Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principals of the world, and not according to Christ.
– Colossians 2:8
Have you seen the rioting in France, the images of the City Hall of Limoges, the Hotel de Ville, collapsing in flames? Europe is on fire. Muslim and Leftist rioters are torching Western Civilization. The French government is trying to paint this revolution as mere student discontent over poor educational facilities. But why then are the rioters all uniformed in black? Why are Palestinian flags being hung from the Eiffel Tower, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy? Major cities of Europe like Paris and Marseille in France, Rome, Milan, and Turin, in Italy, Brussels in Belgium, Athens in Greece, Madrid in Spain to name a few, are feeling the political quaking of anti-western forces. The British Isles, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, are not immune. Many of their major cities are relatively quiet because they have already fallen to versions of the red/green alliances. Even here in the United States of America we experienced what may have been a test run of rioting in 2020. But citizens, patriots of these sovereign nations, are beginning to rise up and resist the insurrectionists. They want their countries back. Poland has been spared by its foresight about the dangers of open borders and pacifism. Germany and Scandinavia are countries playing catch up to deal with this situation by way of new more discerning legislation. They are all awakening to the consequences of suicidal empathy. Hopefully, it isn’t too late. The hard lesson being learned is that ideas have consequences.
Please know from the start that this article is not rooted in hate or bigotry. I believe deeply in loving God supremely and my neighbor sacrificially. Please don’t think I have an underlying anti-immigration mindset. I am the son of an immigrant who came to America with nothing, taught himself English using a dictionary, and worked to add to this nation as well as become a citizen as soon as he could. There was a time when immigrants forbid their mother tongue from being spoken in their homes once they got to America because they wanted to assimilate and their children to learn English and be “American.” They wanted to be a part of constructing, of building America not destroying or burning it to the ground. They still had pride in their mother country. But they took pride and loved their new land of opportunity and freedom, the United States of America. They learned the history of this nation. They assimilated its ways. They learned about the Constitution and laws. They were first in line to fight for this country. They wanted to be a part of this grand experiment. Those ideas seem very foreign today.
I am not anti-immigration. I love immigrants. I’m for immigration. But immigration should be open to those who come to a nation to build it up, not impose their religion on it. Today immigration is being abused to take advantage of sovereign nations, to invade them and even seek to destroy them. It’s time for such invasive tactics to be addressed and suppressed. The burning streets make these truths self-evident.
I’m not an adherent to the globalist worldview working toward a time when “you’ll own nothing and be happy about it.” I’m not for a universal income that removes all incentives for creativity and ingenuity. Resistance to what we are seeing today is the result of a brutal wake-up call to reality. The video of a French woman store owner pleading with rioting thieves breaking into and cleaning out her store of merchandise, looting it clean, was a picture of what happens when people forget that ideas have consequences. Her pleas to the thieves that she was one of them ideologically was disproven by their violence and disregard for her and her property. He cries that “this is not the cause,” were word of enlightenment. The shock and despair on her face, just reinforced the truth that ideas have consequences.
That ideas have consequences is not a new idea. Heinrich Heine the German philosopher once warned, “Thought precedes deed as lighting precedes thunder.” Victor Hugo, a Frenchman once said, “One can resist the invasion of armies: one cannot resist the invasion of ideas.” But long before such secular remarks, God in His word inspired, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). James, the half-brother of Jesus, explained temptation to sin as, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14). Ideas are powerful and ideas have consequences.
Ideas have the potential of leading us into the greatest blessings or sidetracking us into the worst most regrettable eternal destinies. Our ideas can either help us to build things up or burn them down. So important is our handing of ideas that the Apostle Paul was inspired by God to write:
Colossians 2:8-10 – 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
These three verses tell us how to rightly handle ideas. Paul begins with a cautionary word. He says “Beware” (βλέπω – blĕpō, blep´-o) which is an imperative statement to look or take heed. “Watch out!” Paul says to his readers. Don’t just accept everything you read or hear but be discerning. Be prayerfully thoughtful. Scrutinize everything by the word of God. “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Understand the worth of the word of God – “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Every thought, every idea, every feeling, or notion that comes your way needs to be scrutinized through the lens of scripture.
We need to scrutinize everything through the lens of scripture to avoid being manipulated and sidetracked by wrong or sinful ideas in life. There are those who would “cheat” (συλαγωγέω sulagōgĕō, soo-lag-ogue-eh´-o) you. The Apostle Paul is concerned for his readers that some would take them away as booty, spoil, or seduce them. Paul didn’t want his readers to be preyed upon. 9that’s my concern too and why I write such an article.) Paul was concerned that his readers would be robbed of the riches found in Christ. What we see in the streets today are what the Communist ideologue Vladimir Lenin called “useful idiots,” people who were easily manipulated because they were emotion led rather truly thoughtful. Don’t be a useful idiot. Spare yourself and others some pain by making sure your ideas are deeply rooted in the word of God.
How instruments did Paul think people might be robbed by? “Through philosophy and empty deceit. . ..” “Philosophy” (φιλοσοφία – philŏsŏphia, fil-os-of-ee´-ah) here is a love of wisdom and knowledge. He was warning them against the lure of an overreliance upon academic prestige. Philosophy, the love of wisdom, is not bad in and of itself. It only becomes wrong when it seeks to combine or replace the teachings of the Bible with other sources in a way that contradicts or undermines God’s inspired word. This is done through “empty” (κενός – kĕnŏs, ken-os´) worthless, vain, empty, ineffective “deceit” (ἀπάτη – apatē, ap-at´-ay) amounting to trickery, deceit, fraud, or treachery. Anything that diminishes our reliance on God’s word as the prime and preeminent source of truth and guidance is empty deceit that threatens to rob us of our rich scripture treasure.
Lastly, the Apostle Paul asserts, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Jesus is the embodiment of God. We have all we need, in Jesus. We are “complete” (Greek pleroo) in Jesus. “Complete” here means crammed full like a fish net filled to total capacity with fish. Jesus and Jesus alone as the embodiment of the Triune Godhead, is sufficient to fill us to overflowing with what we are looking for in life. Isn’t that what people demonstrating in the streets of Europe are looking for? Muslims are looking for 72 virgins; their idea of what heaven should be if it is all it should be. Those looking to change the world for the better through worldly ideologies such as socialism, communism, and any other ism or religion, you’re not going to find what you’re looking for outside of Jesus. That is not a misguided or outlandish idea, that is the simple truth of the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
Jesus is “the head of all principality and power.” There is no being in any dimension of all existence that can measure up to or have authority over Jesus. The devil would like people to think he’s a viable alternative to Jesus, but that is beyond preposterous. An alternative to Jesus is a step down. Remember that next time you are tempted to some cockamamie alternative to Jesus and His word.
The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). One of the greatest lies is that of Karl Marx who in 1843 presented the idea that, “Religion is the opium of the people,” It’s deceitful and some people fall prey to it because it is partly true. If you define “religion” as human effort to understand and attain to God, then yes, religion is intoxicating. People take pride in what they can do. But God is opposed to the proud and gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6). Religion is intoxicating when it focuses on what humanity must do to appease God so they can gain entrance into heaven. God never intended us to try and approach Him religiously. Pagans have religion. Muslims have religion. Hindus have religion. Buddhists have religion. Even some “Christians” put their focus on a religious pursuit of God. But religion is contrary to the “good news” God has ordained through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Religion is deceitful because its focus is on what humanity must do to reach God, when according to God’s revelation our emphasis should be on what God in Christ has done for us. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation, . . .. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:19 and 21). This is a life changing idea from God. It is TRUTH! LIFE CHANGING TRUTH!
When our focus is on our efforts to reach God, (an impossibility), it is both intoxicating and frustrating at the same time. We can be fervently devoted but misdirected and manipulated. So as far as Marx’s statement is concerned, he was right, “Religion is the opium of the people.” But he was seriously mistaken in that his understanding of Christianity was so misguided. True Christianity is so much more and real than any mere religious pursuit of God.
Vladimir Lenin adopted this idea of religion being an intoxicating drug for people. Communism is an atheist ideology. But Communism is just as intoxicating and deluding because it’s focus is even more on the efforts of humanity. Socialism is a transition toward Communism. Today we hear people speak of a “new” brand of socialism, one that encompasses all our desires. Thinking you can create a brand of socialism that works toward Communistic collectivism where you can hold onto some measure of religion is a bad idea on a number of counts. First it disregards the Biblical truth of free will, liberty, and private ownership. Second, and more importantly, these systems deify and make an idol out of government. Government is not God – God is God. Government, no matter the form it takes, was only ever meant to be an instrument of God to secure order, peace, and good (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Corinthians 14:33 and 40). It’s a bad idea, an unbelievably bad idea to worship government and relegate God for all intents and purposes to the sideline. Such thinking cheats us from the opportunity for individuals to have a personal saving relationship with the Creator of the universe. Jesus said, “for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But with Jesus, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
At the root of today’s wayward thinking are proud thoughts that treat humanity as though it were equal with God. People argue as though, if they were face to face with God, they would be unimpressed. (They will one day be face to face with God, and I guarantee they will be impressed – Hebrews 9:27). People today defy their Creator rejecting how He has created them. They are presumptuous and proud. They disregard God’s loving protections and reinterpret them restrictions. They see God’s call to holiness not as the way to life, but as shackles preventing them from doing their own things. They have no idea of who God is because they have thrown away His scriptural instruction manual for life. They rely on puny human thinking and so come up with the most preposterous ideas. They run out into the streets of life blind to God’s signals and then blame Him when they get run over. They are beaten down, hardened, calcified by idiotic God-less ideas.
On our own it’s a hopeless situation. But thankfully God has not left us alone. God’s response is a simple but profound solution. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John1:14). “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). If you think that last “wrath” part is harsh, you have no idea about the seriousness of sin. Sin is so serious and so depraved, that the only way for God to justly deal with it was by giving His only Son Jesus on the cross. Get the idea? It’s all about Jesus and how you respond to Him. What are your thoughts on Jesus? Your “ideas” of Jesus have profound consequences.
Why are our thoughts so troublesome? Why are people so easily lured into the streets to burn and pillage, hurt and harm? Why is our world coming apart at the seams? It’s because we are living in times that Jesus warned about. Jesus said just before His return it would be “as the days of Noah were” (Matthew 24:37). What were those days like? How were people thinking in the days of Noah? The Bible says, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Their thoughts were “only evil continually.” That sounds like a pretty accurate description of the thoughts circulating around the world today. Whether it’s political rioting and revolt, or Islamic disregard for the humanity and worth of those they see as “infidels” deserving of decapitation, we live in a world of perpetually proliferating evil thoughts and actions.
Evil thoughts flow from evil hearts. Jesus said:
Matthew 15:18-19 (NKJV) – But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
That’s interesting isn’t it? Jesus identifies the heart as the laboratory for not only words that defile, but also the evil thoughts they express. Jesus points to the heart, not merely the head. Jesus teaches us to go beyond secular psychology or human philosophy. The heart is where murderous ideas against our fellow humans are concocted and then carried out. It is in the heart that we entertain and then indulge in adultery that breaks marital covenant. It is in the heart that pornographic fornicating lustful abuses of the human body are dreamed. It is in the heart that covetous ideas that lead to actual thefts are devised. It is in the heart that we plan ways to usurp positions to gain personal power. It is in the heart that all such things so contrary and blasphemous to God are worshipped. And therefore, it is in the heart that a person is saved from their sins. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).
Such a heart problem cannot be dealt with effectively and enduringly in merely a legislative way. God has ordained government and law to curtail evil, injustice, and the conflicts common to fallen humanity like what we are seeing in our day. A religious pursuit of God that relies on what people do is not enough either. The solution is in what God has done for us. We must get our head and heart straight on that.
It isn’t that people are black as coal with no goodness in them. There are some “good” people who don’t know God in Christ. God by His grace has provided some good in people. But the issue is not whether we are good, it is that none of us is good enough. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our goodness is just not good enough.
For instance, the problem is not that we don’t feel empathy or sympathy. The problem is that fallen humanity wrongly defines empathy and sympathy. Fallen humanity is easily weighed down with guilt. Because people are out of touch with God, they don’t know how to handle His gracious blessings. They know about human religion, but they are totally ignorant of God’s grace. The enemy of their soul and the wolfish predators of worldview manipulation take what God means for good and twists it into heavy burdens of the blind leading the blind. The problem is people choose to try and live without Jesus, without the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth (John16:13). As a result, they live under the influence of the evil one, the devil who is a deceiver who twists even God’s good instructions into life maps leading to countless dead ends (1 John 5:19).
The human heart alone, without the regenerative effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is a lonely lost heart. The human heart without the second birth of the Holy Spirit, is simply dead. The heart without God is a stone. Stones pummel people. Stones are insensitive to heartfelt truths of God. Stones are impervious to eternal inspired by God truths. Those with stony hearts, when it comes to truly understanding this world, are dumb as a rock. But, thanks be to God, He has promised, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
God who is just, is also merciful and gracious. We deserve His wrath for all the hurt we’ve done to Him and to others with our stony sinful lives. We were dead with all our trespasses and sins, hopelessly walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” We were all rocks in a rock quarry of our choosing. “But God. . .” We deserved, to be stoned, but God, “rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,” raised us up to be with Him. Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve (Ephesians 2:1-7). That’s a wonderful idea isn’t it? It’s true. What consequence will it have on you?
The heart of the matter, the idea that can have the greatest consequence on you for good is that Jesus paid our debt of sin on the cross (Romans 6:23). We were dead as a rock until the Holy Spirit began preveniently sculpting on us (John 16:8-11). The good news for us rocks is that Jesus made a way for us to be made something precious and of eternal worth. God did this all freely as a gift of His grace. All we have to do is receive it, receive Jesus and His redeeming work by faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we embrace that idea by faith, we become a work of God, an instrument of true good and eternal worth in this world (Ephesians 2:10).
Ideas have consequences. Your ideas will determine if you end up burned or blessed. Will you settle to be led downstream by the limited ideologies of human beings of this world? It’s been said, “Any dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live fish to swim against the current.” Come to Jesus. Open your mind and heart to Him. Invite Him into your life. Then nothing he calls you to do is impossible with Him to do.
Father, I come to You in Jesus’ name. I acknowledge my thoughts have been wayward and contrary to you. At best I have tried to work my way toward You, but that only to minimizes the greatness of the redemptive work of Your Son Jesus. I am a rock, a dead rock without You. But the Holy Spirit has spoken to my heart and I am listening. I believe Your good news of the gospel. I believe in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. You have changed my heart, and I believe will continue to change my heart to make it pleasing to You. Please make me what I need to be, to do what You call me to do, for Your glory, until Jesus’ returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen!