Response to the posting on Humanism

[Desi]

Introduction

Secular Humanism (Some beliefs and Scriptural Responses).

1. Reason and science in the pursuit of knowledge.

Exd 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom,
and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of
workmanship,


2. Rejection of Consciousness and revelation.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to
shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he
sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:

3. Philosophy of imagination.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.

4. A philosophy for here and now.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.

5. Compassion and human needs.

2Ki 13:23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on
them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them
from his presence as yet.

Psa 23:1 [[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not
want.

6. Moral decision-making.
Dan 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by
departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is
poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the
servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

7. Evolution belief; no belief of a Soul.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength: this [is] the first commandment.

8. Some Humanists are agnostic.

Jhn 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe
also in me. Jhn 14:11 Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the
Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Jhn 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that,
when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Jhn 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

9. Humanist believes in Civil Rights.

Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I
judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have
blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him
exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a
great nation.
Gen 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and
mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him?

What is Mysticism?

To many modern Christians, words like "meditation," "mystic," and
"mysticism" bring to mind Eastern religions, not Christianity.
Certainly Eastern religions are known for their mysticism; however,
mysticism is not only a vital part of the Christian heritage as well,
but it is actually the core of Christian spirituality. Mysticism
simply means the spirituality of the direct experience of God. It is
the adventure of "the wild things of God."
The direct experience of God is a kind of knowing, which goes beyond
intellectual understanding. It is not a matter of "belief." It is
marked by love and joy, but it is not "emotional experience." In many
ways, it is better described by what it is not. To describe what it
is, we must use metaphors—the marriage of the soul to Christ, the
death of the "old man" and birth of the "new man," being the "body of
Christ."
Jesus proclaimed "I and the Father are one," (Jn. 10.30) showing the
world what the union of God and man can be. Christian mysticism is
about nothing else but this transforming union.
Christ is the sole end of Christian mysticism. Whereas all Christians
have Christ, call on Christ, and can (or should) know Christ, the goal
for the Christian mystic is to become Christ—to become as fully
permeated with God as Christ is, thus becoming like him, fully human,
and by the grace of God, also fully divine. In Christian teaching this
doctrine is known by various names—theosis, divinization, deification,
and transforming union.
A common misconception about mysticism is that it's about "mystical
experiences," and there are many volumes on such experiences in
religious literature. But true mysticism is not focussed on
"experiences" (which come and go) but with the lasting experience of
God, leading to the transformation of the believer into union with
God.
A very, very, very short mystical apologetic.
To know God directly shows that mysticism is different from any
passive or legalistic kind of Christianity.


A) Love your enemies
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to
them which hate you,
Luk 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for
nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the
children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to]
the evil.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in
the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably
with all men.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give
place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his
head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

B) The Love of Christ

1. Love (Agapao)

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this [is] the first commandment.
Jhn 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
1) Of persons
a) To welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
2) Of things
a) To be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing

2. Love (Phileo)
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites
[are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say
unto you, They have their reward.
1) To love
a) To approve of
b) To like
c) Sanction
d) To treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend
2) To show signs of love
a) To kiss
3) To be fond of doing
a) Be wont, use to do

3. Love (Agape)

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall
wax cold.
Jhn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his
life for his friends.
1) Affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love
2) Love feasts

4. Love (Ahab)

Jos 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law,
which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your
God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to
cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all
your soul.

a) (Qal)
1) Human love for another, includes family, and sexual
2) Human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
3) Human love for or to God
4) Act of being a friend
a) Lover (participle)
b) Friend (participle)
5) God's love toward man
a) To individual men
b) To people Israel
c) To righteousness
b) (Niphal)
1) Lovely (participle)
2) Loveable (participle)
c) (Piel)
1) Friends
2) Lovers (fig. Of adulterers)
2) To like

5. Love (Thelo)

Mar 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the
scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and [love] salutations in
the marketplaces,

1) To will, have in mind, intend
a) To be resolved or determined, to purpose
b) To desire, to wish
c) To love
1) To like to do a thing, be fond of doing
d) To take delight in, have pleasure



C) Lambs
Luk 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among
wolves. Jhn 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,
Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto
him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed
my lambs.

D) Sheep
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats
on the left.
Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended
because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved
with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a
shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Jhn 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, [son] of
Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that
I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Jhn 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of Jonas,
lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third
time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all
things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my
sheep.


E) The Shepherd

Psa 23:1 [[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not
want.
Jhn 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep.
Jhn 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep.
Jhn 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own
the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and
fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Jhn 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known
of mine.


E) Don’t look at appearances
Jhn 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous
judgment.
2Cr 5:12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you
occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to [answer]
them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
2Cr 10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any
man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think
this again, that, as he [is] Christ's, even so [are] we Christ's.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

F) Take on the role of a servant

Mar 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant
of all.
Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Jhn 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Jhn 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am,
there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my]
Father honour.
Jhn 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth
not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things
that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

G) The dying of the personal selfhood (Concepts)

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that
the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin.
2Cr 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old
man with his deeds;

Conclusion

Mysticism is allowing the “Word of God” to live out from within the
body of the individual (basically we are observers or beholders). It
has taken me many years to be in commune to the presence of God from
within and allowing it to go out to make the crocked places straight,
this takes consideration, patience and respect of others. An
individual not living the Kingdom Life is always trying to have
satisfaction from the effect not the course. Jesus states that the
Father and He is the course Jhn 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and
greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And He also states that if one does not believe in Him they can also
come into the Faith Jhn 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me,
believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father [is]
in me, and I in him. Finally I would like to encourage everyone to
have a life from living from the Kingdom of God.