In our portion here (Col. 2:8,188Beware 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. (Colossians 2:8)
18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Colossians 2:18)), there are two solemn dangers before the saints of God — one is rationalism and the other is ritualism — and either one will rob you of the preciousness of the truth of God. Let me urge it upon you young people — these addresses are primarily for the benefit of younger Christians: Rationalism is the result of letting your mind work in the things of God. Rationalism is the attempt to mentally dissect the things of God, and if you allow it, it will maneuver you off the ground of the truth of God without your realizing it. It is a subtle thing, and Satan knows that by using your mind, he is using an instrument that he has had experience with for 6000 years. He knows how to put things in a specious way that appeals to the natural mind. The remedy is Paul’s word in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “Casting down imaginations [reasonings], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” If we can learn to take the truth of God in the simplicity in which it has been given to us, we shall be safe.
In that connection, I think of Paul’s word in 2 Corinthians 11: “I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (vs. 3). Young folks, value that expression: “The simplicity that is in Christ.” The things of God, the truths of God, are called simple, and they are simple to faith, but they are stumbling blocks to reason. Yes; it is no wonder that the world hears the gospel and terms it foolishness. So it is with the natural man. But to the believer, the Word of God is a precious storehouse and treasury, and out of it he brings forth treasures new and old. So in our chapter, the Apostle says, I do not want you spoiled. Are you going to allow the enemy to spoil you and rob you?
I saw a book advertised in a fundamentalist magazine. I got a copy of it and read part of it. It was alluringly written — yes, ably written. But the whole book was an attempt to fit God’s plan to man’s mind. It was an attempt by human reason to force the truth into a mold that would be accepted by man in the flesh. Before I finished that book, I was impressed how a child of God can be led so far astray. I felt Satan had maneuvered that man so far off the ground of truth that he was actually preaching serious error. He had really lost God’s Christ — the Eternal One. Yes, his Christ had become the offspring of God — not in those words, of course, but in sum and substance that is where his reasoning led. How careful we need to be! Do not trust those minds of yours! Remember, God gave us His Word, and He did not take us into consultation when He did it. “Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor?” (Rom. 11:3434For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (Romans 11:34)). That is what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Romans. Yes, who helped God out? Who gave Him advice when He was forming His plan for time and eternity? Paul rules that all out. The part of wisdom is for you and me to submit to the truth of Hebrews 1. God has spoken unto us, and, if we are wise, we will receive what God has said, and we will receive it without question. In Colossians 2 we are warned that Satan would love to maneuver us off the ground of truth, either by rationalism or by ritualism.
You know, in the modernism we have around us today, you see the full-grown result of man letting his mind work in the things of God. You have the extreme exponent of it in Henry Emerson Fosdick, who says openly that he does not believe in the resurrection of Christ, the virgin birth of Christ or the atoning work of Christ. He comes out openly and solidly an infidel. That is the end of the road; that is where modernism leads. Modernism, or rationalism, starts out with modifying or neutralizing Scripture, and it may be in little things. But all are on the same road; it is only a question of how far we go. For instance, one of the radio preachers who likes to be classified among the fundamentalists recently came out with a defense of denominationalism. He made the remark something to this effect: There will always be denominations as long as the church is here. We dress our children in different kinds of clothes; we do not dress them exactly alike. We permit them some individuality and dress them according to their personality. And he dismissed the denomination question with a wave of his hand, as much as to say that that part of the matter is left up to us. Is that faith or is that rationalism?
In the early part of 2 Corinthians 2:17, Paul uses this expression: “We are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” Notice how weighty it is! The margin reads, “Which deal deceitfully with the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” Could it be put more solemnly or more weightily than that?
I read in the Word of God that divisions in the church of God are a sin, and one that is solemnly condemned. If God, as it were, has given us a definite part of His instruction for His church as long as it is here, then denominationalism is rebellion against God. It is of man. Can I glibly and suavely make allowance for it? Is that dealing with the Word of God faithfully before God, in the sight of God? Someday we are going to give an account of all these things. Yet, is it not true that many of these things are handled as though they did not amount to anything — just a matter of personal opinion?
One remembers reading an address that the president of a Bible institute gave to a graduating class. I suppose he had at least twenty different denominations represented in that class, and I presume he wanted to make them feel good, as they graduated and then went out into the field of Christian labor and conflict, so he said to them, “I believe God raised up different denominations for different emphases: He raised up the Methodist Church to put emphasis on method in Christian work, the Baptists to lay proper emphasis on baptism, the Presbyterians to lay proper emphasis on church government,” and he went down the list and named perhaps six or eight of the well-known denominations. Is that faithfulness to Christ? Is that the truth of the Word? Will that stand the test of the judgment seat of Christ? In principle, that is rationalism.
What is rationalism? It is that which neutralizes the Word of God — neutralizes the effect on the conscience so that man can take up the Word of God and ride right over its plain statements with a calloused conscience, because those who had instructed him had encouraged an elastic conscience on these points — had given him to feel that they were of no weight.
When Epaphras was laboring there on his knees in prayer for the saints of Colosse, what was the burden of his heart? That they might stand complete in all the will of God. Well, dear saint of God, where do you stand today? Are you bowing at the shrine of reason, or are you submitting to the Word of God? Are you seeking to fit your life into the pattern of the marvelous revelations which we have received through Paul?
Paul speaks of “the church of God.” “The church of God” — what one are you connected with? Perhaps there is someone here this afternoon who says with pride, “I belong to the best of all — I’m a Baptist.” One would perhaps agree that there is much to be said in favor of the Baptist Church, but I can assure you of one thing: Paul was no Baptist, for he said, “Christ sent me not to baptize” (1 Cor. 1:17). So you could not claim Paul. Now that is just one example. Perhaps you might say, “I belong to the Friends.” “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:1414Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:14)). Yet perhaps the most definite thing the Lord Jesus asked His own to do as long as they are in this scene is, “This do in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24). “Eat this bread, and drink this cup” (1 Cor. 11:26). “This do” — not something else! These dear people never, never have the Lord’s supper. It is not a part of their plan or program or setup at all. Is that Paul’s doctrine? Does it make any difference to what you belong? God’s truth is one complete whole. Paul is very anxious for people to get the whole of it, and he makes no allowance for ever having any will in the matter. It is for us to receive what God has said in His Word. Rationalism can rob you of the truth!