In What are You Rooted?

As mainstream American Christianity abandons the preaching of the pure Word of God for pithy, humanistic, topical, twaddle, the American Church becomes less and less effective in battling the prevailing humanistic worldview. In short, American Christians no longer think like Christians; they no longer think Christian thoughts. While the average American Christian will claim to have a Christian worldview, they actually think and act like humanists. They have been so saturated by the current culture, that they do not even realize that the words coming out of their mouths better reflect the philosophies of Dr. Phil, Oprah, or the latest "reality" program instead of the Word of God. In fact many modern churches take pride in the fact that they have "cultural appeal." The only problem with churches becoming more like the culture is that THEY ARE BECOMING MORE LIKE THE CULTURE! Biblical Christianity is supposed to reform and mold the culture to God's standard, not the other way around.

So What Is the Solution?

The solution is the same as it has always been; Christians are to immerse themselves in God's perfect Word. Husbands are to immerse their wives in it (Eph. 5:25-26). Fathers are to immerse their children in it (Deut. 6:6-9). Pastors are to immerse their congregations in it (2 Tim. 4:2). And since Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), every Christian is to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" thus immersing himself in it (Rom. 13:11-14).

Dr. Greg Bahnsen aptly states this in his book, Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith.

"The believer is directed to avoid philosophy which is rooted in worldly, humanistic, and non-Christian presuppositions (Col. 2:8). Instead he is called to be rooted in Christ and established in the faith (v. 7); his presuppositions must be the precepts and doctrines of Christ, not the futile traditions of men (cf. vv. 3, 4, 22; 3:1-2). This precludes the claim to neutrality and prohibits seeking after it. Neutrality is in actuality veiled agnosticism or unbelief--a failure to walk in Christ, an obscuring of Christian commitment and distinctives, a suppression of the truth (cf. Rom. 1:21, 25).

Thus Paul commands us to be rooted in Christ and to shun the presuppositions of secularism. In verse 6 of Colossians 2 he explains very simply how we should go about having our lives (including our scholarly endeavors) grounded in Christ and thereby insuring that our reasoning is guided by Christian presuppositions."

So ... in what are you rooted?