2Co 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Jas 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
I have often said that today's Evangelicals (of all stripes) believe in the Post-Modern thought of "truth is in everything". The most recent and glaring example of this is The "Gospel" Coalition.
If you can handle the language, Date With Destiny is worth watching. There’s something compelling about the message that you can change your life for the better. And it’s a message from which Christians can learn a thing or two.
I’ve found, especially amongst the YRR crowd—are we still Y, by the way? Someone ask Collin Hansen—that there’s a casual dismissiveness of anything self-help related. We have our own brand of stoicism based on the sovereignty and providence of God, and it’s mostly applied as a brace for suffering. It’s suspicious of good things, and can take on a Debbie Downer quality: Pursue pleasure if you must, but know suffering and death lie right around the corner...
The Bible is not against living boldly, embracing dreams, and making a Vision Board. It is against holding those things out as the end-all-be-all of human existence because it is against idolatry in general. Just as we don’t abandon sex because it can be an idol, we shouldn’t abandon hopes of meaningful living...
The Bible is not against living boldly, embracing dreams, and making a Vision Board. It is against holding those things out as the end-all-be-all of human existence because it is against idolatry in general. Just as we don’t abandon sex because it can be an idol, we shouldn’t abandon hopes of meaningful living...
Sometimes, Christians want to pooh-pooh this stuff, citing total depravity and the general idea that non-Christians are all secretly miserable. But I don’t think that’s intellectually honest. There is goodness to be found in creation, in love and work and the pursuit of healing, even if you don’t realize that all of the goodness is a divine gift. We can affirm this while also believing there is a restlessness in the heart that can’t be satisfied apart from God. Both of these are true.
Ultimately, if we’re only dismissive of the Tony Robbinses of the world and of the satisfaction his way of life provides, we hurt our own witness. We sound miserly, shouting, “You’re secretly unhappy!” to many people who are, generally speaking, quite happy.
Where to start?
Tony Robbins is a fraud. He's a phony. The twice married self-help guru is out to promote himself and get rich and people's expense--financially, physically, and spiritually.TGC's "wisdom" of offering a Christ-hating, anti-biblical sage goes entirely against Scripture without qualification. Allow me to demonstrate. God says total depravity necessarily means the unbelievers have no wisdom and that their thinking is utter futility; moreover God says to stay away from their "wisdom".
Rom 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
Rom 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
Rom 3:12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
Rom 3:13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
Rom 3:14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
Rom 3:15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
Rom 3:16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
Rom 3:17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
Rom 3:18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
Eph 4:17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
Eph 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
Eph 4:19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
Eph 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
Eph 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
Eph 4:22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
Eph 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Eph 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Eph 5:3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
1Co 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
Col 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
God entirely prohibits all the world's "wisdom" and "knowledge", saying it is futile, useless, and harmful. The Christian cannot grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ EXCEPT by way of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. Any other way sows seeds of filth, not that which is of the Spirit, giving life and growth to those IN Christ Jesus.
By nature "self help" gurus are blind guides full of foolishness and help no one. They merely perpetuate the sin of the sin nature, feeding the monster, as it were. They also make a whole lot of money pawning this junk to millions of people who will never get true answers because the sole answer is in Christ alone and Scripture.
Be sure of this: sure, people think that they are happy outside of Christ, but the writer isn't looking at things biblical (and that's the entire problem with him). His article is riffled with straw man arguments. Do the unregenerate have times of happiness? Sure. No one disputes that. But happiness is based on happen stance; that is, on circumstances. So when circumstances don't go according to one's desire, one becomes unhappy. The Christian has joy regardless of circumstance because the Holy Spirit indwells him and his mind is renewed daily by the Scriptures and as he grows his joy grows too, as he looks to Christ.
But also, looking at what is "good", we must define it as God does. Romans 1 clearly states that no man, no human being does good. What man calls good, is according to Scripture, when done outside of Christ, when done for any other reason other than for Christ and in obedience to His Word, is NOT good. No one outside of man has good in him, for what is good comes from the Good God, the Good Shepherd. Goodness is not inherent in man. It is inherent in God and is described in Scripture (that is, what man might call "negative" --judging, wrath, eternal torment, Hell, curses, discipline, are in fact GOOD when they are from the Holy One of Israel).
Cosper also states,
"And wisdom might be the best category in which to place some of Tony’s teaching. The Bible’s wisdom literature isn’t law, and it isn’t primarily about moral lessons. Rather, it’s about the way the world works, and it offers pathways by which we can navigate relationships, money, business, and pleasure. Much of Tony’s work seems to fit into this world."
Again, this guy is just looking to the flesh. He has no sense whatsoever of a biblical view at all. I mean, this is utter foolishness. Wisdom? I posted several verses that entirely destroy this guy's claim of Robbins' "wisdom".
Psa 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
Pro 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. 14 "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Jas 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
Jas 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
Jas 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
Jas 3:18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
This is so elementary, I'm left wondering if Cosper has ever read his Bible. He definitely doesn't believe it, that's for sure. He doesn't speak in line with the sound doctrine of Scripture.
"The Bible’s wisdom literature isn’t law, and it isn’t primarily about moral lessons," Cosper says. This seems like an attack on Scripture. The wisdom literature is indeed full of commands as well as descriptive and prescriptive declarations. The whole point of "wisdom" is to direct a believer away from sin and to Christ, so it necessitates declarations of what is right and wrong but also of what is blessed and what is cursed by God. The wisdom passages are not mere observations, something we don't have to hold to; they are absolute Truth and the wisdom is to be heeded:
Psa 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psa 1:4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Pro 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,
Pro 1:3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;
Pro 1:4 To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,
Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
Pro 1:6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Ecc 12:9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.
Ecc 12:10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
Ecc 12:13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
Ecc 12:14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
A lesser issue, but one that needs addressing is that Cosper says:
"The Bible is not against living boldly, embracing dreams, and making a Vision Board." Well, what does he mean by "living boldly"? Living selfishly? Not saying "if the Lord wills, we will do such and such"? Crossing the line of what is holy to that which is unholy?
Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."
Jas 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
Jas 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."
Jas 4:16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
What about "embracing dreams"? What dreams? Are they biblical? Do they meet the Bible's standard of holiness or are they for our own pleasurable pursuits to promote OUR dreams, OUR goals, OUR plans, OUR money, OUR name? Are we submitting to the Master's will when we pray about something we desire? Is that desire even biblical?
What is a "Vision Board"? Is that like "vision casting"? How is that biblical? There's no such thing in the Scriptures. Sounds more like a Post-modern manipulation technique. We know God's will because it's in Scripture.
What is a "Vision Board"? Is that like "vision casting"? How is that biblical? There's no such thing in the Scriptures. Sounds more like a Post-modern manipulation technique. We know God's will because it's in Scripture.
I don't hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in their writings. I hear the hiss of the ancient Serpent who deceived Eve.
2Co 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
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