Elder Chew Chong Kiat

Introduction

How oft we heed our own ways instead of the ways of God! We do what is wise in our own eyes (Prov 3:7) because it worked or this is what everyone does, and it is ‘common sense’. But Christians are to be followers of Christ and His Word. We need to check if we are conformed to this world and moulded to do what everybody does (Rom 12:2), or are we following what God approves after we prove them (1Th 5:21) by obeying the Word of God? Often, we do not carefully examine what and why we do what we do, and we just go with the flow. This is not the circumspect walk that God requires of every Christian (Eph 5:15). We may ask ourselves three questions to ensure that we are not wise in our own eyes.

1. Walk after the Flesh or Spirit? “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.” (2Co 10:3)
   When God in His mercies quickened our spirit by the Spirit of God, we became a new spiritual creature in Christ. And although we walk in the flesh (v3) we are not to walk after the flesh (Rom 8:1). God has ordained that we walk IN the flesh so that all who are in the flesh might see Christ in us. But when we walk after the flesh then we are carnal and are walking in sin. Walking in the flesh is a spiritual warfare that is invisible to the eyes of flesh. We need the spiritual armament which God has provided, that we may be strong in His might when we put on the armour of God (Eph 6:10-11). To enter the spiritual battle in the flesh is like fighting shadows with the fist. To walk after the flesh is to be wise in our own eyes.

2. Carnal or Mighty Weapons? “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” (v4)
   Thank God that He has provided us with mighty weapons for the spiritual warfare! They are weapons that are mighty through God and not man, i.e., it is independent of the person who uses them. They are spiritual weapons that will triumph against spiritual strongholds. A stronghold is like a defence city or fortress. When one holds an opinion or position that he tenaciously defends with arguments and reasoning, that is a stronghold. Some 4% of our eligible population in Singapore have a stronghold on not being vaccinated. Others have a stronghold in the choice of vaccine to use.

The consequences of such strongholds are nothing in comparison to holding a spiritual position very strongly that is contrary to the Word of God which can have eternal consequences of a destiny in hell. Have you met a Charismatic who holds to his experiences and miracles he saw or experienced and is blinded to all the Scripture you can show him? Or an unbeliever who holds to the good deeds that he has done as his assurance that God, if He exists, is pleased with him? He is like the Pharisee who proudly looked up to God in the temple “and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Lu 18:11-12) He strongly believed that God was pleased with him. The Word of God describes such a man in Proverbs 26:12: “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” This man is in a stronghold. How can he be saved? Only the spiritual weapons of God can pull down such strongholds.

What are these spiritual weapons? They have to be the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. That is why God says to the preacher to go and preach, for God is pleased by the foolishness of preaching to confound the wise and to break down the barrier that prevents them from believing. They may seem like weak weapons in the eyes of man, but they are mighty through God. Some say we should reason with them, others say we should show them proof like a miracle or two, or use music to soften their hearts, or befriend them so they will listen to us. These are all futile, and God calls them vain imaginations (or reasoning) and high things (v5). Do not be wise in your own eyes.

3. Exalting Self or Christ? “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (v5)
   Imaginations are reasoning, calculations or reckonings that exalt self and the wisdom of men. As the man reasons and does his sums and reckonings, he fortifies his stronghold. But the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God is mighty in casting down such a stronghold or pulling down (v4) every (and not some) imagination and high thing. A high thing refers figuratively to anything that hinders one from submitting and obeying God’s Word, like a lofty or proud attitude that arrogantly exalts itself above the wisdom of God, against the knowledge of God. Sinners are hindered from accepting Christ as their Saviour because they have a stronghold that exalts itself against the simplicity of the gospel. They can’t fancy a religion where they cannot contribute to their salvation. They deem themselves as having some merits to contribute towards their salvation. (1Co 1:18-31).

Not only must we demolish every high thing, reasoning and calculation, we also need to bring them into captivity, i.e., imprison and make slaves of them so that Christ alone is our Master whom we cheerfully obey. For example, I may have learnt about the theory of evolution in my science education which teaches that humans are evolved from some primates over hundreds of millions of years, and the universe came about by a chance event of a Big Bang. These high thoughts and very sophisticated theories and science so-called challenge the account of the Bible. The majority of the world’s scientists reject the Bible account of the universe and of the origins of life. Few, if any, science textbooks, science centres or museums teach the Bible account.

The Scriptures declare in Hebrew 11:3 “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.” That settles it for me, and I cast down the vain imaginations of men, the high thoughts and strong holds, and cheerfully exalt the wisdom of God. Beware the training and education we receive can exalt itself against the knowledge of God. We need to bring into captivity any such influence on our thinking and not allow it to exalt over what God says. It is wrong to bring in the management principles or principles of how to grow an organisation into the church.

The Word of God teaches us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and do all our work in six days and to rest and cease from work on the Sabbath day, to devote it to attend to spiritual matters, and seek God and draw near to him, to engage in public worship, spend time in meditating on God’s Word and have fellowship with Christians. But what does our human imaginations, reasoning and calculations say? And what does a self-made man and his high thoughts say? “More time spent in studying is surely better! More time spent in work and business is surely more productive! Just render to God what is God’s by being present in God’s house and give our tithes and add an offering and that will suffice. Surely God knows how busy and tired we are in the 5-6 days of work. He will understand.”

Be not deceived! God has spoken. Exalt Christ and His Word and not your own self-conceit! Your reasoning is carnal, and you are walking after the flesh.

May these three questions help us indeed, so that we will not be wise in our own eyes. Amen.