II Cor 10:5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” |
What we fail to understand is that to be against something is to be for something else. So to be against abortion is to be in favor of life. To be against poverty is to be for the well-being and nurture of humanity. To be against human trafficking is to be for the dignity and respect of innocent people.
The gospel is not only a positive declaration that Christ has conquered sin and death and has made a way for sinners to find their way to God. It’s not only a positive declaration that Christ is King over the earth. The gospel is also a crushing blow against the evil powers that enslave men in sin and death. You might argue that if Christians are only ever for things, they are preaching an incomplete gospel. --Dan Darling [Baptist 21] 09.08.16 |
Men cannot find God in their imaginations. Only he seeking for Him apart from their imaginations can they find Him. The imagination is spoken of as a “vain thing” in scripture that can weaken or usurp the effectiveness of the word of God. The word “imaginations” here could be translated “reasonings of natural men.” The worlds reasonings are foolishness to God. So we must cast down false reasoning for truth.
The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false.
The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false.
“The obedience of Christ excels all others, because,
1. It was perfect with a sinless perfection, and so exceeds all fallen men’s obedience.
2. It was perfect with a legal perfection. It was a finished righteousness, Christ continuing perfectly obedient to the end of the time of his probation, and so it exceeded Adam’s righteousness, that he had before the fall.
3. It was a person infinitely worthy, and infinitely valued and loved of God that obeyed.
4. The works or acts [that] was required of him by the law that he was under, and that he performed, were superlatively excellent, for it was a work of the highest love to God and love to creatures, and he in this work exercised a love to both immensely excelling all others, which gave an exceeding value to the work in the eyes of the Father.
5. It was a perfectly free gift to God, and not a debt; that is, it was not what he owed in his original circumstances.
6. Never was there so great and difficult a work required of any other, as Christ performed in obedience to God.
7. Never was so much good done by any work of righteousness, both of glory to God and good to fellow creatures. In these five last things, Christ’s obedience immensely exceeds the angels.”
- Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), Miscellanies, 841
1. It was perfect with a sinless perfection, and so exceeds all fallen men’s obedience.
2. It was perfect with a legal perfection. It was a finished righteousness, Christ continuing perfectly obedient to the end of the time of his probation, and so it exceeded Adam’s righteousness, that he had before the fall.
3. It was a person infinitely worthy, and infinitely valued and loved of God that obeyed.
4. The works or acts [that] was required of him by the law that he was under, and that he performed, were superlatively excellent, for it was a work of the highest love to God and love to creatures, and he in this work exercised a love to both immensely excelling all others, which gave an exceeding value to the work in the eyes of the Father.
5. It was a perfectly free gift to God, and not a debt; that is, it was not what he owed in his original circumstances.
6. Never was there so great and difficult a work required of any other, as Christ performed in obedience to God.
7. Never was so much good done by any work of righteousness, both of glory to God and good to fellow creatures. In these five last things, Christ’s obedience immensely exceeds the angels.”
- Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), Miscellanies, 841
