Anytime we want something or posses something or wear something to bring attention to ourselves then we are trying to give honor and glory to ourselves and that is the root sin of covetousness and idolatry. When we get to this point according to scripture then we are no longer able to understand truth. Everything that we believe about the word of God is going to have a humanistic understanding.
Eze 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness
Like I said in the beginning of the article we are living in an Elitist society where people are so deceived by covetousness that they are not able to reason out the simplest of wisdom. For example: have you ever considered if you compare two Bible colleges lets just say each one teaches New Testament Survey both colleges will teach something a lot different. No two very educated Bible college professors will ever believe or teach the same things and will not come to the same conclusions about things. But yet they both have college degrees as though having a piece of paper means that you are more qualified to teach and preach Gods word then lets say someone who was not taught by one of these professors and someone who does not have a college degree. Here is a fact that no one can argue with. God does not call the qualified he qualifies the called. I have a question what if you were taught all the wrong things? Of course if you don't believe in absolutes then you will not care if you are taught all the wrong things because you believe that one truth is as good as another and no one can claim to have an absolute right answer to anything. These people are so ignorant that they will actually say there are no absolutes and yet they are teaching their absolutes. Why (in such a educated society) do we put so much emphasis in humanity classes and Bible classes for pastors missionaries etc. when no two people can agree on many things such as various teachings of the Bible. Jesus was the one who taught the disciples to preach and start churches. This is why we need to get back to what Jesus taught and not what some failed professor is teaching.
I came from the old school of thought I have three infallible teachers they are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and they don't contradict each other. I check out everything that is taught by fallible scholars, college professors and so called Bible experts through scripture. I don't care what some professor teaches about the Bible knowledge does not end with them. Knowledge does end with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The reason why many people end up being college Bible professors is because they failed being a pastor, missionary etc.
It is interesting to note that God usually chooses the least likely to succeed to do great things for him. He chooses the weak the small the uneducated to confound the "wise" the "knowledgeable" the "strong" the elite the "successful" because many times these kind of people rely on their abilities instead of Gods power.
Read Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 One of the greatest short stories of the Bible that proves my point.
Why does God do this? Because he wants to show how powerful he is and because He wants people to rely on him for strength, direction and for their abilities. Not to rely on their education and abilities. God knows that we will never trust him until we have to.
1Pe 5:5 ¶ ... and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
James 4: 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
This is why God choose David to Kill Goliath. David was just a boy; in his youth he was not trained in war. David was not trained in war and about 5 times smaller then Goliath and just a boy and God used this untrained, fragile but faithful boy to destroy Goliath. This would be like someone like myself who has not been educated in the sciences and the Bible according to the world and worldly "Christians" in which I have defeated them (college professors) in debates about the Bible and science.
1Sa 17:15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
1Sa 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
1Sa 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
Read what God did once again. God had widdled down the army from 22,000 men to 300 men to fight and defeat an army of 135,000 men. Why? ...lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
Read about what the liberals thought about Peter and John
Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
These are religious elite (liberals) and the educated priests and Sadducees who thought they had a monopoly on knowledge; just like many Catholics and protestants (Evangelicals) who think they do today. Note I am not an "evangelical" I am a Christian; I am a fundamentalist Christian That is someone who believes in the basic doctrines of the Bible before some liberal ("evangelical") comes along and tampers with it. Peter and John sure showed them!
