Nine Decisions We Make About Life: A Christian Counselor's Guide for Living

By William Martin

Why do the nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans? (Ps. 2:1) We live in turbulent times, and people are looking in every direction for answers. This book is an effort by the author to put in print materials developed and used over a twenty-five-year career as a Christian counselor. It is the educational material without the interaction involved in face-to-face counseling. The book examines the spiritual roots of a person's worldview and their impact on the decisions one has made over a lifetime. It looks at the strategies a man has used to satisfy his deepest needs. The book looks deeply into the soul of man by searching the mind and testing the truths a man believes and lives by. It looks at man's emotional life and his struggles to master it, and evaluates the intricate decision-making process of daily life. The book funnels this lifetime of information into four questions. Has your spiritual life enabled you to live a life described by fruits of the spirit? How effective are you fulfilling your roles in life as a person? Are you living life on the basis of selfishness, fear, or love? Do you know how to abide in Christ and walk the way?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781642994469

Book preview

Chapter 1

Worldview: The Compass of Life!

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

—Colossians 2:8, NAS

What is a Worldview?

A worldview is the framework from which we view daily reality and make sense of life and the world we live in. A person’s worldview is a personal collage of all that person has determined to be true about himself or herself, others, and the world around them. We begin to form our world view as children when we adopt our parents’ viewpoint on the world. That world view grows and changes as we grow and change. It is the ideology, philosophy, or theology that provides an overarching approach to understanding and responding to all issues we encounter on a daily basis.

The choices one makes on a daily basis reveal the very essence of a person’s worldview. The worldview reveals much about how a person goes about making choices. A person’s worldview is the bedrock foundation for all the choices they make now and in the future. In other words, It is a truth platform, which encompasses all the truths we have formulated and accepted over a lifetime. It is the benchmark by which we determine the trajectory and direction of our lives.

A Worldview Is a Universal Experience!

It goes without saying, everyone has a worldview whether they believe in God or not. Some affirm evolution, and others do not. Some believe there are absolute values, and others do not. Some worldviews are more refined than others, but all people have them because all people have a set of beliefs that serve as lens through which they view the world. Regardless of the nature of one’s worldview, it serves as the basis to deal with issues like … Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose in life? How do I best live life? What happens when I die?

History and a Worldview

It is obvious there are constructive forces and destructive forces in every aspect of life from biology to abstract ideas. The writer of Ecclesiastes points out in a poetic fashion that there is a rhythm to life itself. I see that rhythm expressed as a sine curve. There is a beginning, a growth, an apex, a decline, and an end. There is a time to tear down and a time to build up (Ecclesiastes 3:3). I have pondered such questions as "Why does a nation such as England, America, or Germany arise and prosper? Why do they decline and fall? How does a city like Detroit rise to such heights and fall to such a low? Why does a society rise with so much promise and decline into chaos? Why does one individual live a noble and productive life and another squander similar opportunities? Regardless of why or how these things happen, history shows without a doubt that these patterns not only exist but are the norm in life.

What Could Possibly Be Wrong with a Worldview?

Having a worldview is a good thing because it gives focus to our efforts in life. The caveat, however, is that our worldview may be badly skewed because it can be based on lies, misconceptions, half-truths, or deceptions. If that is the case, it begs the question, What is truth, and how do you recognize it? How do we detect lies and deceptions and know them for what they are? Such questions prompted me to be a counselor and write my thoughts in this book. The what questions, are important, but other questions have played a more important part in my writing. The what questions will identify the symptoms of the problem. The why questions will go to the motivations, and the how questions will identify the actions that led to the problem and identify the processes that will resolve the problem. It just seems that everyone has an idea about what to do when we have a problem, but very few seem to bother with the issue of the How do you do that? question. The primary focus of this book then is not just, What is truth? but How do you determine what is really true, and how do you apply it to the issues of your life?" When one answers those questions, the problems in our world become more manageable.

The Bible says, The lamp of the body is the eye if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness (Matt. 6:22–23)!

This is a very straightforward statement of wisdom and truth. This is just a way of saying that if the way you see the world is true, then the way you live your life is going to reflect that truth. If the way you see the world is skewed, defective, or just simply untrue, then the way you live your life will likely go offtrack. I am reminded also of Proverbs 4:23, which states, Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. That simply means to me that the thoughts and emotions you process with your mind will eventually work their way out of your life in actions. I believe that to be a universal law. Scripture admonishes,

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal. 6:7–8)

This is simply the law of natural consequences. Every act carries within itself the seeds of consequence. It is a simple way of stating an old surveying truth. You must have a known starting point called a benchmark, a good transit, and accurate figures in order to arrive at the correct destination.

All Worldviews Have Spiritual Roots

Worldviews are as varied as there are people. Each one has a slightly different focus. They may focus on types of government, paths to riches or poverty, all forms of knowledge, endeavors, relationships, and every personal issue that man can conceive of. There are, however, a few categories that would encompass most of the issues that make up a worldview for the average person. The choices a person makes concerning these issues constitute the foundation of a worldview. The choices one makes about government, economics, career, relationships or personal issues are important because they impact the lives of others as well as the individual. More important than all of these are the choices we make concerning the spiritual aspects of life. All decisions about life have their roots in our choice of spiritual soil. That spiritual soil is comprised of only two choices, humanism and Judeo-Christianity, thus the two primary worldviews. This spiritual polarization is universally present in the affairs of the world even if it is not readily recognized. The focus of this writing is to examine in detail the effects each of these worldviews have on our ability to find our way in life.

What Is a Humanistic Worldview?

A humanistic worldview is quite flexible and can present itself as religious, agnostic, or atheistic. Basically, it is any system of belief by which man attempts to establish what he considers to be a utopian existence through his efforts with or without the concept of a god. This utopia can be secular or theocratic. It all hinges on the focus and efforts of man to create a secular utopian society or work his way into the good graces of an imagined god and attain paradise. All the major non-Judeo-Christian religions of the world are humanistic in the sense they are based on the concept that man can earn his way into some utopian realm by virtue of his good works exceeding his bad works. Humanistic religion is as old as mankind itself. Worship of false gods such as Baal and Moloch was recorded and described in the Old Testament history of Israel. The list of humanistic religion is long and old. It includes such religions as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism to name a few. The atheist worships no god but himself. His belief is that the only utopia that exists is the one he is experiencing in the here and now. He believes when he dies, he simply ceases to exist. There is no existence after death in his belief. All these fold into the category of humanism. For those who are interested, the best definition of secular humanism can be found in a document published by the American Humanist Association (AHA) entitled the Humanist Manifesto. I do not mean to leave the impression that anyone who is engaged in a humanist lifestyle is a dedicated card-carrying member of the AHA with a copy of the Humanist Manifesto in their back pocket. As a matter of fact, most people who live their daily life in that style have never heard the term humanism. I would say that a majority of the population of America live a humanistic lifestyle and have a basic humanistic worldview, but would never give a thought about having a humanistic outlook. They are just everyday common people who live life day by day without giving a thought to humanism doctrine. In this book, I will be referring to the branch of secular humanism that functions primarily as a political arm of humanism based on the spiritual principles. This group is currently very influential in American and world politics and known as the Progressive Movement or the Progressives. The operational plan of this branch of humanism is set forth in Saul Alinsky’s book Rules for Radicals, which was incidentally dedicated to Satan. For the sake of brevity, I will quickly go over the common beliefs of humanism.

Humanists do not believe in the existence of the supernatural or the existence of God. For the humanist, God is just an imaginary friend created in the mind to cope with the pressures of life. They believe the universe to be self-existing rather than created. They believe man emerged as the result of a continuous evolutionary process. Humanists also believe man is just another animal and his physical life is all there is to the existence. They reject the idea of body, soul, and spirit and any possibility of life after death. Humanists reject the idea of absolute moral values. All morals have their origin in human reason and experience. They believe man is basically good and has no need of any redemption or salvation. The humanist believes government is an instrument devised by man to guide and direct society toward a utopian existence they envision. Since government is the primary instrument for going forward, patriotism and nationalism must be forfeited for the sake of ultimately developing a one-world government. The humanists believes he is an independent agent and accountable only to himself and to the consensus of rules established by the community of man.

What is a Biblical Worldview?

A biblical worldview, of course, is set forth in the Bible to serve as the source of truth and the foundation for building and living one’s life on a daily basis. Christianity differs from all other religions of the world because it does not rely upon the works of man for salvation and deliverance into the eternal presence of God. Christianity recognizes the need for redemption based upon the fact of man’s rebellion against God and resultant alliance with Satan. It was this rebellion that introduced evil and death into the world and contaminated the cosmos and very nature of mankind. It was man’s rebellion that placed him under condemnation of a death sentence. Man possesses no ability to redeem himself before his Creator. Justice would not allow the turning of a blind eye by the Creator. If man was to be redeemed and justice served, it must come from a source other than natural man, and the penalty must be paid in full. The problem could only be resolved by a qualified kinsman redeemer who could satisfy the demand for justice by paying the penalty of death in full for all men. None born of man existed because they were all guilty and only the innocent qualified. Only God, by a supernatural act, could provide a qualified redeemer. That redeemer was the Messiah, Jesus Christ, born of woman and without the taint of sin. His birth and life satisfied the requirement of innocence, and his death satisfied the requirement for justice by God and created the path for restoration of man’s lost relationship with God. That restoration is totally dependent on the grace of a sovereign God and not any works of man. The Christian life is based on the concept of salvation by grace alone. Christianity is the only religion in which salvation promotes works, rather works being the basis of achieving salvation. This is the benchmark of truth that separates Christianity from all other world religions. As I did with humanism, I will quickly go over the common beliefs of Christianity. Christians believe that God not only exists but preexisted all of creation. God is the creator of all things of the cosmos. He created man in his image to enable the intimacy of the relationship he envisioned with man. Christians believe man is both physical and spiritual and continues to exist after death. They believe since God created man, he is by default dependent upon God for purpose and guidance in life. Christians believe that sin, evil, and death entered into the world as a result of Adam’s rebellion and brought all men under condemnation; therefore, all mankind is in need of redemption and salvation. Salvation is then available to all mankind through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and thus enabled in living life as Christians. Christians believe that morals and values are absolute, constant, and fixed by God in scripture, and mankind is accountable to the Creator for his behavior. They believe government is an institution conceived and directed by God following the fall of man to keep the evil of the world in check and promote order and good for mankind. Government should be based on guidance and principles given by a Creator God, and man is bound to obedience to government when it is in harmony with God-given principles.

For those who want more information about the rise of modern Humanism and Christianity, I would recommend Frances Shaffer’s book How Should We Then Live. He chronicles the rise of modern Humanism from its inception with the Renaissance to the present and the progression of modern Christianity from the Reformation to the present.

How We Build a Worldview

We begin to form our worldview at birth. The first thing we experience in life apart from mother is a chilling cold and a slap on the rear end. It is only a short while before we experience hunger and all the other discomforts of being born into this world. What do we do? We cry out in protest. When we are a little older, we begin to figure this world out. If we have discomfort, we have only to make some distressing noise, and someone will feed us and change our diaper. This whole process represents our first understanding and analysis of life. When we are in pain or discomfort, we work to find some means of alleviating that pain. Whether we are conscious of our reasoning or it is just natural impulse really does not matter. We have connected the dots to determine the answer to the question, What should I do to alleviate this pain or discomfort? Once I have answered that question to successfully deal with my pain, I have begun to establish what I call a body of truth and put in place the first brick of my worldview. The next line of reasoning that naturally follows would be, That was not a pleasant experience. What could I do to avoid it in the future? The answer to that question provides another bit of truth for us to live by and another brick in the worldview.

This same process occurs when we experience pleasure. That was fun! We ask, How can I replicate that? Unfortunately, this is the same process that drives addictions later in life. The answer provides another truth for us. It is obvious to see how this becomes a constant process for man. He is always pursuing the question, How can I live my life in a more satisfying and pleasant way (the utopia factor)? The answers to such questions provide the truth we live by.

When we extend this process over the years, it is easy see how we formulate a body of truth and put together a worldview. The whole process is based on the emotions we experience reflecting either pain or pleasure as much as the cognitive truths we establish. It is on this basis we also establish emotional imprints that affect us as much as, if not more than, the cognitive data. It is also easy to see how some of our solutions might become outdated and no longer serve our best interest as we grow older. This, of course, makes it necessary to continually update and make changes to our body of truth and the emotional imprints. Failure to do so causes misconceptions, errors, and lies to be embedded in our body of truth because we outgrew them without being aware of it happening. This, then, is the problem with building a worldview in this manner. We maintain in our body of truth information that served us well as children but becomes harmful or inappropriate to us as adults. The body of truth becomes corrupted or distorted. This is the reason the Bible admonishes us to renew the mind. We live in a selfish, fallen world. Corrupt and polluted ideas bombard us constantly from television, film, music, newspapers, magazines, books, and academia. These ideas seductively appeal to the desires of our flesh and natural bias, giving us wrong answers to the questions we ask. As a result, we often incorporate them into our personal worldview without even being aware of it. This is the reason we must be sure the benchmark we use to measure truth has withstood the test of time.

Figure 1–1 portrays the six areas I include in this discussion of world view. They are political, economics, men’s endeavors, society, personal, and spiritual. I believe the first five can best be understood if one understands the spiritual impact upon each one. The political, economic, men’s endeavors, social, and personal—all have their motivational roots in the spiritual. That motivation may be positive or negative, but it is spiritual nevertheless.

The spiritual arena has one common objective but two major divisions of influence. The one common objective is to bring into existence a utopian existence. The two divisions of the spiritual influence would be a humanistic approach and the Christian approach, which we have previously described. Before we consider the other five areas, we need to take a closer look at the two major components of the spiritual area to fully understand the influence they have on the other five areas.

Figure 1–1

When people discuss any of the five areas that occupy most of man’s concerns, those discussions tend to be shallow or confined for the most part. By that, I mean when people talk about government or politics, they seldom bring the spiritual issue into the discussion. They talk about Democrats versus Republicans, this candidate versus that candidate or one form of government versus another. I have also noticed the conversation is usually heavy on opinion rather than hard facts and focuses on the external symptoms of a problem rather than underlying causes or motivations. My intent is to encourage the enrichment of our thinking about those discussions by providing some structure that includes the spiritual roots. I would like the reader to imagine the topics of government, economics, career, society, etc., to be the stage upon which the action takes place. The spiritual soil is the action and dialogue. The worldview is the scenery. Man himself is the actor and main characters who play out their needs, desires, actions, and motivations upon the stage.

Spiritual Roots of Government

How has the spiritual influenced government? Certainly, there are sound principles upon which to establish and execute government. The spiritual roots of government may be found in these principles. The act of governing takes place behind the scene with the motivations and actions of the men who are mere mortals who are flawed like the rest of humanity. There are spiritual principles and ideas behind the establishment of any government. They may be good, or they may be bad. There were spiritual principles behind the formation of Germany’s Third Reich and Stalin’s Communist Russia. There were spiritual principles behind the founding of the American Republic. The principles behind each were drastically different, and the resultant government was different. But both had one thing in common. Both were the product of the spiritual motivations of men. Therefore, to understand government itself, we need to understand the individuals who establish and run the government and the spiritual principles that motivate them. I believe whatever is in the heart of man ultimately issues out of his life in terms of behavior. One thing that comes to mind when considering both past and present governments is the story of Animal Farm by George Orwell. The story begins with the description of a farm being poorly run by a drunk, lazy, and corrupt human. A wise old pig encourages the animals to rebel and run the farm themselves with every animal being equal. Unfortunately, he dies. The pigs, being the smartest animals on the farm, naturally assume leadership. A struggle for dominance erupts between two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball. Napoleon uses his private army of ferocious dogs to become the chief pig. The pigs under Napoleon’s leadership assume absolute control and exploit all the other animals while breaking all the rules about equality previously established. Life on the farm goes from bad to worse, and the original dream of equality was cast aside and forgotten. Self-serving and corrupt rule by the pigs ended in failure of the farm and the death of Boxer, a hardworking and loyal horse who worked so hard to make the farm a success. In short, under the rule of pigs, the situation at the farm became worse than they were in the beginning. This story illustrates the primary points I want to make about the impact the spiritual principles make upon government. First of all, the farm is not the issue. The farm is not the focus of the story. The farm is the stage on which the drama takes place. The focus of the story is the animals, their motivations, and their actions. The original intent of the animals was good, but coup was seized upon by a corrupt and an ambitious pig who turned the whole enterprise into a nightmare of existence. This is a picture of how the spiritual motivations of one person can drive the political or economic process. The spiritual roots of government do not reside in the mechanics of governing. The spiritual roots of government rest with the people and the leaders they chose. The rise and decline of all nations in history fit very well into the form of a sine wave and provide a graphic picture of all the enterprises of men. They may well start with noble intent, rise to an apex, slip into decline, and fall back to a point of irrelevance.

America was established by the founders as a republic based primarily on biblical principles. The principles upon which it was based were set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, all of which reflect very strong Judeo-Christian influence. The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our forefathers began by acknowledging God as man’s Creator. The founders of the United States of America believed in God and in religious liberty. The first immigrants came to the shores of America to escape oppression and seeking the will of God. The first textbook used in American schools, the McGuffey Reader, was a book that used the biblical scripture and stories with a moral lesson. All the great universities on the East Coast were established to train ministers of the Gospel. The Ten Commandments and Scripture are inscribed on this country’s capitol, the Supreme Court, and other federal buildings. Even the Liberty Bell has a biblical verse inscribed on it: Proclaim Liberty through all the land to all the inhabitants thereof (Lev. 25:10). What made America a great nation? It was the spiritual character of the people and a worldview that embraced the wisdom and guidance of the Bible that influenced the founding of the American government!

The foundations of America are crumbling! Why? Because the spiritual character of the people is crumbling! The influence of Christianity in America is fading and being overwhelmed by secular humanism. If America is to remain a beacon to the world, it is up to Christians and churches to be salt and light in America. If we as Christians fail as salt and light, then our society and nation will crumble around us. Our nation is the epicenter of a war … a spiritual war. For a hundred years, America has been a light on the hill for the world. America has been the land of the free, and the home of the brave. It has been the land of religious freedom and liberty!

Today, our great nation is being threatened from within. Abraham Lincoln, in a speech, stated, America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. An enemy disguised as a benevolent compassionate deliverer lives among us and desires to bring America down! This is the same enemy that has destroyed nations and murdered millions while posing as a benevolent compassionate deliverer. This deliverer has taken many forms but today champions the idea of freeing Americans from the bondage and abuse of Judeo-Christianity and living free under the banner of socialism. The moral foundations of our nation are in danger of crumbling under the attack of those who want God and his moral laws to be thoroughly rooted out from every institution of society. There is a concerted effort within the government, education, the media, and entertainment industry to undermine the moral foundations on which our nation was founded. Respect for God’s moral laws is under attack by the enemy who rejects the idea of God or any moral absolute. America is being drawn more and more toward a humanistic, secular government, and the government originally formed by our founders is being slowly destroyed. The spiritual and moral foundations of our nation are eroding. I believe our one and only hope lies in the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14: If…My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Repentance and revival at the grass roots level is the only hope. If we Christians fail as salt and light to America, then the America we have known will be destroyed, and our children and grandchildren will be living in a nation that will no longer be free and denies the existence of God and any moral absolutes. This is the spiritual influence of secular humanism on government.

Spiritual Roots of Economics

How has the spiritual influenced economics? The primary point I wish to make here is that the Humanist Progressives have used economics along with education as the tools of choice to transform the republic into something resembling an oligarchy directed by political elites.

I once heard a story that illustrates the Progressive concept and use of economics to gain control of the population and government. The story was entitled How to Catch Hogs (author unknown).

It was a simple story that gave instructions to put out grain in one spot in the woods each day for five weeks straight. The wild hogs will begin to come and feed on the grain. After ten days, build a hog-proof fence that is twelve feet long. Next two weeks, build adjoining fences of equal length to form a U, and continue to put the grain in the middle of the U. This will make the hogs nervous, but they will continue to come and feed because it is an easy meal. The next week, build a fence on the fourth side with a strong gate, but leave the gate open. Continue to feed the hogs in the enclosure each day. At the end of the fifth week, simply close the gate while the hogs feed, and they belong to you to do with as you please. The wild hogs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They have become used to being imprisoned, it no longer bothers them, so they accept their captivity. This is a parable of America under the influence of welfare, Medicaid, subsidies, tax credits, supplemental income, and various forms of free corn. This is the strategy of the political elite to establish and maintain power. Push the nation toward socialism, and keep spreading the free corn in the form of those giveaway programs, and you catch a whole nation of hogs. America has lost its freedoms just a little at a time, and captivity no longer seems to be an issue. The Progressive elites have simply used the government to provide the feed and the fence, and human nature does the rest. It seems that mankind has an insatiable appetite for a free lunch and will feed at the trough of something for nothing regardless of the danger.

Humanist progressives have learned to apply the theories of socialism in such a way as to entice the masses of population to vote for and demand benefits from the public treasury. Warnings of this danger appear in antiquity and more recently have been attributed to Alexander Tytler in the late eighteenth century. These following statements have also been attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville.

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.

Even a casual look at America will convince one that financial mismanagement is choking the life out of the American Republic. In sixty-five years, America has gone from being the richest nation in the world to being the most indebted. America today has debt and fiscal obligations in excess of over $200 trillion. Abandoning the gold standard was the primary cause of such a disastrous turn of fortune. This one act created a fiat currency and allowed for unrestrained printing of dollars with only the good faith of the government as backing. This, combined with the explosive growth of medicare, medicaid, social security and welfare programs has brought the nation to the brink of bankruptcy. Redistribution of wealth is theft from one person and corruption of character of another. Another way the Progressives use economics to serve their purpose is adoption of economic theory that serves their purpose. Until 1945, the Western World operated under Austrian financial theory that required that currency must be underwritten by some sort of equity. Keynesian economic theory introduced the idea that government itself was sufficient underwriting for currency, and equity-supported currencies were gradually eased out of existence. Today, we have a financial system without equity support and based upon the ability of an all-knowing government to create an economic utopia where there are no depressions, inflation, deflation, recessions, or economic hardships. All of this is accomplished by management of debt, interest rates, and availability of currency. It is a monetary system based upon nothing but the good faith of the government and the honesty of the leaders of that government. Today, most nations of the world are no longer hobbled by the requirement of having an economy based on the forces of the market or a monetary system undergirded by tangible assets. The spiritual cancer of greed and corruption has virtually destroyed a viable world economic system.

Spiritual Roots of Man’s Endeavors

How has the spiritual influenced man’s endeavors? Humanistic thought has wed itself to an atheistic rejection of a Creator God. It naturally follows that if there is no God or divine lawgiver, there would be no moral absolutes to guide and direct man. This is the spiritual touchstone of humanism that will influence not only the endeavors of man but also all of man’s relationships and personal issues. I believe a man’s spiritual position will be the major influence in all he undertakes because it is the foundation of his very nature and directs his every effort.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. (Gal. 5:19–21, NLT)

Apart from God’s redemption, this has been the default condition of man since his rebellion and separation from God. As noble as the Humanist Manifesto makes the beliefs and goals of humanism appear, these are still the products of man’s attempt to play at being God and live apart from the God of the Bible. One only has to look at the history of Communist Russia or China, Nazi Germany or Mid-East Islam to see the product of humanist philosophy. The preceding passage would tell us that even a Christian who lives by the natural inclinations of the flesh will result in those behaviors. The endeavors of man follow the leading of his spiritual condition!

The Old Testament is written as a history of God’s dealings with Israel and Judah. Its great value for us today is that it also provides a lesson of how man’s endeavors and condition closely parallels the spiritual path he chooses. The prophet Isaiah describes the corrupt spiritual conditions that influenced man’s endeavors in his time and led to irrational and destructive behaviors.

Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be clever. (Isa. 5:20–21, NLT)

History is resplendent with stories of great empires. But today, we do not find the great empires such as Shinar, Babylon, Persia, Assyria, Egypt, Rome, Mayan, Britain, or Spain. Each in their time achieved marvelous things. Today, they exist as a geographic location, but the efforts and achievements of the inhabitants have all but vanished, leaving only a few relics. The writer of Ecclesiastes points out the fact that the endeavors of men are all vanity. History also shows all the endeavors of man also follows the shape of a sine wave, with a beginning, growth, apex, decline, fall, and return to the null of the beginning.

This points out that the struggle between the Progressives and the Conservatives will run its normal course of events, and, ultimately, what was will be again. The Progressives have their agenda and goals as the elites of the past empires have. America is a great nation and has been a blessing to the world, but the principles upon which it was founded are being slowly eroded away by humanist philosophy. America’s place in the sun has been dimmed, and only God knows what the future holds for her. I have confidence the purpose and plan of God will overwhelm all the endeavors of mankind, and a new heaven and a new earth will be the results.

Spiritual Roots of Society and Relationships

How has the spiritual influenced society and relationships? Man is a gregarious being. History has been written in terms families, tribes, hoards, communities, gangs, nations, and grouping of people in general. Sociology and group psychology are very extensive and involved areas of study that I have no intent of engaging. I simply want to examine the manner in which the two basic spiritual positions I have identified have affected relationships during my lifetime. I have had a twenty- to twenty-five-year career as a marriage and family therapist. Most of my academic training was primarily humanistic and disallowed the Christian concept of God, so I had to rely on my personal study of the Bible for spiritual balance.

In order to understand the Humanist Progressive influence upon society and relationships, one only has to look at Western society and America today. It has digressed far from the principles upon which it was founded. Marriage has been cast aside for cohabitation in many instances. Large numbers of children are born to single mothers. Abortion has been accepted as normal procedure for birth control or ending an inconvenient pregnancy. Sexual promiscuity and sexual perversion abounds, and sexually transmitted disease is rampant. Crime is becoming more common. Sexual identity of young people is confused. Racial hatred has created extreme social problems. Enforcement of law is considered oppression. Again, I believe Isaiah has described our American culture.

Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be clever. (Isa. 5:20–21, NLT)

A very large percentage of society have cast aside any influence of Christianity and have taken up the Humanist lifestyle that endorses amorality as a norm. In essence, the conditions Paul describes in the first chapter of the book of Romans have become a daily reality in American society.

I believe the institution of marriage is the canary in the coal mine for society. If the marriages of a society are healthy, the society seems to be healthy. If marriages are falling apart, then that society is probably falling apart also. How, then, do we revive basic Biblical morality and bring about healthy marriages and relationships? I recall a story I read long ago about a little train that had a mind of its own. I wish I could recall where I read it. Every day, that little train went from town to town. It always enjoyed the trip because it enjoyed the beautiful countryside as it went along on its journey. As time went by, he became more and more frustrated that he was restricted to the tracks upon which he traveled. He so wished he was not so restrained and could enjoy venturing out into the meadows and be near the lakes. But alas, he could not do that because he was restricted to the dreary old tracks. He was not free! Finally, one day, he decided he was fed up with his routine life. He would leave the tracks that so restricted him. He would run free in the meadow near the lake. So as he approached the meadow, he leaped off the track and started to run through the grass in the meadow. He was free! But wait! Something was wrong. His wheels were caked with mud. His carriage had dug into the ground. He was trapped and could not move. Something was terribly wrong. This was not what he envisioned. The little train realized too late that his real freedom existed only as long as he ran the tracks designed for him. As attractive and alluring as the countryside was to him, it was a trap that would destroy him. God created man, and He has laid out a principle to guide him through life. God first gave man Ten Commandments to guide and direct him in life. They were not intended as restriction to keep man from enjoying life. They are principles that protect man from disastrous behavior. All the commandments define behavior concerning relationships with God and between men. So how do we bring the nation back to basic biblical morality and bring about healthy marriages and relationships? Let me again put forth a scripture we have heard before.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. (2 Chron. 7:14, NLT)

Spiritual Roots of Personal Issues

How does the spiritual influence personal issues? During my career as a Christian counselor, my focus was always on relationships or personal issues. These issues are usually presented in terms of the symptoms of the problem rather than the motivational roots. It was my responsibility to listen and expose the roots of the problem in order to deal with the symptoms.

The book of Galatians provides a partial list of symptoms that might be presented in a counseling session.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. (Gal. 5:19–21, NLT)

Certainly, no one person would be dealing with all of these problems. They are, however, a very good representation of the problems I have encountered during my career. Years ago, I read a book by Richard Foster entitled Money, Sex and Power. It spoke of these areas of temptation as motivations that destroy lives. I would add one more, Pleasure. But it would not be these things in and of themselves that cause a problem. It is something within man himself that creates problems in pursuit of these things. The Bible describes these behaviors as sins (plural). The underlying cause or motivation is spoken of as sin (singular). This singular expression of sin is nothing more than a description of the natural state of man separated from a Creator God. This is, of course, the result of man’s initial rebellion we mentioned previously. Most humanists live very normal lives as good citizens. The problem is they are alienated from the Creator God because they are heirs of the sin nature, which separates man from God.

The solution to this very problem is the very core of Christianity and the essence of the spiritual influence of Christianity upon an individual. Since man is by nature a rebel against the Creator God and insistent on independence and freedom from any accountability to any other than himself, he has no means of redemption from the consequences of his condition. Divine justice demands the penalty must be paid, or man’s separation from God and spiritual death cannot be resolved. It cannot just be winked at and dismissed. The penalty of death and life itself are mutually exclusive and an impossibility for man to resolve. The penalty could only be paid by an innocent kinsman redeemer, and such was not available among men. The Creator God was the only source of a solution. He provided that solution by providing payment in full himself through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. He made redemption available to any person willing to accept that divine sacrifice in their place. When a man accepts that divine sacrifice as payment for