Jordon Peterson fascinates me, because although I don't always agree with him (I don't even always agree with me) I have learnt a lot from him. In debate with Sam Harris, he starts by expounding points of agreement. It's a good place for us to start too! A particular point of agreement struck me and it's that both want to find a resting place for morality between the rigid loveless dogmatism that characterizes both Christians and non-Christian religion, and the chaos of believing all truth is relative.
In terms of dogmatism “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” (1 Corinthians 8:1). In particular much religion operates out of pride of being right. This equips us to debate, but love in action goes out the window. Love in action? Well I hear “I love the sinner, but hate the sin,” but such love often has no legs. We oppose abortion, but are not willing to help those in trouble. “Well it's their own fault!” No doubt, but where is the love? On the other hand believing there is no such thing as right and wrong also causes people to not act in love. For example we need to call the destructive behaviour of the alcoholic wrong. And when we fail to hold him accountable by making excuses for him and/or covering for him behaviour, it circumvents the lessons he needs to learn from the painful consequences of his sin (Galatians 6:7). This is not loving because it leaves him stuck. The scripture tells us “If anyone is overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6;1). This is to walk in love towards our brother.
But who am I to judge, and didn't the father of the prodigal let him go (Luke 15:12)? Well firstly there is a difference between judgemental condemnation, and judging as in discerning that something is wrong. And we likely don't need spiritual discernment to know the wrong! But how are we supposed to know whether to go to our brother, or to let him go? Well as I said earlier, a spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17), is essentially about encountering Truth. We encounter (experience) the truth of the written Word, for example, when we continue in it and thus receive (encounter) the promised freedom (John 8:31,32). So to answer the above question of how we would know, we need an encounter with the wisdom of God who gives it liberally (James 1:5). And what does that look like? Well “My sheep hear My voice (John 10:27). It is not usually audible, but again it is in encounter, that we know that we know that we know. So for the Christian the place for morality to stand, is in encounter (revelation) with the both the living Truth Jesus, and the truth of the written Word. Since it is in encounter it is not something that, without circular argument, we can use in debate. But there is much more to say.
Father, Your word tell us to always be ready to humbly give an answer of the hope that is in us. It's about our witness, our testimony of encounter. And because truth is spiritual discerned in this way, we can never get there by logic alone. Our testimony is essentially an invitation to encounter Truth. So Lord we need the ongoing spirit of revelation operating in our lives, or our testimony will not ring true. So please Lord keep us close to the flame of Your love in Jesus Name Amen
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