Addressing Islam

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

In this week’s update, I had intended to continue last week’s discussion of Biblical success, but an e-mail message I received this morning caused me to change my mind. In that message, a family member asked for information about Islam, as a teen in the family is being taught about it in the public school. When I received that, I was reminded how pluralistic and relativistic the society in which we live is and of how important it is for us and our children to know what we believe, why we believe it, and how to interact appropriately with other faiths. Muslims are seeking converts (just as we are!), and we must prepare our children for the spiritual battles they will encounter in today’s world.

With that in mind, I’d like to offer the following discussion Islam. The facts included are a compilation but primarily come from Missions, Evangelism, Discipleship by Dennis Mock. At the end, a few thoughts are offered on how to interact with your Muslim neighbors and friends. I hope you find it useful.

Islam – Description:

Islam was founded around 600 A.D. by Mohammed, its chief prophet. The Muslim faith is a mixture of Arabic tradition, Jewish monotheism, and Christian asceticism (self-denial). Islam claims its roots in the patriarchal fathers of Judaism, especially Abraham. In Islam, Ishmael is the child of promise (the ‘chosen seed’), not Isaac; thus, Arabs are considered to be the true people of God, rather than the Jews. And the land of Canaan is their holy land.

Islam is primarily based on a claim of divine revelation given to Mohammed by God in the Koran. Thus, unlike most other “eastern” religions, Islam claims to be revealed. To the Muslim, the Koran presents the true teachings about God (Allah), Mohamed (his chief prophet), and Jesus Christ (another holy man and prophet).

Islam tends to be legalistic, ritualistic, militant, all-consuming, intensely zealous, and strongly “evangelistic” Every area of life for the Muslim is dominated by his faith, so there is no difference between social, political, military, or economic causes and religious causes. They are one and the same. It is an act of high honor and brings great spiritual reward for a Muslim to die in battle for Allah.

Similar to many cults, Islam is built on revelation in addition to and different from the Bible, a pivotal human leader, and a belief that Jesus Christ was not God.

Islam claims as many as 900 million adherents or about 20% of the world’s population.

Islam – Basic Beliefs:  God

“Allah” is believed to be the one true God and supreme being who is omnipotent, omniscient, and sovereign. He is also transcendent (being far above creation) and cannot be personally known by men. Both good and evil come from Allah, and he is more interested in justice and judgment than mercy and grace. He demands absolute unquestioned obedience.

The Trinity and deity of Christ are both rejected by Muslims. The message from Allah to men is not how to be saved but focuses rather on the penalty (hell) for disobeying Allah. While Allah is pictured as “Father,” it is not in keeping with the biblical picture of a living, caring, forgiving father, but of a stern authoritarian and disciplinarian who is mainly interested in obedience. In relating to God, man either lives in darkness or light based on obeying the Koran.           

Islam – Basic Beliefs:  Scriptures

The Koran is the book which has the true message from God and provides the basis for Muslim faith and practice. It is considered the supreme miracle of Islam, since it is believed to have fallen out of heaven into the hands of Mohammed. While Muslims recognize the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospels of Jesus, all of these are believed to have been corrupted and are thus superseded by the Koran, which is considered to be the “Word of God.”

Islam – Basic Beliefs:  Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is not God to Muslims, but is thought to have only been a man. He is one of six recognized prophets – Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed. Since Mohammed is the latest prophet, he is also considered the greatest of the prophets. Muslims view Jesus as a sinless prophet but deny both the incarnation and the resurrection. Christ’s crucifixion is viewed as a hoax or myth.

Islam – Basic Beliefs:  Salvation

According to Islam, man has no sin nature and only commits sin as he disobeys Allah. “Salvation” doesn’t relate to forgiveness of sins but to total obedience to Allah and the absolute surrender of one’s will to the will of Allah. In this way, each person is to acknowledge his or her pre-determined fate. Heaven (paradise) is for those who obey Allah and do his will while hell (torment) awaits those who disobey Allah. “Salvation,” then, is by works.

Islam – Basic Practices:

A person becomes a Muslim by declaring: “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.” [“There is not god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”] After that, the life of a Muslim is strictly controlled by the Koran and Islamic law. Muslims are required to accept the “Five Articles of Faith”:

1. That Allah is the one true God.
2. That angels are messengers, and the Holy Spirit is an angel.
3. That the Koran is the supreme scripture.
4. That Mohammed is the last and greatest prophet of Islam.
5. That a final judgment day will come when those who obey Allah will go to heaven and those who don’t will go to hell.

via mindsgrid.com

In addition to the Five Articles of Faith, there are “Five Pillars” or required practices:

1. Recite the Islamic creed.
2. Recite prayers and praise to Allah five times a day while facing Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
3. Give to the poor.
4. Fast one month a year.
5. Make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in his lifetime.

Family and marriage are important to Muslims, but both polygamy and divorce are allowed. Women have few rights and are generally considered of little value in comparison to men. Self-denial of certain pleasures is considered spiritual. Muslims are sexually modest, and external righteousness is stressed. Evangelism and proselytizing by the sword are still condoned. All wars are “holy wars” for many Muslims.

The various sects of Islam include (but are not limited to): Shiites – who mix religion and politics, Sunnites – who separate religion and politics (following the custom of Mohammed), and Sufis – who focus on asceticism and self-denial

Islam – Basic Terms:

Terms to know include: “Allah” – meaning the God; “Islam” – meaning the submission of the will to Allah; and“Muslim” – meaning one who submits.

Islam – Evangelistic Approach:

Witnessing to Muslims can be done effectively. Here are a few thoughts to remember:

Witnessing to Muslims is not easy. Here are a few of the reasons why:

§         During the Crusades and at other times in history the Muslims have been abused and treated as less than human.

§         The West has dominated Muslim lands until recent years.

§         There has been little missionary outreach to Muslims over the years.

§         Muslims are well-versed in their beliefs and practices and extremely devoted.

§         The false Christian belief that Arabs are condemned by God (Isaac vs. Ishmael) has led to bitter animosity.

§         The Bible was not translated into Arabic by the early churches.

Hints in witnessing to Muslims:

§         Pray! Pray! Pray! Ask the Lord to send His Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts for His truth. Without Him, we can do nothing!

§         Show genuine concern and respect for them and their culture.

§         Build friendly relationships.

§         Be well-versed in Muslim belief and practice.

§         Be patient.

§         Share your personal testimony and how God has transformed your life. Focus on…

-        Knowing God personally

-        Redemption and forgiveness of sins

-        Salvation by faith, not by works

-        Assurance of salvation.

§         Build on the positive teachings about Christ in the Koran and His uniqueness. Expand on this picture by using the Bible.

§         Admit that the Koran and the Bible do not agree. Try to share what the Bible teaches about Christ.

§         Point out inconsistencies between Christianity and Islam and within the Koran itself.

§         Pray diligently for God to remove the spiritual  blindness!

Galatians 3-4 provide excellent background teaching and biblical perspective with respect to dealing with religions like Islam.

So, there it is… a brief overview of Islam and a few suggestions on how to witness to Muslims. This might be worth reviewing with your family.

 “Let your speech always be with grace,

seasoned with salt, that you may know

how you ought to answer each one.”

Colossians 4:6

-- Christian Pilet

Defining Success -- v. 2.0

“Success is simple.

Do what's right, the right way,

at the right time.

Arnold H. Glasow

Someone once described an interview between a reporter and a bank president this way:

            Reporter:    “Sir, what is the secret of your success?”

            President:   “Two words.”

            Reporter:    “And, sir, what are they?”

            President:  “Right decisions.”

            Reporter:    “And how do you make right decisions?”

            President:  “One word.”

            Reporter:    “And, sir, what is that?”

            President:  “Experience.”

            Reporter:    “And how do you get experience?”

            President:  “Two words.”

            Reporter:    “And, sir, what are they?”

            President:  “Wrong decisions.”

Wow, that seems so true, that success only comes after many failures. But is there a way to circumvent all those failures? And would we recognize the method if we saw it?

In last Wednesday’s church update, I broached the subject of success. I asked what success is, how we would define it, and how we would know if we had achieved it. Then I offered my own definition of success (as I understand the Bible to define it). The definition I offered was:

Biblical success is a continually increasing conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. It is enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it is marked by an ongoing pursuit of godliness and an ever-increasing manifestation of that pursuit in holiness of thought and action. It always achieves the glory of God the Father.

Later that day I asked Nicole whether she had read the update and what she thought of my definition. She said that she thought the definition was accurate but unhelpful. It offered an ideal, but a lofty and primarily theoretical ideal. Not to say, of course, that Christians are not to seek a continual conformity to the image of Jesus Christ, but simply to observe that the process of sanctification includes many ups and downs and few people, if any, can claim lifelong success.

Fair enough. In a sense, I agree. And with that in mind, I would like to offer today an alternative definition of success, one that I believe is consistent with the definition above and is simultaneously achievable and demonstrable in the present.

For this definition, I turn to the book of Proverbs. The book begins with an explanation of its purpose, to impart wisdom and instruction by which the simple may gain prudence and the young may gain discretion. In the first chapter, Solomon states that wisdom is knowable and understanding perceptible. He states that wisdom can be taught and received, and he creates a link between the reception of wisdom and one’s ability to live a successful life. Indeed, the underlying premise of the book of Proverbs is that a successful life may be built upon the reception of wisdom and the expression of it in one’s daily activities.

In Proverbs 2:5, Solomon states the purpose or goal of wisdom: discernment and understanding -- to understand the fear of the Lord and to find the knowledge of God. Using that as my starting point, I would like to suggest this new working definition for success:

Biblical success is understanding the fear of the Lord and manifesting that understanding in one’s daily thoughts and activities. The successful person is one whose pursuit of wisdom ends in reverence of Almighty God.

If this definition is a good one, then it would be wise to spend a moment thinking about Proverbs 2:5. This verse includes two parallel thoughts, one related to understanding the fear the Lord and the other related to finding the knowledge of God. This sort of literature often utilizes parallelism as a means of expanding, contrasting or emphasizing ideas, and I believe that, here, the second of these two phrases expounds the idea contained in the first phrase. Thus, one might say, the purpose of wisdom is to bring one to understand the fear of the Lord, that is, to attain the knowledge of God. In other words, a true knowledge of God will accompany the fear the Lord, and the fear of the Lord will accompany a true knowledge of God.

The Hebrew word translated here “understand” carries the ideas of discernment and perception, of observing, marking, and giving heed to. It is more than a mere intellectual knowledge, though it certainly includes that idea. It conveys the idea of recognizing and acting upon a fact. The word translated “fear” means precisely that – fear or terror -- and in respect to the Almighty God, communicates the ideas of respect, reverence, and piety.

So we see that the successful person is one who gives heed to the Lord as the Almighty, utterly holy, utterly righteous Judge of the universe. He or she is the one who recognizes that He, the Lord, is utterly unlike anyone else, in power and purity and preeminence.

The second phrase in this verse expands on the first and communicates that the successful person, by receiving and embracing wisdom, comes to an attainment or discernment of God’s character as He reveals Himself to be.

We could spend a great deal of time contextualizing this verse within the gospel message, and doubtless that would be a profitable pursuit, but today I think it is sufficient to recognize that the pursuit of wisdom that culminates in reverence for Almighty God is that which brings success.

I added to my definition above a quantifying or evaluative element: the manifestation of that fear in one’s daily thoughts and activities. It may have been redundant to do so. Is it possible that one should truly appreciate the Almighty and reverence Him and not manifest it? I doubt it is.

As I close, I ask myself whether this definition is helpful. Is this definition one by which I may evaluate my daily life? I believe it is. On a daily basis, at any given moment, I can pause and ask myself whether I am aware of Who He is and of who I am in relationship to Him. I can reflect on His character and ask myself whether the course of my thoughts and actions are consistent with one who calls Him Lord. To the extent that they are, to the extent that in the course of my day I manifest an awareness of His holiness and act accordingly, I can judge myself successful.

Do you agree? How would you define success? And how do you know if you have achieved it? Is there a way to circumvent all those failures?

 “Then you will understand the fear of the LORD,

And find the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:5

-- Christian Pilet

Success

“Set your mind on things above,

not on things on the earth.”

Colossians 3:2

 I have a thirteen-year-old son who wants to be an NFL football player. That’s great. It’s good to dream big. And if he keeps dreaming and works really hard, it may just happen. Who knows?

But this got me wondering how many high school football players go on to play in college and then in the professional leagues. I went online and discovered that the NCAA has compiled statistics on this very topic. They go like this:

• About 6.5 percent, or approximately one in 16, of all high school senior boys playing interscholastic football will go on to play football at a NCAA member institution.

• Less than two in 100, or 1.6 percent, of NCAA senior football players will get drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team.

• Eight in 10,000, or approximately 0.08 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic football will eventually be drafted by an NFL team. 

So, assuming he makes it onto a high school team, my son’s odds of making an NFL team are about one in a thousand. Okay then… it is extremely unlikely my son will ever make it into the NFL.

I suspect he would find this disheartening. For me, as his father, I admit it is a bit disheartening as well. I want my son to be happy and to feel that he has accomplished great things in his life. I want him to be successful. And, given how much he talks about it, I fear that he will feel that he has not succeeded if he does not make it into the NFL.

The reality of such statistics, however, has caused me to think more deeply about the idea of success. What is success? Can we define it? And will we know it if we achieve it?

If success is measured only by being ‘the best,’ it is clear that very few will ever be successful. Even those football players who make it into the NFL are still compared with others. Having beaten incredible statistical odds, they can still find themselves coming up short and being dismissed as failures. There is always someone who is better. And even if you are the best at one particular time, it is only a matter of time until someone better comes along.

The temptation then is to redefine what we mean by the word success. We may be tempted to say that success is only a matter of trying, and if one tries sincerely and zealously throughout his endeavor, he can consider himself successful. But this is clearly semantics and disingenuous. I don’t care how much a baker tries; if his pie tastes terrible, I will judge it a failure, and so should he. No, success must be more than sincere sustained effort.

But we needn’t wander. We Christians are blessed to have a God-given standard of success. We need not equivocate over the word. We can define it by a scriptural standard and then compare ourselves and our endeavors to determine whether or not we have attained or are attaining it.

But if that’s true, then why do Christians so often feel defeated and unsuccessful? Why do they wonder whether they are accomplishing what they ought to? Or wonder what it is exactly they ought to be accomplishing ? If the standard for success is clearly given in Scripture, why do we Christians so often live muddled lives?

I think the answer to those questions is twofold: First, some Christians do not know the God-given definition of success. It isn’t that God has not stated his definition; it is simply that some Christians have not heard it. Second, some Christians do not submit to the God-given definition of success. They know it, but they find it materially and temporally unsatisfying, and they choose a rival definition from the world.

So, today, I want to offer two things: a Biblical definition of success, and an encouragement to live your life in its pursuit.

So here we go…

I suggest this as a Biblical definition of success:

Biblical success for the Christian is a continually increasing conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. It is enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it is marked by an ongoing pursuit of godliness and an ever-increasing manifestation of that pursuit in holiness of thought and action. It always achieves the glory of God the Father.

I will not attempt a full exposition of that rather verbose definition, but I think a few words of explanation may be helpful. First, success for the Christian in this life is a matter of engaging wholeheartedly in the process of sanctification. Clearly, sanctification is a work of God, begun and completed through the power the Holy Spirit, but that does not diminish our responsibility. We are told to abide in Christ. We are told to keep his commandments. We are told not to quench the Spirit.

Second, the great goal and purpose of our lives revolve around the person of Jesus Christ. If Christ is risen and is indeed God, then our day by day activities, thoughts and actions, must be evaluated in relationship to him as Lord.

Third, sanctification for the Christian is an ongoing process. We believers live between justification and glorification. And until the day arrives that we are taken to heaven or the Lord returns, we are to move forward in progressive sanctification.

Fourth, the goal of all things is the glory of God, and thus true success must always achieve His glory.

Fifth, and finally, this definition, ironically, does include effort. But it does not leave it there. It includes both effort and visible result. And it is not an issue of sinless perfection -- never making a mistake or falling into sin. It is an issue of the heart and of the intention of the soul. A righteous man falls seven times, but by God’s grace he gets up again.

And now, for the encouragement…

If you are Christian, God has given you His Holy Spirit to empower you to victor over sin and live a godly and righteous life. Praise God! And, He calls you to be faithful and to exert yourself mightily in the pursuit of a knowledge of Him and in the manifestation of love for Him through love for others. My encouragement to you today is to evaluate your standard of success and to evaluate the pursuits of your life to see whether they align with a biblical definition of success.

But perhaps you don’t agree with my definition. Fair enough. I would love to hear your definition. Send me an email. It would be great to start a conversation.

I hope my son will be successful in life. If he pursues and loves God, if he tells others about Jesus and the salvation that is to be had in Him, and if he submits in his conscience to the Holy Spirit, he will be successful. But if he does not, even if he is the MVP of a future Super Bowl, he will be a failure. I pray he will succeed.

“I count all things loss for the excellence

of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,

…that I may gain Christ and be found in Him

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection….”

Philippians 3:8-10

                                                                    -- Christian Pilet

What Can I Say?

“Rejoice with those who rejoice,

and weep with those who weep.”

Romans 12:15

Yesterday I spoke with a woman whose younger sister was brutally murdered. In the course of our conversation, I asked whether she attended church, and she said she didn’t and hadn’t since the time of the murder. I asked her why, and she answered that the unintentionally hurtful comments of others had caused her to doubt the faith and leave.

Tragic experiences can drive people further or closer to God, and the words and actions of believers often seem to have an influence.

As I thought about this, it occurred to me that, for better or worse, the Lord has allowed me to experience and witness quite a few ‘tragedies’. In my personal life, I experienced the sudden and unexpected death of my first wife due to an aneurysm and the diagnosis of a son with a severe disability. Less personal, but still deeply affecting, I witnessed, at close hand, the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Asia; and then, along with the rest of the world, the destruction of the twin towers.

I do not believe, in any way, that my experience of tragedy is unusually great, but I do believe I can speak to tragedy as one who has experienced and witnessed it.

That said, in light of my conversation with the lady yesterday and of this date (the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks), I thought I would share a few thoughts on what one should and should not say to someone experiencing tragedy, in particular to someone who has recently lost a loved one to death. These are just my opinions and the list is not exhaustive.

What you should not say:

 “I know exactly how you feel.”  

No, you don’t. You are not Almighty God and you do not have privileged access into the inner recesses of my heart. My pain is uniquely mine. Only God know exactly what I’m feeling. That said, there is a possible exception, and that is when you have experienced a tragedy identical (or very similar) to the one being experienced. In that circumstance, you can say, “I think I know a little of what you’re feeling” and then share briefly (and I mean briefly) what you experienced.  And leave out the word “exactly.”

 “God never gives us more than we can handle.”

This is the sort of inane platitude that shows one is clueless concerning true pain. Yes, you might protest, “but it’s true. He doesn’t.” But regardless of the truth of such platitudes, your comment only comes across as irrelevant and trivializing. My reflexive internal response to your comment will probably be, “Balderdash,” my pain feels like more than I can handle.

 “God must have wanted her/him with Him in heaven.”

So what you’re telling me is that God’s desires trumped mine and He didn’t give a rip that taking my loved one ripped my heart apart? Or are you trying to make some sort of theological statement – that everything, including this, happened because God wanted it to happen? Even though this seems to me the most horrid thing that could have happened? And, then, are you simultaneously trying to tell me that this is the Almighty God Whom I should worship, love and adore? I think your comment may fall a little flat.

 “Time heals all wounds.”

Sure, if you’re speaking in terms of eternity (and of a believer’s wounds). But if you’re talking about one’s experience in this lifetime, that’s a lie. There are some wounds that never heal. There are some pains that never go away. There are some losses of which time only dulls the ache. And your telling me that time will heal my wound suggests that I will someday ‘get over’ my loss. Not true. And frankly, it might lead me to think you are dishonoring the memory of my loved one. How could I be ‘healed’ of missing ________?

 “I’m here for you.”

Don’t say this unless you really mean it. Funerals bring out many well-wishers, but most are gone in months. People go back to their lives and forget the pain of those who mourn. If you say, “I’m here for you,” prove it by being a friend through the next months and years, extending yourself even as the mourner doesn’t seem to be “getting over it.” If you, as a follower of Christ, say you are ‘always here’ for someone and then prove a liar, what have you communicated concerning the One you say you follow? The One who says, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

What you should say:

 “I love you and I care about you.”

Again, only say this if you mean it. But if you follow Jesus, you should mean it. This communicates that I matter, that I am important to you, and you want to help.

 “I’m sorry.”

This says you sense my pain and loss, and it expresses that understanding without attempting to mitigate the extent of my pain.

 “I don’t know why this happened.”

I don’t know why a sovereign God permits horrible tragedies to be part of our human experience, and, frankly, neither do you. Yes, I can pontificate on man’s fallen sin condition and the ‘fairness’ of each man’s death and suffering, but I cannot explain why one person lives eighty years and another dies at twenty. And you can’t either. Don’t try. Your explanations ring hollow as I instinctively realize you are not God.

 “I’m praying God will give you the strength to carry on.”

Once again, don’t say this unless you really mean it. Don’t tell me you’ll pray for me unless you really will. And if you do commit to praying for me, do so with consistency and fervency. Bear the burden with the one who mourns.

Nothing.

Saying nothing speaks volumes. Just stay silently with me. Let me talk when I’m ready. You really don’t have much to say anyway.

When my wife died, I was blessed to have an amazing friend come and stay with me for several days – Cameron Craig. He travelled to Louisiana where we were at the time and came alongside me to help. For days he accompanied me as I took care of things. And he said very little other than, “I’m sorry.” But his presence communicated that he loved me and cared about me, and his involvement in my life from that day forward (and his wife’s too), showed that he really was there for me. He mirrored Christ’s faithfulness and compassion for me. His presence in my life permitted me to affirm, in spite of hardship, that God is good. God did care. Time did dull the ache, and when I met Nicole and married, I was honored to have Cameron stand as my best man.

I hope you can be an encouragement to those who suffer. My prayer is that each of you will be a ‘Cameron’ to others in need, having the wisdom to know what to say and what not to say.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our tribulation,

that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble,

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

-- Christian Pilet

Innerland Maintenance

“A good man out of the good treasure

of his heart brings forth good;

and an evil man out of the evil treasure

of his heart brings forth evil.” 

 Luke 6:45a

As a child, I loved exploring small spaces where adults couldn’t go – under beds, beneath tables, into narrow closets. That’s probably why I also have memories of being trapped in our laundry chute. But that’s another story.

During these mini-adventures, I noticed that the ‘underside’ of our family’s tables were rarely finished. The paint or the varnish covered only narrow strips along the undersides’ edges, and sometimes I found gluey slips of paper or scribbled notes in pencil indicating dates of construction or inspection. It was clear to me, even at that young age, that the ‘finish’ given to these tables was both cosmetic and targeted; cosmetic, in that it was deemed unnecessary on the flipside, and targeted, in that it only occurred where the consumer (the adults – the one’s coughing up the cash to buy the tables) would see it. Even then, I knew that adults wouldn’t leave those places unfinished if they were looking at them regularly.

There was a powerful lesson here for a three-year-old: focus on the externals. Make sure that what is seen looks good, and don’t waste your time on what remains unseen.

I thought about this yesterday as I was doing some painting at the church. I’ve been putting primer on the walls in the basement, and as I arrived at a section that would be largely ‘out-of-sight’ for adults, I wondered whether I should ‘waste’ primer on that small section. Was it important that this area appear as finished as the others? And then I remembered my experience as a three-year-old and I went ahead and primed it. I don’t want some three-year-old to get the wrong idea.

We face a similar challenge in our spiritual lives, don’t we? We all have a finished exterior – the actions and attitudes that others see. We work on that finish endlessly, moderating, exaggerating, or subjugating our visible quirks. We want to look good toward others.

But there is also an ‘underside’ to us all. It is our ‘innerland,’ an interior world that lies hidden within. Here, we think the thoughts no one else hears. And it is easy, too easy, to focus our attentions upon our exteriors and neglect our interiors.

The temptation to ignore one’s innerland arises from its perceived inscrutability. If we consider only the horizontal plane, the relationship between humans, we realize that our innerland stands firm against accusation or conviction. But this, of course, is a fleshly consideration that ignores the spiritual realities of Who God is and what He demands. When we widen our consideration to include the vertical plane, the relationship between humans and God, we realize that our innerland stands bare before the gaze of an All-knowing, Absolutely Holy God. And it can withstand neither His accusation nor conviction.

But I have overstated the nature of our innerland. Yes, we do have an innerland, and, yes, it does appear inscrutable, but that appearance is an illusion. It can remain neither hidden nor inner. Let me explain.

Jesus taught that the evils we see expressed in, through, and around us, are expressions of humanity’s innerland. He said it this way: “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." He also taught, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” In other words, the thoughts of innerland do not remain unexpressed. Evil thoughts bring forth evil deeds. Good thoughts bring forth good deeds. The appearance of inscrutability, even from a human perspective, is an illusion.

Theologically speaking, it seems to me that any separation between humanity’s exterior and interior experience is a false dichotomy. The exterior ultimately gives expression to the interior. Men with evil thoughts will produce evil. Men with good thoughts will produce good.

Now when it comes to tables, I guess it doesn’t really matter whether the underside if finished. Most people won’t see the underside, and three-year-old aren’t the intended audience. But when it comes to our spiritual lives, we would be wise to remember that God Himself is the ultimate audience. It is He for whom we move and function, and since He is all-knowing and all-holy, we must attend to both the interior and the exterior.

But this little meditation raises one more question: how do we believers attend to our interior lives – our innerland? How can we work on ‘finishing’ it?

We do it by reading, studying, and obeying God’s Word – the Bible. As we do this in a systematic, ongoing way, God’s Holy Spirit works within us to change our old (non-believing) patterns of thinking and reprogram our thinking to mirror His. (Ps. 119:1-16; Ps. 119:105; Ps. 119:129-133; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Practically speaking, we attend to our innerland when we…

Set our minds on the things of God and not on the things of this world (Col. 3:12; Rom. 8:5-9);

Focus our minds on things that are good, pure, lovely, right, etc (Phil. 4:8);

Rely upon the Holy Spirit to illuminate and develop our minds (1 Cor. 2:10-15);

Allow the Word of Christ to dwell richly within us (Col. 3:16);

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 10:5; Col. 2:8);

Reject the thinking of the world and discontinue programming our minds with the world’s thinking (Acts 19:17-20; Eph. 2:2); and,

Spend great amounts of time in the Word of God learning His thoughts, ways and principles. (Eph. 4:20-24; Ps. 119:26-37)

May God bless you as you strive to maintain the ‘finish’ on your innerland!

“bringing every thought into captivity

to the obedience of Christ”

2 Cor. 10:5b

-- Christian Pilet