Contents

1 Christian Epistemology............................................................................................................3
1.1 Revelatory Epistemology..................................................................................................3
1.1.1 General Revelation....................................................................................................3
1.1.2 Special revelation.......................................................................................................4
1.2 Scripture does not stand on human authority.................................................................5
2 Scriptural warnings against philosophy...................................................................................6
2.1 Our faith should not rest on the wisdom of men.............................................................6
2.2 Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians..................................................................................7
2.2.1 Key points in 1 Cor. 1-3..............................................................................................9
3 The Bible’s teaching about God relationship with creation....................................................9
3.1 The God of the Bible is the creator of all things - Sovereign over what does and does
not exist.......................................................................................................................................9
3.2 God, the sovereign judge and ultimate law giver (including the laws of logic)..............11
3.3 God designed laws that govern the behavior of things..................................................11
3.4 God is sovereign over the nature of things.....................................................................13
4 God the omniscient source of knowledge.............................................................................14
4.1 God’s knowledge and immutability................................................................................14
4.2 God is omniscient: Positive Proof from the Scripture....................................................15
4.2.1 The largest discussion of the topic (Psalms 139).....................................................15
4.2.2 Verses that speak of God knowing man and his heart............................................15
4.2.3 God’s knowledge is incomprehensible to men.......................................................16
4.3 The Bible calls those who deny God’s omniscience wicked...........................................16
4.4 Texts used by some to claim God is not omniscient.......................................................17
4.5 Scriptures that speak of the immutability of God..........................................................19
4.6 God the immutable, omniscient source of concepts knowledge and logic....................20
5 The Biblical view of man........................................................................................................20
5.1 The nature of man..........................................................................................................20
5.1.1 God designed people with natures.........................................................................20
5.1.2 God is sovereign over the natures of men..............................................................21
5.1.3 Man having a nature does not imply autonomy from God.....................................27
5.1.4 Biblical view of man and his sense perception........................................................27
 5.2 The thoughts of man.......................................................................................................28
5.2.1 The negative impact of the fall upon our mind.......................................................28
5.2.2 Correct understanding of God comes as a result of revelation of God...................30
5.2.3 Man’s has a nature which is mutable and capable of learning...............................30
5.2.4 God uses various means to help us learn................................................................31
5.3 The Biblical framework for evaluating ourselves and our thoughts, feelings and
experiences:...............................................................................................................................34
6 What is Operational Science..................................................................................................48
6.1 Definition of Operational Science...................................................................................48
6.2 Presuppositions Necessary for the Practice of Operational Science..............................49
6.3 Biblical Framework that enables operational science....................................................50
6.4 Operational Science cannot provide a basis for it’s own practice..................................51
6.5 Operational science and worldviews..............................................................................51
6.5.1 Operational science is not compatible with all worldviews....................................51
6.6 The Limits of Operational science...................................................................................53
6.6.1 The Accuracy of Operational Science......................................................................53
6.6.2 When operational science work well and fails........................................................53
6.6.3 Assumptions under which operational science can produce good approximations
of the truth............................................................................................................................54
6.7 Operational Science and Purpose...................................................................................56
6.8 Operational Science and History.....................................................................................56
6.9 Importance of Operational Science................................................................................58
7 The Practice of Operational Science......................................................................................61
7.1 The Collection of Data.....................................................................................................61
7.2 An Example of Modeling in Operational Science............................................................64
7.3 Choosing a Model...........................................................................................................66
7.4 Models as Approximations.............................................................................................67
7.4.1 Example:..................................................................................................................67
7.5 The utility of approximate models..................................................................................70
7.5.1 Example a refrigerator.............................................................................................70
7.5.2 Example 2: control a satellite does not require perfect knowledge of its dynamics
to point 70
7.6 5 points concerning the “Noise Term”...........................................................................71
 7.7 Quantum Mechanics, Randomness, and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle...........71
7.8 Scientific “Laws”..............................................................................................................72
7.9 The Success of Operational Science................................................................................73
8 Efforts to Reconstruct History...............................................................................................73
8.1 Attempted Reconstructions of History vs Operational Science......................................73
8.1.1 Multiple religions practice historical reconstructions.............................................74
8.1.2 Christian & Humanist presuppositions differ..........................................................74
8.1.3 What constitutes good or bad data.........................................................................74
8.2 Dating by the Index Fossils..............................................................................................75
8.3 Radiometric Dating.........................................................................................................75
8.4 Creationist and Humanist use of Dating Methods..........................................................76
9 Dealing with a non-Christian World......................................................................................76
9.1 Paul’s method of interacting with philosophers.............................................................76
9.2 A warning against seeking the approval of the world and pleasing men.......................77
9.3 The So Called “Problem” of False Revelatory Epistemologies........................................78
9.3.1 Testing False Teachers.............................................................................................80
9.4 The Elect Recognize Jesus’ Voice....................................................................................81

1 The Bible’s Foundational Epistemological Method

Epistemology addresses the questions “How do you know what you know?”.
1.1 Biblical Revelatory Epistemology
A revelatory epistemology is rooted in a claim that one’s knowledge was revealed to them from
a higher being. For example a Christian believes the Bible contains revelations from the Biblical
God, YHVH – Revelation is the opposite of humanistic methods. In humanistic methods man
starts with himself and his thoughts, emotions, beliefs and experiences and attempts by his
own abilities to determine truth, justice, morals, meaning and beauty from them. In the
humanistic approaches man is the active agent in revelation. The Bible claims the exact
opposite, namely that God is the active agent making known truths to man. The Bible mentions
two types of revelation

1.1.1 General Revelation

General revelation – God making Himself known to all mankind, not as a result of making
generalizations of empirical observations nor the efforts of an inward focused humanist to
discover truth within himself, but God actively reveals Himself to all men. This revelation is not
dependent upon man’s IQ or the reliability of his sensory perception. It is given to all men, and
because all men are wicked by nature, they suppress this revelation resulting in condemnation.
 Romans 1:18-20 For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the
ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth. For
what can be known about God is plain to them, because God himself has made it plain
to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes—his eternal
power and divine nature—have been understood and observed by what he made, so
that people are without excuse.

1.1.2 Special revelation

Special revelation from God – the revealed word of God in human language. The writers of the
Bible claimed their teaching was not merely their words but the word of God.

1Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV) For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because,
when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word
of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that
believe.

The Bible contains a summary of special revelation throughout time.

John 21:24-25 (ISV) This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written
them down. We know that his testimony is true. Of course, Jesus also did many other
things, and I suppose that if every one of them were written down the world couldn't
contain the books that would be written.

Although it is a summary it provides the information necessary to make someone “wise unto
salvation” and is capable of thoroughly equipping someone for every good work.

2Timothy 3:15-17 (KJV) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works.

Peter called the scriptures a sure word, and reminds us that they do not have their origin in
man but in God.

2 Peter 1:16-21 (ISV) When we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus,
the Messiah, we did not follow any clever myths. Rather, we were eyewitnesses of his
majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when these words from
the Majestic Glory were spoken about him: "This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased
with him." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with
him on the holy mountain. Therefore we regard the message of the prophets as
confirmed beyond doubt, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp that is
shining in a gloomy place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
First of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one's own
 interpretation, because no prophecy ever originated through a human decision.
Instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Because the scriptures are sufficient, Paul, under the inspiration of God warns people not to go
beyond what is written.

1 Corinthians 4:6 (ISV) Brothers, I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your
benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what the Scriptures say. Then
you will stop boasting about one person at the expense of another.

1.2 Scripture does not stand on human authority

No council or group caused the books to be authoritative, the books were authoritative
because they were the word of God, irrespective of how men viewed them. The Bible goes out
of it’s way to make very clear that God’s truth is not dependent upon a group of men accepting
it.

Romans 3:3-4 (KJV) For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith
of God without effect? (4) God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is
written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when
thou art judged.

While many would deny the authority of the scripture, and refuse to follow the word of God
that does not make the Bible null and void, because according to the Bible man is NOT the
measure of all things, God is. The afore mentioned verse states that all men could be liars and
rail against the word of God, but God and His word is still true. Just as the word of God is not
made null and void because men do not believe it, the word of God is not the word of God
because a man or a group of men declare it to be, God’s sheep do not create God’s word they
recognize it, those who are not His sheep will not and cannot believe.

John 10:24-29 (KJV) Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long
dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. (25) Jesus answered
them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear
witness of me. (26) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto
you. (27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

The ability of Jesus’ sheep to recognized his word, enabled Peter to immediately recognize
Paul’s writing as scripture

2Peter 3:14-16 (KJV) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent
that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (15) And account
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also
 according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; (16) As also in all his
epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the
other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

2 Scriptural warnings against philosophy

2.1 Our faith should not rest on the wisdom of men.
The Bible contains many warnings against man looking to his own heart and thoughts rather
than to God’s word. While the Bible tells us that man’s heart, in its natural state, cannot
receive the things of God. The philosophers assume man is capable of knowing and
determining truths about God by looking to his thoughts, feelings and experience. The Bible
believer and the philosopher have two totally different views of man and two totally different
views of how man can come to know truth. The Bible believer recognizes that God’s word is
the source of wisdom
Pro 2:5-6 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of
God. (6) For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding.
Pro 9:9-10 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man,
and he will increase in learning. (10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:
and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

The Bible equates a rejection of God’s word is equated with a hatred for knowledge

Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
The Bible rejects the philosophers attempts to construct knowledge apart from God’s word and
states that there is no foundation worth building upon other than the revealed word of God.
Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them.
Mat 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will
liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (25) And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it
fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (26) And every one that heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house
upon the sand: (27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The Bible warns us not to trust our hearts. (Prov. 3:5, Jer. 17:9)
 Pro 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (7) Be
not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Whereas the philosopher advocates a way that seems right to him, the Bible warns that starting
with man’s feelings thoughts and emotions ends in death (Prov. 14:12, 16:25)
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death.
It tells us that he who trusts in his own heart is a fool (Prov. 28:26)
Pro 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be
delivered.

Non-Biblical philosophizing is clearly condemned in the scriptures

Col 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

In Prov. 1:7, 1:29, 2:5, 9:10, the Bible tells us that the Fear of the YHVH is the beginning of both
Wisdom and Knowledge. The word for beginning, raysheeth ‫ראשִׁ ית‬,ֵ can mean first, in place,
time, order or rank, it can also refer to the beginning, chief or principle thing. In that way it
could be viewed as providing axioms for a belief system. It should be noted that it does not say
the fear of a god, but of YHVH. Consequently, pagan philosophers who may have believed in
one or more gods did not give us a starting point for knowledge.

Despite the enormous value of God’s word, according to Romans 1 men suppress the truth in
unrighteousness because of our sinful nature. The truth about God enters into man’s heart
only by revelation from God through His Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:11-14)

2.2 Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians

There are many warnings in scripture to beware of following the teachings of pagan
philosophers, or the imaginations of our own wicked hearts, rather than the word of God. Paul
spent quite some time dwelling on this in his first letter to the Corinthian church. Included
below is 1 Cor. 1:17- 3:23

1Co 1:17-31 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (18) For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it
is the power of God. (19) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will
bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is
the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom
of this world? (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not
God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (22) For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: (23) But we preach Christ
crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (24) But
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God. (25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. (26) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27)
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And
base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and
things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory
in his presence. (30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as
it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1Co 2:1-16 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or
of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. (2) For I determined not to know
any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (3) And I was with you in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4) And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of
power: (5) That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of
God. (6) Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom
of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: (7) But we speak
the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before
the world unto our glory: (8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had
they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (9) But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (11)
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (12) Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know
the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in
the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet
he himself is judged of no man. (16) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1Co 3:1-23 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto
carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (3) For ye are yet
 carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not
carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of
Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by
whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos
watered; but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing,
neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (8) Now he that planteth
and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to
his own labour. (9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye
are God's building. (10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every
man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man's work shall be made
manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire
shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath
built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he
shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (16) Know ye not that
ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are. (18) Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be
wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. (19) For the wisdom of
this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own
craftiness. (20) And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are
vain. (21) Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; (22) Whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to
come; all are yours; (23) And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

2.2.1 Key points in 1 Cor. 1-3

In I Cor. 1-3 Paul rejects this world’s wisdom (wisdom is the same word whereby we get
philosophy philo = love and Sophia=wisdom.
1. “The thoughts of the wise are vain” I Cor. 3:20
2. “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” I Cor. 3:19. It will be destroyed I Cor.
1:19-23
3. By worldly wisdom the philosophers NEVER KNEW GOD (I Cor. 2:6)
4. “If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he
may be wise” I Cor. 3:18
5. Paul did not use “enticing words of mans wisdom” I Cor. 2:4. But spoke of a wisdom not of
this world I Cor. 2:6, which the world did not know I Cor. 2:6-9
6. A wisdom not revealed to men by means of empiricism (ear hath not heard, eye hath not
seen), mysticism, or rationalism (neither hath entered into the heart of any man) but by
revelation from God’s Holy Spirit I Cor. 2:9-11
7. The things of God are a wisdom that the natural man cannot receive because it is foolish to
him, consequently we should not think that we can begin with a set of presuppositions
 commonly agreed upon by almost all men and think that we could from them logically
deduce the truth about God.

3 The Bible’s teaching about God relationship with creation

3.1 The God of the Bible is the creator of all things - Sovereign over what does and
does not exist
The God of the Bible created all things out of nothing, therefore all thing exist as a consequence
of His will and for His pleasure

Revelation 4:11 (KJV) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for
thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Proverbs 16:4(KJV) The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil.

In the creation account in Genesis, God speaks things into existence out of nothing. This is
unlike the gnostic teachings that what exists is an emanation of god, it is also unlike the stoics
who claimed that man had a part of god, a divine spark inside him. The Bible makes a very clear
distinction between the creator and His creation. It is the duty of all created things to give glory
and worship to God.

Rom 1:25 (KJV) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Nowhere in scripture is any person or thing described as outside of God’s sovereign control. In
fact God works all things after the counsel of His own will

Ephesians 1:9-11 (KJV) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of
times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of
his own will:

God declares the end from the beginning and does all He purposes

Isa 46:9-11 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am
God, and there is none like me, (10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do
all my pleasure: (11) Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my
counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed
it, I will also do it.
 Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should
repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it
good?

Notice Paul indicates that even their knowledge was a result of God’s active controlling of the
universe when he said “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will.”. Lest you should
think that God looked into the future to determine what we would do and responded, the
scripture specifically states that God purposed all He does “according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself”, not according to our future decisions. The following scriptures
make clear God does not take counsel from anyone

Isa 40:13-14 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath
taught him? (14) With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him
in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of
understanding?

Rom 11:33-36 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (34) For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (35) Or who hath first
given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? (36) For of him, and through
him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

3.2 God, the sovereign judge and ultimate law giver (including the laws of logic)
God is the ultimate law giver.

Isa 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he
will save us.

James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that
judgest another?

There are no laws above God regulating His behavior, no physical laws, he upholds all things by
the word of His power. There are no moral laws above God. If a potter has the right to do with
his clay, which he did not create, how much more does God have the right to do with his
creation whatever He wishes.

Rom 9:18-21 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardeneth. (19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who
hath resisted his will? (20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? (21)
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto
honour, and another unto dishonour?

God is bound only by the constraints of His own nature

 2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Since God works all things after the counsel of His own will, He is knows about all things and has
power over all things. It is not surprising the Bible reveals YHVH, the creator of time and space,
does not change with time

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Though God is not bound by any law, He is called a lawgiver because he gives laws to his
creatures and creation. Thus the Christian has cause to look for laws and order in the universe.
With God the Christian also has an explanation for the laws of logic. They are part of the nature
of the creator and His thoughts are inherently logically correct. The creation which is according
to His will inherits this property of His thoughts.

3.3 God designed laws that govern the behavior of things

Scripture tells us that God is a law giver. The obvious question is what laws did God give? We
know that God gave moral laws in the scripture but God also gave many other laws as well. For
example He said that plants, animals and mankind would reproduce after their own kind. The
laws God gives regulate the behavior of God’s creation. The elements of creation were created
with a nature or law governing their behavior. God prescribed these laws and can change them
whenever He wishes. The following scriptures speak of things and people as having a nature
that they operate according to.

Gen 1:10-12 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the
waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. (11) And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. (12) And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was
in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Luke 6:43-45 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit. (44) For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns
men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. (45) A good man out
of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out
of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of
the heart his mouth speaketh.

Gen 1:14-18 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide
the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and
years: (15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon
the earth: and it was so. (16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule
the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (17) And God set
them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, (18) And to rule over
 the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that
it was good.

Notice a few things:

1. The Sun and the stars are secondary causal agents. They cause light but they themselves
were caused and are being upheld by the word of the Lord’s power.
2. The planets work according to ordinances which God set in place

Jer 31:35-36 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the
ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea
when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: (36) If those ordinances
depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from
being a nation before me for ever.

3. The sun and stars are not necessary for God to produce light, God is not constrained by
ordinances He creates.

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

The fact that God created things which function according to their nature and the nature of
things was fairly simple, man is able to recognize patterns in the nature of things

Mat 16:2-3 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair
weather: for the sky is red. (3) And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the
sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not
discern the signs of the times?

3.4 God is sovereign over the nature of things

Some wrongly think that having a nature requires that nature be immutable. But it is not
required that something that has a nature be immutable. All created things can be changed or
destroyed by God. God’s sovereignty is demonstrated by the miraculous works of God
recorded in scripture. Below are some examples:

1) He made an axe head float

2Ki 6:1-7 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where
we dwell with thee is too strait for us. (2) Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and
take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.
And he answered, Go ye. (3) And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy
servants. And he answered, I will go. (4) So he went with them. And when they came to
Jordan, they cut down wood. (5) But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into
the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. (6) And the man of
God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast
 it in thither; and the iron did swim. (7) Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put
out his hand, and took it.

2) He turned water into wine

Joh 2:1-10 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of
Jesus was there: (2) And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. (3)
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
(4) Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet
come. (5) His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. (6)
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the
Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. (7) Jesus saith unto them, Fill the
waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. (8) And he saith unto them,
Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. (9) When the
ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it
was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the
bridegroom, (10) And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good
wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the
good wine until now.

3) He calmed the storm

Mar 4:37-41 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship,
so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a
pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
(39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the
wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so
fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one
to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

In fact, all of creation including us and our decisions are a direct consequence of God’s active
will. They are called our decisions because we make them based on our nature. They are a
consequence of God’s active will because the very existence and character of our natures are
determined by God.

Heb 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things
by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high;
Notice that Christ is actively upholding all things by the word of his power. If He ceased to
actively uphold us we would not be what we are. Far from being autonomous, by Christ we and
all things consist

Col 1:12-17 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light: (13) Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (14) In whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (15) Who is the image
of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things
created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and
for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

4 God the omniscient source of knowledge

4.1 God’s knowledge and immutability
Since God created the world out of nothing, and works everything according to His own will. It
follows that God is the immutable source of concepts and knowledge. Since God is omniscient
and immutable, it is no problem for the Christian to explain the existence of thoughts and
concepts. They always existed. The problem of where concepts, knowledge and logic came
from is an insurmountable problem for humanists and other atheists, but not a problem for the
Bible believer.
4.2 God is omniscient: Positive Proof from the Scripture
4.2.1 The largest discussion of the topic (Psalms 139)
Psalm 139 (KJV) — To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, thou hast searched
me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest
my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted
with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it
altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go
from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou
art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the
morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me,
And thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the
night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night
shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast
possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth
right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And
curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet
being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were
fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts
unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in
 number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. 19 Surely thou wilt slay the
wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20 For they speak against thee
wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that
hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22 I hate them with
perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try
me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in
the way everlasting.

4.2.2 Verses that speak of God knowing man and his heart.
Job 11:11 (KJV 1900) — 11 For he knoweth vain men: He seeth wickedness also; will he not
then consider it?

Genesis 22:12 (KJV 1900) — 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do
thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not
withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

1 Kings 8:39 (KJV 1900) — 39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and
do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even
thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)

Samuel 16:7 (KJV 1900) — 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance,
or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man
seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

4.2.3 God’s knowledge is incomprehensible to men

The Bible warns us to beware of philosophy and vain deceit, it tells us that we should not lean
on our own understanding but encourages us to trust in God’s word. None the less there have
been countless people who think they can look within themselves and determine truth. These
people are called “rationalists”. Some of the rationalist like to buttress their opinions by
claiming they came from “Human Reason” or by claiming that their opinions were “Self
evident” thus did not need a defense. Those who proposed contrary ideas were criticized and
their ideas were called “unthinkable”, “absurd”, or not measuring up to the bar of reason. We
should not be surprised if rationalists consider the ideas of scripture “unthinkable” since the
natural man cannot receive the things of God! When they say this they are actually proving the
Bible! The fact that the Bible describes God’s knowledge as beyond men’s natural capability,
should discourage any Christian from becoming a philosophical rationalist.

Isaiah 40:28 (KJV 1900) — Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, That the
everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Fainteth not, neither is
weary? There is no searching of his understanding.

Romans 11:33 (KJV 1900) — O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
4.3 The Bible calls those who deny God’s omniscience wicked
Some deny God’s omniscience by claiming He does not know the future. Others deny it by
saying He changes his mind. (Changing one’s mind implies, learning new facts, learning new
facts means that you were at one time ignorant of something.)

Psalm 73:11–12 And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the
most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, Who prosper in the world; they increase in
riches.

Job 22:12–13 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars,
how high they are! And thou sayest, How doth God know? Can he judge through the
dark cloud?

The wicked ask the question “How doth God know?”, as if the one who ordains all things and
works all things after the counsel of His own will needed some means to check on reality to see
if it is as he ordained it.

Psalm 94:6–8 They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless. Yet
they say, The LORD shall not see, Neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand,
ye brutish among the people: And ye fools, when will ye be wise?

Here is the hope of fools, that God does not see, and if he does see He will not regard it. But it
is God’s encouragement to the godly that God does know, that God does understand.

Isaiah 40:27–28 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from
the LORD, And my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast
thou not heard, That the everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the
earth, Fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.

God clearly knows all things because He is working all things for the good of those that love
Him. The righteous hope in God’s omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence and the
immutability of God and his loving counsel for us. The wicked are in bondage to the fear of
death and the best they can do is hope that God does not know, God does not see, or maybe
God will change.

Professing Christians should consider where their theology places them, are they siding with
the wicked or the righteous? Would God call them righteous or wicked for having their views
about God’s knowledge, power, and immutability?
4.4 Texts used by some to claim God is not omniscient.
These texts are called secondary texts because the subject in view is not God’s knowledge.
These texts are typically passages where God is speaking anthropomorphically. Below are
some examples:
God asks Adam where he is, and if Adam has eaten from the tree

Genesis 3:9–11 (KJV 1900) — And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him,
Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I
was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast
thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

God did not ask because He was seeking knowledge, but to encourage man to confess his sin.
By assuming God asks out of ignorance, they assume their god does not have knowledge of the
past and of the present.

Genesis 11:5 (KJV 1900) — And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower,
which the children of men builded.

Some wrongly take this to mean God is not omnipresent and has to move spatially to see what
men had done in the past.

Genesis 18:20–21 (KJV 1900) — And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see
whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me;
and if not, I will know.

Some, on the basis of a willful misinterpretation of this text, deny God’s omniscience and
omnipresence.

Jeremiah 31:34 (KJV 1900) — And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour,
and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: For they shall all know me, From the
least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: For I will forgive their iniquity,
And I will remember their sin no more.

Here they like to claim God literally forgets things, instead of believing He acts as if He forgets
them, in fact God does not forget His wrath against His elect, He propitiates it which has an
analogous result to forgetting. There are many scriptures that indicate God knows all things.
Because of this, Bible believing people have no problem recognizing these anthropomorphic
passages for what they are.
The wicked claim the following text indicates that God didn’t know what the wicked people
would do and was surprised by their actions

Jeremiah 32:34–35 (KJV 1900) — But they set their abominations in the house, which is
called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the
 valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the
fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that
they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Some say, that God never even thought the people would do what they ended up doing, but
that is not what the text says. It says that God had never any thought to command them to do
such a wicked practice. “which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind that they
should do this abomination” They should at least read the text more carefully.
Some do not believe God knows and controls men’s hearts despite the fact that scriptures like
Proverbs 21:1 explicitly state that God controls men’s hearts. In addition, they assume God did
not even know Abraham’s heart until He tested it they cite the following scripture

Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing
unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son from me.

Notice the scripture does not say that only because of this God knew Abraham feared him, but
is rather citing an example for Abraham’s benefit of an example from his life. But even in the
fact that Abraham’s action is interpreted as being an outgrowth of a fear of God indicates God
knows the hidden matters of the heart. One could have contributed Abraham’s willingness to a
lack of love for Isaac or any number of things.

The wicked’s pipe dream is that God’s plan can be thwarted and God’s hand can be stayed. In
spite of clear scriptures that indicate the counsel of the Lord shall stand and that none can stay
His hand. The wicked dreams that they will be able to stay God’s hand. Instead of believing
that God “frustrates the plans of the wicked” they like to believe men can frustrate God’s plan.
The wicked always gets it wrong by choosing to have a higher view of man than he should and a
lower view of God. They will say they don’t want to accept the Bibles teaching of God’s
omnipotence or omnipresence because that would require them to lower their view of man.
The Bible warns us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought! Some use the
following verses as justification to say God is unable to impact people to the extent He wishes
and suffers from failed expectations because of it.

Isaiah 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, That I have not done in it?
Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, Brought it forth wild grapes?

The primary idea of the passage is not God having failed expectations but, the wicked’s need to
understand his own wretchedness. This passage deals with wickedness of men who were
placed in a good environment and could not blame the environment for their wickedness, but
they were drawn away by their own lusts and enticed. Like Adam in the garden we wicked
sinners tend to want to blame our environment, our parents, our circumstances or other things
rather than face the fact we were drawn away by our own lusts and enticed.
Some claim the following passages teach God only had knowledge of some people, not all.
 Amos 3:1–2 (KJV 1900) — Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O
children of Israel, Against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt,
saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: Therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.

The word translated “know” here is used of a romantic relationship between a man and his wife
(Gen. 4:1). Israel is referred to as the wife of God in various passages. This indicates a special
relationship not mere intellectual knowledge. God certainly knew the other nations in an
intellectual sense. He fortold many things about many nations; He knew Pharaoh would not
repent; He knew Babylon would carry Judah into captivity; and He called out Cyrus by name
before he was born.

Matthew 7:22–23 (KJV 1900) — Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity.

When Jesus says he never knew these people, He did not mean he had no knowledge of them.
The text clearly indicates that Jesus knew they were workers of iniquity. He even casts them
into the fires of Hell for their wickedness. These people were not the Bride of Christ, they were
not part of the church, Christ did not know them in that sense.

4.5 Scriptures that speak of the immutability of God

Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Heb 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the
heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all
shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall
be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should
repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Psalm 102:25–27 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: And the heavens are the
work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: Yea, all of them shall wax old like
a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the
same, And thy years shall have no end.

Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all
generations.

Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times the things that are
not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure:
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the
Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

4.6 God the immutable, omniscient source of concepts knowledge and logic
The scriptures make clear that God is both omniscient and immutable. God is the
source of all concept information and knowledge. Since God is both omniscient and
eternal the Christian does not have to answer the question of where did concepts,
knowledge and logic come from since they eternally resided in the mind of God through
all eternity, before the immutable God created a mutable universe.

5 The Biblical view of man

5.1 The nature of man
5.1.1 God designed people with natures
The Bible makes clear we were not born with a blank slate, even a child is known by his doings

Pro 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be
right.

In the Bible God calls some people names according to their character: wicked, righteous,
simple, foolish, wise, contentious, virtuous, whorish, etc … These adjectives would be
nonsensical if man did not act in accord with their nature. But scripture clearly teaches that
men act according to their nature

1) Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

Luke 6:43-45 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit. (44) For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns
men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. (45) A good man out
of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out
of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of
the heart his mouth speaketh.

2) Out of the heart spring forth murders, adulteries, fornications, etc…

Mat 15:19-20 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (20) These are the things which defile a
man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

5.1.2 God is sovereign over the natures of men

Whereas humanism and many pagan religions claim that man is autonomous, the Bible clearly
declares our hearts and are in God’s hand, and God actively turns hearts withersoever He
wishes
 Pro 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it
whithersoever he will.

Some clear examples of this are given in scripture.

Ezr 7:27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the
king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

Psa 105:23-25 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. (24)
And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. (25) He
turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.

Exo 10:1-2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his
heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: (2) And
that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought
in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the
LORD.

Psa 106:43-46 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their
counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. (44) Nevertheless he regarded
their affliction, when he heard their cry: (45) And he remembered for them his
covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies. (46) He made
them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

God changed Nebuchadnezzar’s mind into that of a beast and then later restored sanity to him.
He knew God could make him mad or sane. It should be noted that when Nebuchadnezzar’s
sanity was restored to him, he understood that God was completely sovereign over the affairs
of men and “none could stay His hand”.

Dan 4:34-37 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven,
and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and
honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his
kingdom is from generation to generation: (35) And all the inhabitants of the earth are
reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among
the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
(36) At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine
honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me;
and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. (37) Now
I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are
truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Lest someone assume it is only the kings hearts that God turns as He pleases, I have included
the following examples where God gives new hearts and removes the old ones
 Jer 31:33-34 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After
those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their
hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And they shall teach no
more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they
shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Eze 11:17-20 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the
people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give
you the land of Israel. (18) And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the
detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. (19) And I will give
them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of
their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: (20) That they may walk in my statutes,
and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their
God.

He opens hearts

Act 16:13-15 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer
was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted
thither. (14) And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of
Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she
attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. (15) And when she was
baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Luke 24:43-49 And he took it, and did eat before them. (44) And he said unto them,
These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things
must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in
the psalms, concerning me. (45) Then opened he their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures, (46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it
behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (47) And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And ye are witnesses of these things. (49) And, behold, I
send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye
be endued with power from on high.

God grants men repentance, faith and understanding

John 6:44-45 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:
and I will raise him up at the last day. (45) It is written in the prophets, And they shall
be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the
Father, cometh unto me.
 Eph 1:15-19 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto
all the saints, (16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers; (17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (18) The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of
his mighty power,

God also hardens hearts

Isa 29:10-12 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath
closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. (11) And the
vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver
to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is
sealed: (12) And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I
pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

The following scriptures emphasize that man is not autonomous,

Pro 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that
walketh to direct his steps.

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from
the LORD.

All things even the wicked and their evil deeds are ordained by God for a purpose

Pro 16:4-5 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day
of evil. (5) Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand
join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Evil exists and God ordained it, but it is not senseless evil. God has a purpose for evil. This idea
may be shocking to some people but it is clearly taught in the Bible. The most wicked and evil
act ever committed by men, had a glorious purpose of paying for the sins of God’s people.

Mat 26:24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by
whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been
born.

Act 4:26-28 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against his Christ. (27) For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus,
 whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were gathered together, (28) For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy
counsel determined before to be done.

Act 2:22-23 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of
God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst
of you, as ye yourselves also know: (23) Him, being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified
and slain:

People often put forth a false dichotomy they might say something like “Did they do it or did
God make them do it?”. This is a false dichotomy, it assume that if God makes someone do
something they did not do it. Well God is the ultimate cause of all people and things. Surely
nobody can act independently of their creator. People make choices and do things according to
their nature. But they obviously did not choose their own nature. That would be impossible
since in order to make a choice you have to have a nature. The previous scripture shows that
Herod, Pilot, Gentiles and the people of Israel did evil against Jesus, and that it was
predetermined by God that they would do this horrible evil. They acted in accordance with
their nature, they acted willingly, when they did the evil that God ordained they would do.

Nobody is the ultimate cause of their actions because we do not exist in and of ourselves.
Some have wrongly argued that if man is not the ultimate cause of his actions, then he should
not be held accountable for them. Paul refutes this idea in Romans 9. .

Rom 9:10-24 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by
our father Isaac; (11) (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works,
but of him that calleth;) (12) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
(13) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (14) What shall we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of
God that sheweth mercy. (17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same
purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth. (18) Therefore hath he mercy on whom he
will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. (19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? (20) Nay but, O man, who art
thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why
hast thou made me thus? (21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (22) What if God,
willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much
longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: (23) And that he might make
 known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto
glory, (24) Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

We were created, our nature was determined before time, and all the circumstances that
influence our choices were also ordained. God knowing our natures, even knows what we
would have done under different circumstances.

Mat 11:21-22 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty
works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (22) But I say unto you, It shall be more
tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Here we see that God knew that some people would repent under certain conditions, yet did
not provide those conditions for them, but did provide it for others who did not repent.
Ultimately only God can make anyone repent.

Joseph realized that all the evil his brothers intended for him ended up working out for his
good.

Gen 50:16-21 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command
before he died, saying, (17) So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the
trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray
thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept
when they spake unto him. (18) And his brethren also went and fell down before his
face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. (19) And Joseph said unto them, Fear
not: for am I in the place of God? (20) But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but
God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
(21) Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he
comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

In the following scriptures there are precious promises that give the believer the same kind of
confidence that Joseph had.

Rom 8:28-39 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and
whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33)
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate
 us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul had this hope so he could be joyful in trials. This can be seen from the following scriptures.

Php 3:8-14 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (10) That I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable
unto his death; (11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
(12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow
after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13)
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
(14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

5.1.3 Man having a nature does not imply autonomy from God
God’s creation is dependent upon Him for its continued existence,

Heb 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things
by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high;

Col 1:12-18 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light: (13) Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (14) In whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (15) Who is the image
of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things
 created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and
for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (18) And he is
the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence.

5.1.4 Biblical view of man and his sense perception

The Bible recognizes “man” as a meaningful taxonomy and not just a random collection of
chemical that changes with time. The Biblical view of man is that God made man and women in
His image, Man is described in the Bible as a thinking being, whose thoughts are integrated into
who he is (Proverbs 23:7 states “For as he thinks within himself, so he is”1.) The Bible also
portrays man as being capable of sensory perception. Throughout the scripture there are
appeals to the use of sense perception.

Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The Lord has made both of them.” 2

I Corinthians 12: 17 “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the
whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?”9

Luke 24:39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit
does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”9

Prov 24:13 “My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to
your taste;”9

So we see that the Bible gives us the necessary presuppositions for the practice of science. Jesus
also acknowledged man’s ability to recognize the nature of secondary causes

     Luke 12:54-56     “And He (Jesus) was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud
rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out.  And
when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that
way. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky,
but why do you not analyze this present time?9

Jesus chastised them for being smart enough to formulate simple generalizations of what they
have seen but not smart enough to recognize more basic things. Lest one get the wrong
impression, it should be mentioned that the generalizations that one might make concerning the
experience of sense perception are not always correct. This is clearly indicated in that Jacob
was able to deceive his father in Genesis 27.

1
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Pr 23:7a). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation.
2
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Pr 20:12). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation.
5.2 The thoughts of man
5.2.1 The negative impact of the fall upon our mind

It should be mentioned that the Bible does teach that because of Adam’s sin mankind fell from
his initial state. The Bible indicates that we all inherited a sinful nature and outgrowth of which
is that our life has been impacted negatively in every respect, physically, mentally, emotionally
and spiritually. According to the Bible man retains enough of what God gave him initially to be
referred to as being in the image of God (James 3:9), but man is portrayed as not wanting to
acknowledge God as creator and Lord and as being willfully ignorant of Him.

Psalms 10:4 “The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All
his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’.”9

Proverbs 1:22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers
delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 9

Romans 1:18-23 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that
which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For
since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that
they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as
God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed
animals and creeping things.3

Romans 1:28 “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave
them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper”4

Psalm 14:2-3 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside,
together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.11

Romans 8:7-8 “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not
subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the
flesh cannot please God.”11

2 Peter 3:3-7 “knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking
according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

3
The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Ro 1:23). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
4
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ro 1:28). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation.
 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the
earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed
perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now
preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men.”10

A common thread in all these scriptures is that mankind actively attempts to suppress the
knowledge of God, and will even go so far as to deny His existence, and willfully forget
historical events such as the flood or promises of judgment. This is consistent with Jesus’
comments about men in Luke 12:54-56, they were still capable of thought and could analyze the
world around them but when it came to anything related to God, man has a propensity for
spinning silly theories. Low and behold we see that men who are very capable as physicists or
mathematicians can espouse the most bizarre philosophically ungrounded ideas in attempt to
deny the existence of God. I have met some of them that believe they have a great mind, yet
simultaneously profess that all their thoughts are accidental outgrowths of a random process.
Truly God does take the wise in their own craftiness.

In short it should be recognized from logic that everything in the conclusion should be
contained in the premise. As far as atheism goes you have nothing in the premise how can you
have anything in the conclusion, let alone the presuppositions necessary for a belief in laws of
logic, the existence of knowledge, and the practice of the scientific method? But for
Christianity which starts with a premise of God and the revealed word of God, the Bible, we
have a sufficient amount in our premise to allow us to believe in logic, the existence of
knowledge and the practice of the scientific method as part of our conclusion.

5.2.2 Correct understanding of God comes as a result of revelation of God

The opportunity to hear God’s revelation is a great blessing. Yet even then unless God gives us
understanding we will not be able to receive the things of God.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

True understanding is a gift from God

2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Mat 16:16-17 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. (17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven.
 Mat 11:25-26 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

If we understand anything it is a gift from God. We do well to remember it was hid from the
wise but revealed unto babes. Truly all glory belongs to God and no flesh should glory in His
presence. The fact that God can change the level of our understanding gives us the basis to
believe that it is possible to learn and to grow.

5.2.3 Man’s has a nature which is mutable and capable of learning

God is viewed as the one who gives wisdom and understanding to men.

Pro 2:6-7 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding. (7) He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to
them that walk uprightly.

Some might ask “If God gives men understanding then why do we think incorrectly and have so
many misconceptions?” The answer is simple. God does not give everyone understanding, He
also hardens people’s hearts and hides things from people.

Isa 29:13-14 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from
me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: (14) Therefore, behold, I
will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a
wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their
prudent men shall be hid.

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Exo 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that
thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will
harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

Rom 9:17-18 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I
raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be
declared throughout all the earth. (18) Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

The Bible teaches that YHVH, the all-knowing, all-powerful God, created the universe, and
works all things after the counsel of His own will.
 Eph 1:11 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own
will”.

Since God works all things after the counsel of His own will, He is knows about all things and has
power over all things. It is not surprising the Bible reveals YHVH, the creator of time and space,
does not change with time

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Because the Bible speaks of God as being an immutable being that works all things after the
counsel of His own will, the Christian has cause to look for order in the universe.

5.2.4 God uses various means to help us learn

The Bible indicates many means through which God gives men knowledge. A few are listed
below:
 Studying the scriptures is one means of gaining understanding and growing, listening to
bablers is a means of going further off the track

2Ti 2:15-17 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (16) But shun profane and vain
babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (17) And their word will eat as
doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

 Through teaching

Deu 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the
LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And
these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine
house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou
risest up. (8) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between thine eyes. (9) And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy
house, and on thy gates.

 Chastisement

Heb 12:4-13 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (5) And ye have
forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not
thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6) For whom
the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the
father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers,
then are ye bastards, and not sons. (9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh
which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in
 subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they verily for a few days
chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers
of his holiness. (11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but
grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby. (12) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down,
and the feeble knees; (13) And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

 The good examples of godly people is another

1Pe 2:20-21 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall
take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God. (21) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the
Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

 Revelations in answer to prayer

Jas 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with
the wind and tossed.

An example of this is Daniel praying and confessing his sins and the sins of the
people and asking for wisdom

Dan 9:1-4 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes,
which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; (2) In the first year of his reign I
Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD
came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations
of Jerusalem. (3) And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: (4) And I prayed unto the LORD
my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping
the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his
commandments;

Later in the chapter we read how his prayer was answered

Dan 9:20-23 (20) And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and
the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for
the holy mountain of my God; (21) Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly,
touched me about the time of the evening oblation. (22) And he informed me, and
talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and
understanding. (23) At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came
 forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the
matter, and consider the vision.

 A pastor’s leadership style should be by example, not by being a Lord

1Pe 5:2-3 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof,
not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (3)
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

 We can learn what not to do from bad examples

1Co 10:1-12 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that
all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) And were
all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; (3) And did all eat the same
spiritual meat; (4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of
that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (5) But with
many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the
wilderness. (6) Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not
lust after evil things, as they also lusted. (7) Neither be ye idolaters, as were some
of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
(8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one
day three and twenty thousand. (9) Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them
also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. (10) Neither murmur ye, as some of
them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. (11) Now all these
things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (12) Wherefore let him
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner,
giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth
for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

 We can learn from some of the things the animals do well

Pro 6:6-8 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which
having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and
gathereth her food in the harvest.

Pro 30:24-28 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are
exceeding wise: (25) The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their
meat in the summer; (26) The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their
houses in the rocks; (27) The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them
by bands; (28) The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
5.3 The Biblical framework for evaluating ourselves and our thoughts, feelings and
experiences:
In addition to giving the Christian a large set of axioms from which to derive certain truths,
Scripture provides a framework for evaluating their thoughts and their feeling and interpreting
their experiences.

Whereas the rationalist believes their thoughts are a source of truth, and the mystic believes
their feelings are a source of truth, as such they don’t have a very good epistemological basis
for correcting their thoughts and feelings. The fact that they have had thoughts and feelings
they now think are wrong should cause them to be skeptical of rationalism and mysticism as
epistemological methods. The Bible instructs the Christian to be careful about placing trust in
their thoughts and feelings.

Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he
shall be delivered.

Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (7)
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and
maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. (6) For he shall be
like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the
parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. (7) Blessed is the
man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. (8) For he shall be as a
tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not
see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of
drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (9) The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (10) I the LORD search the heart, I try
the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his
doings.

Psa 94:11-12 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. (12)
Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

Numbers 15:38-40 "Tell the Israelis that they are to make tassels at the edges of their
garments throughout their generations and that they are to put a violet cord on the
tassels at the edges of their garments. (39) That way, when you see the tassel, you'll
remember all the commands of the LORD and you'll observe them. Then you won't seek
your own interests and desires that lead you to be unfaithful. (40) Therefore remember
to observe all my commands and to be holy in the presence of your God.

We see in the above passages that the word of God is the standard by which our thoughts,
feelings and experiences should be evaluated and interpreted. The Bible makes very clear that
we should not trust our own hearts and emotion but should trust the Lord. God considers it an
act of pride to trust that we can look to our emotions and thoughts as a basis for truth.

Psalms 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts.

This is not to say that our feelings and the feelings of others is utterly meaningless. In fact, the
Bible often talks about feelings in a positive manner. Consider the following verses where Paul
speaks of his love toward those he is writing to.

1Th 1:1-4 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians
which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace,
from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2) We give thanks to God always for
you all, making mention of you in our prayers; (3) Remembering without ceasing your
work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the
sight of God and our Father; (4) Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Php 1:1-11 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ
Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (2) Grace be unto you, and
peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (3) I thank my God upon
every remembrance of you, (4) Always in every prayer of mine for you all making
request with joy, (5) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; (6)
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (7) Even as it is meet for me to think this of
you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the
defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. (8) For God is
my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. (9) And this I
pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
(10) That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without
offence till the day of Christ; (11) Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are
by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Php 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so
stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

The truth that transforms should have an impact upon our attitude towards God’s people. If we
want insight into our relationship with God we can consider how much we love God’s people.

1Jn 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (15) Whosoever hateth his
brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Mat 25:31-46 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (32) And before him shall be
 gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats: (33) And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but
the goats on the left. (34) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world: (35) For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: (36) Naked, and ye clothed me: I was
sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (37) Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink? (38) When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or
naked, and clothed thee? (39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it
unto me. (41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: (43) I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and
ye visited me not. (44) Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we
thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
minister unto thee? (45) Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (46) And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Our feelings often need to be corrected through right thinking. The Psalms records several
instances of David rebuking his own heart for being downcast, and encourages himself by
hoping in God and praising God.

Psa 42:5-11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. (6) O my
God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of
Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. (7) Deep calleth unto deep at the
noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (8) Yet the
LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be
with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (9) I will say unto God my rock, Why
hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
(10) As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto
me, Where is thy God? (11) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou
disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of
my countenance, and my God.

It is interesting to note that David, was committed to praising God even when he was
discouraged. David worshiped God because he esteemed God worthy of praise, if someone
only worships God when they felt like it, you could make the case their feelings are their Lord.
David’s love for God and his commitment to serving Him enabled him to find joy and peace in
the most difficult circumstances. Even in the midst of persecution by his enemies David realized
he could have joy and rebuked and encouraged his heart to trust in God and committed himself
to praising God rather than wallow in discouragement and self-pity.

Psa 43:1-5 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver
me from the deceitful and unjust man. (2) For thou art the God of my strength: why
dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? (3)
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy
hill, and to thy tabernacles. (4) Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my
exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. (5) Why art thou
cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall
yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Even when David’s own son, Absalom, along with some of his friends had conspired to kill him
and rule in his place. David was able to find peace and rest.

Psa 3:1-8 A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are they
increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. (2) Many there be
which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. (3) But thou, O LORD, art a
shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (4) I cried unto the LORD with
my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. (5) I laid me down and slept; I
awaked; for the LORD sustained me. (6) I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
that have set themselves against me round about. (7) Arise, O LORD; save me, O my
God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the
teeth of the ungodly. (8) Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy
people. Selah.

Many a man would have allowed themselves to be swallowed up in self-pity. Many would
having had a hard time believing that God would help them, if they had sinned as David had
sinned. But David trusted in the mercy and help of God.

I don’t want to give the impression that we should never experience sadness, mourn or
experience sorrow. Jesus himself experienced sorrow and wept.

John 11:32-36 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down
at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. (33)
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her,
he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, (34) And said, Where have ye laid him? They
said unto him, Lord, come and see. (35) Jesus wept. (36) Then said the Jews, Behold
how he loved him!

Luke 19:41-44 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, (42)
Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong
unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. (43) For the days shall come
upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round,
and keep thee in on every side, (44) And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy
 children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because
thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Jesus endured stress and suffering like no other man. He had the whole wrath of God poured
out upon him on the cross. The thought of this caused him so much stress that he sweated
drops of blood.

Luke 22:41-45 Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and
began to pray, (42) "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my
will but yours be done." (43) Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and
strengthened him. (44) In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became
like large drops of blood falling on the ground. (45) When he got up from prayer, he
went to the disciples and found them asleep from sorrow.

His great love for God, His trust in God and His love for the sheep that the Father had given
Him, allowed Him to endure the cross and the shame.

Heb 12:2-4 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. (3) For consider him that endured such contradiction of
sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (4) Ye have not yet
resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

The joy set before Jesus was the opportunity to pay for the sins of God’s elect and provide a
means by which they might be saved. This broader context allowed Jesus to endure a death
and humiliation like no other.

While our sufferings are small compared to Jesus and our accomplishments and purposes are
not worth being compared to His, never the less, God is still concerned with us. God gave the
Bible believer a hope that comforts them in their times of difficulties. The knowledge gained
from the scripture, and the comfort in believing it, comforts the believer even in the most
difficult situations.

1Th 4:13-14 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him.

Having a Biblical framework with which to view life helped Christians to greet very difficult trials
with joy and persevere in the face of opposition and persecution

Act 5:40-42 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten
them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them
go. (41) And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
 counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. (42) And daily in the temple, and in
every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Act 16:22-25 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates
rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. (23) And when they had laid
many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them
safely: (24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and
made their feet fast in the stocks. (25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang
praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

This was the peace that Jesus promised His followers. The peace comes from God, but involves
a conscious action on the part of the believer to have rule over their spirit. Jesus instructed His
followers to have rule over their own spirit and not to let their heart be troubled, nor are we to
be afraid.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Psa 56:1-4 To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when
the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow
me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. (2) Mine enemies would daily swallow me up:
for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. (3) What time I am afraid, I
will trust in thee. (4) In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will
not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Psalms 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Notice that the psalmist praises the word of God, which conveys the truths that enable him to
have rule over his spirit and have peace. It is not that fear never came across his emotional
landscape, it is that when it did he knew what to do with it. This stands in stark contrast to the
mystic who considers his feelings a source of truth. On what grounds could a mystic overcome
and rule over their emotional state, if their emotions were their source of truth?

Like the psalmist, Paul shared with the church in Rome how his theological framework enabled
him to great trials with confidence and joy.

Romans 8:28-39 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and
whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33)
 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Knowing that God was for him, inspite of all his sins allowed Paul to joyfully endure all things.
He was not living in fear of some karma payback for the wickedness he did in the past, thought
he was involved in greatly persecuting God’s people. He knew that God had justified him and
there was no one who could bring a charge against him. He knew that God would not deal with
him according to his sins. He knew that if God did not spare His son, He would freely give him
every good thing, so if he lacked something he could know it was not good for him at that time
and circumstance. He knew that God would hold no good thing from those who walked
uprightly, and although he had not walked uprightly, Jesus did on his behalf allowing him to
receive limitless blessings from the merits of Christ. Believing these things keeps us from
discouragement concerning our present circumstances and fear of our future. It takes away
our desire to complain and replaces it with “This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice
and be glad in it”

Job’s sufferings were so great that his name is forever associated with trials and difficulties. Job
lost his children, his wealth, his health and his social status. Yet he still trusted God even saying
”Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). The Bible believer has a hope in God
working all things for the good, trusting God even if that good does not come in this lifetime.
Job expressed this hope in the midst of his trials

Job 19:25-26 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth: (26) And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God:

Job went through far more than almost any of us ever have or will go through. Yet God did not
approve of Job’s lying around complaining and feeling sorry for himself.

Job 38:1-5 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, (2) Who is this
that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? (3) Gird up now thy loins like a
man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. (4) Where wast thou when I laid
the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. (5) Who hath laid
the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Notice how God tells Job to “gird up his loins like a man” and answer him. This is a good
reminder when we are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves because of our circumstances or
failures that we should trust God’s grace and sovereign plan and face our difficulties like men,
made in the image of God. If we notice ourselves in that state we should aggressively attempt
to subdue our own spirit and take dominion over it for the glory of God. While it is an
impressive thing for a warrior to conquer a city it is more impressive for a man to have rule over
his own spirit.

Pro 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit
than he that taketh a city.

There are many ways in which someone can fail to have rule over their own spirit. The man
after God’s own heart, David, the wisest man outside of Jesus, Solomon, and the strongest man,
Sampson, all failed control their sexual lust. 2 Kings 5:20-27 records how Gehazi, Elisha’s friend
and helper, failed to control their desires for earthly possessions. Ahab’s covetousness of
Naboth’s vineyard, led him first to despair and then to the sin of murder.

Recognizing wrong feelings can be useful in helping us identify wrong attitudes and thoughts.
This is true not only in regards to self-pity but also in regards to bitterness.

Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Joseph’s theological framework enabled him to see God’s purpose behind all the difficulties in
his life. Joseph comforted his brothers who were ashamed, embarrassed and fearful for how
they had treated Joseph.

Genesis 50:18-21 So Joseph's brothers went to visit him, fell prostrate in front of him,
and declared, "Look! We're your servants." (19) "Don't be afraid," Joseph responded.
"Am I sitting in God's place? (20) As far as you're concerned, you were planning evil
against me, but God intended it for good, planning to bring about the present result so
that many people would be preserved alive. (21) So don't be afraid! I'll take care of you
and your little ones." So Joseph kept on comforting them, speaking to the needs of their
hearts.

This is not only a comfort to those who are faced with a big trial but it is also a great comfort to
us when we think about how our wrong actions have hurt others. While we do not want to do
evil so that good may come of it. It is nice to know that God can turn around the wrong things
we have done and use them for the good. This was definitely the case in Josephs life. Even
though his brothers had a horrible range of intentions towards him from wanting to hurt him to
not being willing to stand up for him. Ultimately all the evil they did toward Joseph ended up
working out for Joseph’s benefit.
Joseph was the favorite and spoiled son of his father. If he would have stayed at home how
would he have grown into the kind of man who could run a government? After being sold into
slavery he learned to manage the estate of a rich man. After mastering that challenge, he was
ready for greater challenges, so he was removed from that position and cast in prison. The
prison was one of the larger institutions of the Egyptian government and Joseph ended up
managing the entire prison. It would be very unlikely that a foreigner would be entrusted to
run any large institution aside from the prison. Joseph learned a lot of management skills in
running Potiphar’s household and he learned even more when managing the prison. I am sure
this experience proved useful to him when he was called upon to manage the whole country of
Egypt. If he had stayed at home, he would have been a spoiled child, probably unfit for any
responsibility. The injustices of being made a slave by his brothers, sold to Potiphar, and being
thrown in prison were necessary steps to bring him to a place where he would have the abilities
needed to manage an entire country. Understanding that God works all things for the good and
that God loves His people, enables them to overcome emotions like fear and anxiety. It enables
them to forgive others knowing that the wrongs others did against them would ultimately be
for their benefit.

Some Christians wrongly expect or believe that God has changed their heart to such an extent
that their feelings and thoughts can become a reliable source of guidance. These people will
then begin a cycle of self-righteousness, pride, and then a fall. While they may be able to live
for a while in a self-delusional state with an inappropriately high view of their own nature,
eventually their actions will provide and undeniable demonstration that their nature is still
fallen and in need of continually discipline. This is not a fun process to go through, so it is best
to avoid it by being humble. Because we are prone to think this way to our own hurt, the Bible
contains many warnings not to have an inappropriately high view of ourselves.

Pro 16:18-19 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (19)
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the
proud.

Pro 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

Luke 18:10-14 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the
other a publican. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank
thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this
publican. (12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (13) And the
publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (14) I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Note that the Pharisee thanked God and did not credit himself for his own perceived greatness.
He gave God the credit for him being better than other men, God said he was not justified and
would be abased. Christians greatly admire the Apostle Paul, we should remember that even
after his conversion he did not view his heart as a trustworthy guide, in fact he spoke of their
being a struggle in his life and that serving God involved a denial of his nature.

Romans 7:18-25 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for
to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For
the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do
that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a
law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of
God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against
the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Even the Apostle Peter could not trust in his own nature or even trust in his own ability to
monitor and control his own spirit. Like us, at times he needed a good friend to
correct him. The Bible mentions Paul having to correct him.

Gal 2:11-16 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because
he was to be blamed. (12) For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the
Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them
which were of the circumcision. (13) And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him;
insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. (14) But when I
saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter
before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do
the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (15) We who are
Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, (16) Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

In this lifetime we are not promised that we will completely overcome our inappropriate
feelings and thoughts, we must always rule over them and never let them become the final
governing agent in our life. This is very contrary to the mystic who looks at his emotions as a
source of truth rather than something that may be in dire need of correction. How can the
mystic overcome bad feelings, if his feelings are his final source of truth? While the Christian
places some value on their feelings, they recognize they are not the final authority, and our
feelings should be regulated by the truths learned from the scriptures.

Not only can the word of God be useful in regulating our own feelings and having rule over our
own spirits, we can also encourage other in sharing with others the comfort we have received
from God is one of the greatest ways we can be a blessing to others.
 2Co 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that
we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted of God.

One of the easiest ways to get emotionally off kilter is to wrongly interpret our experience. In
Psalm 73, the psalmist was not interpreting his experience in the light of God’s word and as a
result had wrong thoughts and feelings. He then corrected his thinking by interpreting his
experience in the light of revealed word of God.

Psalms 73:1-28 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a
clean heart. (2) But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh
slipped. (3) For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
(4) For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. (5) They are not in
trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. (6) Therefore pride
compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. (7) Their
eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. (8) They are
corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. (9) They set
their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. (10)
Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. (11)
And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? (12)
Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. (13)
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. (14) For all
the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. (15) If I say, I will
speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. (16) When I
thought to know this, it was too painful for me; (17) Until I went into the sanctuary of
God; then understood I their end. (18) Surely thou didst set them in slippery places:
thou castedst them down into destruction. (19) How are they brought into desolation,
as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. (20) As a dream when one
awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. (21) Thus my
heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. (22) So foolish was I, and ignorant: I
was as a beast before thee. (23) Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast
holden me by my right hand. (24) Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward
receive me to glory. (25) Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon
earth that I desire beside thee. (26) My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the
strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. (27) For, lo, they that are far from thee
shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. (28) But it is
good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may
declare all thy works.

The Bible’s teaching concerning the future allowed the psalmist to have a correct perspective
concerning his experience and created in him a desire to draw near to God.
If experiences are not properly interpreted in the context of God’s revelation, it can lead to
wrong thinking and wrong feelings. The solution to wrong feelings is correct thinking which will
in time correct wrong feelings. The scriptures tell us we need to be careful not to act on
whatever feeling comes across our emotional landscape.

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down,
and without walls.

Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his
spirit than he that taketh a city.

Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of
spirit exalteth folly.

Proverbs 29:11 (ESV) The fool vents all his feelings, but the wise person keeps them to
himself.

Proverbs 12:16 (ESV) The anger of a fool becomes readily apparent, but the prudent
person overlooks an insult.

We will feel pain, humiliation, shame, embarrassment or anger, but we must be careful not to
respond impulsively in the directions that those emotions may drive us. We must evaluate the
situation and the emotions and respond accordingly. Our emotions are not a source of truth,
they must not rule us. We must rule our emotions and our responses in light of God’s word.
While each person is responsible for their own emotional state and not for the state of others,
we should do our best to encourage others to think about things correctly and to continue in
love and good works despite difficult circumstances. The writer to the Hebrews knew they
were going through difficult circumstances and emphasized the importance of fellowshipping
with believers and encouraging one another.

Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.

Just as we can provoke people to love and good works we can provoke others to wrath and
discouragement

Col 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Eph 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy
father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (3) That it may be
well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (4) And, ye fathers, provoke not
your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
It should be noted that in Ephesians 6 the children are first instructed to obey their parents in
the Lord. This means that the Children should obey any command from the parents that is
consistent with the Lord’s teaching. They are instructed not only to outwardly obey but to
honour their parents. After that it is mentioned to the fathers that they ought not to provoke
the children to wrath. Children’s failures can be frustrating to a parent and can cause them to
become bitter and hostile to the child even provoking them. Gill in his commentary states:

And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,.... Neither by words; by

unjust and, unreasonable commands; by contumelious and reproachful language; by
frequent and public chidings, and by indiscreet and passionate expressions: nor by
deeds; preferring one to another; by denying them the necessaries of life; by not allowing
them proper recreation; by severe and cruel blows, and inhuman usage; by not giving
them suitable education; by an improper disposal of them in marriage; and by profusely
spending their estates, and leaving nothing to them: not but that parents may, and ought
to correct and rebuke their children; nor are they accountable to them for their conduct;
yet they should take care not to provoke them to wrath, because this alienates their
minds from them, and renders their instructions and corrections useless, and puts them
upon sinful practices; wrath lets in Satan, and leads to sin against God; and indeed it is
difficult in the best of men to be angry and not sin; see Col_3:21. Fathers are particularly
mentioned, they being the heads of families, and are apt to be too severe, as mothers too
indulgent.

Children provoked to anger by their father, need to get rule over their own spirit, forgive and
overlook the provoking behavior, and remember all the good things the father has done for
them and honor them as much as possible. The parent is not able to make the child sin.
Children should not blame their sins on their parents this is contrary to the Bible

Jas 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death.

The parent must not believe they are capable of completely controlling the childs emotional
state, otherwise they will end up being manipulated by the child. The child will never grow
while they believe others are responsible for their actions and attitudes. The child must accept
responsibility for their attitudes and actions and must also recognize they may not get the
desired approval or response from their parents. Children should grow to a point where even if
they are provoked they do not sin. The child must take rule over their own spirit. If they allow
roots of bitterness to consume them they will not only defile themselves but many others. If
the child does not honor their father, the life of the child will not go well. In the end this will
not only bring sadness to the child but also to the parent.

Pro 17:21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath
no joy.

Not only fathers, but all leaders need to be especially careful in this regard. Rehoboam learned
the hard way that a prideful overbearing attitude can provoke others to rebellion. In this case
the rebellion was to the great hurt not only of Rehoboam but of the people who rebelled, for
they went out and established a kingdom that was not based upon the laws of God, which in
the entirety of it’s existence never had a good king.

1Ki 12:6-17 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before
Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this
people? (7) And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people
this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then
they will be thy servants for ever. (8) But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which
they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him,
and which stood before him: (9) And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we
may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy
father did put upon us lighter? (10) And the young men that were grown up with him
spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee,
saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt
thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. (11) And
now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my
father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. (12) So
Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had
appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. (13) And the king answered the
people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; (14) And spake
to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy,
and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise
you with scorpions. (15) Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the
cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by
Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. (16) So when all Israel saw that
the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion
have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O
Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. (17) But
as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over
them.

Rehoboam’s story underscores the importance of surrounding yourself with good influences
and not only getting counsel, but getting wise counsel. Who we choose to be around can have
a great impact on how we end up thinking and how we respond to our emotions. Many bad
choices were made at the suggestion of a bad companion.

1) Eve listened to the serpent who deceived her into sabotaging her life and that of her
husband and their descendants.
2) In 1 King 21, Jezebel encouraging Ahab to kill Naboth
3) In 2 Samuel 13 Amnon’s cousin Jonadab encouraged him to molest his sister
4) Even though Solomon was the wisest man of his day, he was led astray by the ungodly
wives he married. (1 Kings 11:1-8)
Even if you are not swayed by the wicked people you choose to surround yourself with, your
loved ones may be. This is the sad lesson we learn from the life of Jehosaphat. Jehosaphat was
a godly man in many respects except he chose to yoke himself with the ungodly king of Israel,
Ahab. He was rebuked for this by a prophet named Jehu

2Ch 19:1-3 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to
Jerusalem. (2) And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to
king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?
therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. (3) Nevertheless there are good
things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast
prepared thine heart to seek God.

Jehosaphat would never see the entirety of the trouble he brought upon his family and his
kingdom by being friends with Ahab, the ungodly king of Israel. Jehosaphat’s son, Jehoram,
married Ahab and Jezebels daughter and not only led the nation of Judah into idolatry, but also
killed all of Jehosaphat’s other sons. This is recorded in 2 Chronicles 21.

2Ch 21:4-6 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he
strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the
princes of Israel. (5) Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. (6) And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel,
like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought
that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God and endowed with thoughts feelings
and sensory perception whereby we can interact with others and the world around us. We are
not an accident, we were made for a purpose. Our thoughts, feelings and experiences have
meaning, they are to be interpreted in the context of the word of God. They are not to rule our
lives we should not live according to them but according to the principles taught in the Bible.
As fallen creatures born with sinful tendencies, the principles given in the Bible may seem
contrary to our instincts, but they are for our benefit. As we grow to master them more and
more we will experience a greater amount of joy and peace. Feelings are important but they
are not a source of truth and should not be the driving impulses in our thoughts or
understanding. God’s word and the proper understanding of it can help us correct flawed
feelings and emotions and reinforce proper feelings.

It should also be pointed out that even before the fall Adam needed to get instruction from God
on what to do. God gave man commands to go and subdue the earth, to name the animals and
tend the garden. The Bible indicates that God met with Adam and Eve in the garden and gave
instruction. There was never a time in man’s history that revelation was unnecessary, there
was never a time when man apart from God could determine truth, meaning, purpose and
morals.
6 What is Operational Science
6.1 Definition of Operational Science
Immediately after the creation of man, God gave man dominion and told him to subdue the
earth.

Gen 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto
them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth.

In order to control and subdue the earth man must be able to model how things operate. This
process of modeling the operation of things is operational science. Operational science is a
restricted form of empiricism. It has been used to model the behavior of matter, physics. The
properties and behavior of chemicals, chemistry, and things like how the body works, or how
cells operate, etc….

6.2 Presuppositions Necessary for the Practice of Operational Science

There are a host of assumptions someone must make before they would even think to begin to
model the behavior of things. The list below points out several of them.

1. Order in the universe

2. Laws of Logic apply to the universe
3. Concept Information
4. Man having concept information
5. Man’s sense perception being correlated to reality
6. Things having a nature
7. The nature of things is related to observable attributes
8. Man can recognize order in the universe
9. Man is mutable and capable of learning
10. Man can make useful models of how things operate and use them to subdue things for a
purpose
11. A basis for making simplifying assumptions such as symmetry, invariances and preferring
simpler models complex models.

The Bible provides a view of God, man and creation that gives the Christian cause for believing
the above things. In the following sections we will give a scriptural reason why the Christian
has a basis for believing in the presuppositions necessary for the practice of operational
sciences like Physics and Chemistry.
6.3 Biblical Framework that enables operational science
The Christian starts with the assumption that God exists and has revealed propositional truth to
us in the scriptures. The very idea that God communicates to man through language implies:

o The existence of concept information

 God possessing it and imparting a portion of it to man
o The reliability of human sense perceptions necessary to process the sounds
o The laws of logic which are required to parse symbols

In the first chapter of the Bible we find a verse that supplies man with the remaining
presuppositions necessary for man to develop models of the nature of things.

Gen 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto
them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth.

In order to subdue something, it is required that you be able to model it’s behavior and that the
model is somewhat useful to allow the thing to be subdued or controlled. To make a model of
how something operates it is necessary to be able to observe at least some aspects of that
thing. Thus the internal nature of a thing is at least related to men’s observations of it’s
external characteristics. This may seem like a trivial assumption, but many rationalist
philosophers throughout history did not assume things characteristics of something were
related to sensory perceptions of it. The fact that God commanded man to subdue the earth
does not imply that the earth can be subdued by man. It is possible that God can command
man to do things that man could not do. God commanded sinners not to sin, but we are unable
to keep the law. Christ also commanded the Samaritan woman in John 4 to go get her
husband, which was impossible since she had no husband. However in this case, the scripture
also states that God gave man dominion over the earth for the purpose of subduing it. Thus we
have a basis for believing in the following things:

o There is an order to the universe

o Things have a nature
o Man’s sense perception is useful in observing the world
o That man is able to learn and develop useful models of the nature of things for the
subduing of them
 Since God gave dominion over the earth we have reason to prefer simpler
models to complicated models, since God wants things modeled by man and
subdued.
Modern science grew out of presuppositions of the Christian faith. The models that have
resulted from operational sciences like physics and chemistry have been used by engineers to
design equipment to subdue the earth to do amazing things. This is further evidence that God
has in fact given dominion to man.

6.4 Operational science and other worldviews

The practice of operational science is not a philosophically neutral activity. While many non-
Christians study and learn physics or chemistry, this does not imply these disciplines are
philosophically consistent with their belief system. For example, if a worldview claimed that
there were a plurality of gods fighting for control of the universe, why would someone with
that worldview look for order in the universe, let alone universal laws? Worse yet why would
someone who believed there was no intelligent cause behind the universe, believe there would
be any order in the universe, let alone that the universe would have a component that was able
to think?

If a worldview teaches that man was the accidental product of a random process, there are
many questions that must be addressed before that world view could be considered a
worldview that enables operational science.

1. Why would they expect man’s sense perceptions would in any way be correlated with
an external world?
2. Why would they believe men possess the ability to think and that his thoughts were
correlated with reality?
3. What basis is there for believing simpler models are more likely to be true?
4. How does the worldview explain the existence of non-material things like concepts and
the laws of logic?

If one claims natural selection can account for this, the obvious questions are:
1. Why would a random universe want to select anything?
2. Where do concepts come from in a random universe?
3. If the universe has a metric of what is fittest that exists independently of what exists and it
evaluates and selects from what is on that basis, then the universe has intelligence.
4. If the universe does not have an independent metric of what is fittest, but what is fittest is
determined by the state of the random universe then the notion of fittest is an arbitrary
reflection of what is in a random universe. Why should one assume survival would be
correlated with a correct understanding of the random reality or a correlation with between
sense perception and random reality.

The Bible teaches us that pointing out to someone their worldview is incompatible with
operational science may not be compelling to a natural man. The natural unregenerate man
would rather believe in a mess of conflicting ideas or go on with an ungrounded philosophical
system than conform to the teaching of the Bible.
 1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The Bible teaches that people willingly suppress the truth in unrighteousness

Rom 1:18-22 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (19) Because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

People who believe ungrounded and incoherent systems of belief like humanism and reject the
Bible actually are proving the very book they hate. Many people live in direct contradiction to
their stated beliefs, this can be due to a moral weakness as humans, or lack of understanding
of the implications of ones beliefs, or their stated beliefs are not in line with things they know
to be true in their hearts and would rather suppress the truth and knowingly follow stated
beliefs known to be false.

6.5 The Limits of Operational science

The success of operational science proves that God really did give dominion to mankind. The
great success of operational science has caused some to have an over inflated view of it. It is
important for us to understand that operational science is limited in scope. It does not address
number of issues such as: how things got here, or why things are the way they are and what is
the meaning of a thing or an event, it cannot provide a basis for morality, and although it is
useful in predicting the future, it is limited in its abilities to give insight into the past.

Operational science has truly produced many great things. It has taken us to the moon, it has
given us the automobile, the microwave oven, modern electronics etc… Truly it’s success is
consistent with the statement that God gave man dominion over the earth. But it is important
for us to understand for all the utility of operational science there are some things that it
cannot do. Operational science cannot provide a basis for it’s practice, but relies on
philosophical assumptions outside of itself. Operational science is limited on what kind of
information it can provide. This will be discussed in the next several sections.

6.5.1 The logical problem of making generalizations from a finite set of particulars
It is logically impossible to make universal statements from a finite set of particulars.
1) The particular set of experiences do not provide the generalizations.
2) There are often an infinite number of possible generalizations one could make that fit a
finite set of particulars.
3) The idea of making a generalization from a non-exhaustive set of particulars involves the
commission of the logical fallacy asserting the consequent.
a. A implies B. I observe B, therefore I assume A to be true.
b. In this case A is the generalization and B is the observed particular.
4) Operational science must rely on some other epistemological method to provide the
generalization or interpretation of human experience.
a. Thus operational science can be viewed as a constrained form of one of rationalism
or whatever humanistic epistemological method happens to provide the
generalization of the experience.

6.5.2 When operational science work well and fails

Empiricism differs from rationalism, mysticism and fideism in that it is actually tethered to being
consistent with observations. For any set of finite particular observations there exists an
infinite number of possible generalization one could make. While no generalization follows
from a set of finite particulars, it has been noted that the farther the generalization gets
removed from observations the more the generalization begins to become similar to
rationalism, mysticism or fideism and the less it is tied to the observations. Since rationalism,
mysticism and fideism ended up in subjectivity, we have more reason to be leery of empirical
generalizations that transcend mere descriptions of phenomenon that can be observed.

Operational science gives us models of what we have observed and generalizations of behavior
beyond our observations. Many models work very well when tested in conditions similar to the
data used to make the model, but fail when the generalization is applied to conditions quite
different that those used to gather data to form the model. For example if the we are
determining to mode the relationship between observed quantities x and y and we only use
points where x varies between -5 and 10, our model may work well in that area but may not
work well when we try to apply it for the case where x = 10,000.

6.5.3 Assumptions under which operational science can produce good approximations of the
truth
Previously we pointed out if model, A implies a particular B, and observing that B is true, does
not provide a basis for assuming the truthfulness of model A. This helped us understand that
the process of induction used in operational science is flawed and may not yield true
generalizations. Let us now set less ambitious goals, we no longer insist that we learn the true
model, only one of the infinite number of possible models that are sufficiently close to the true
model to be useful to us. If we gratuitously assume certain properties of the true model, the
observations may allow us to construct a model which is close enough to the truth to be useful.
Those with a good math background may think of bandlimited functions, which can be
accurately characterized by a set of samples. Under that condition a Fourier transform may
give an exact result if the measurements are perfect. If the measurements are not perfect it
should give a good approximation.
For those without a good math background I have attempted to explain some conditions under
which one might make a useful model from a finite set of data. This is not a rigorous proof but
merely an explanation.

Assumptions:
1) All the assumptions necessary to practice operational science along with the additional
simplifying assumptions of spatial and temporal invariance are true.
2) Assume we can approximately measure the quantities x and y.
3) We assume there exists a useful generalization that can be made concerning a variable x
and an outcome y.

Our Goal: To come up with a function which would allow us to approximately predict y given an
approximate value of x.
Implications of our assumptions:
1) We are only seeking approximate knowledge, hence, there are an infinite number of
functions that are within acceptable limits of error and could serve as useful
approximations.
a. Useful models will not greatly differ from one another in their predictions.
b. We are no longer looking for a true model but a useful model, hence we are not
looking for a single model among an infinite number of choices, but a member of
a subset of useful approximate models.
i. Constraints on the true relationship being able to yield a useful model,
implies the ability to make approximations about measured points (x,y).
ii. If this constraint is true, each observation greatly restricts the number of
possible models.
1. If a large number of observations are made over a space, the
probability of making a useful model over the region, can be very
high.
2) Let’s talk about what this means in terms of x and y.
a. We are no longer looking for the exact relationship y=f(x), but any function g(x)
which does not differ greatly from f(x) at any point in the region of interest.
i. We are not looking for a region over all possible x values, only a region of
interest.
b. Since x is not exactly known, and there exists a g(x) which is useful. Our g(x)
must not vary wildly as a function of x, otherwise our uncertainties in x would
render it useless.
i. Since g(x) does not vary wildly with x, a measurement of an (x,y) pair
around point x* gives us approximate knowledge of g(x) not just at x* but
in a continuous region about x*.
1. Under the power of the presupposition, One particular
measurement gives us an information about an interval of points.
2. While there are a infinite number of points in a region, there are
not an infinite number of intervals.
 3. If we have sufficient observed (x,y) pairs and our assumptions are
sound, we can produce a useful model over that region.
c. The subjectivity of choosing a particular model g(x) that roughly fits all the points
and is not wildly varying about those points, does not matter because we are not
looking for truth but something that is close enough.

In this case we made a host of assumptions, under which the operational science could be used
to find a useful model, provided one exists. Let’s look at them.
 Standard assumptions necessary for operational science
 Temporal and spatial invariance
 We have a limited range of interest for x and y
 We can approximately observe or measure x and y over the range of interest.
 There exists a useful model approximately relating the output y and the variable x.
o This implies some sort of continuity of a useful function g(x) at all points x* in the
range of interest, such that knowing g(x*) gives us some approximation of g(x) at
points around x*
 We have the ability to measure (x,y) pairs at sufficient spacing to ensure a model that
matches our measurements and a smoothness criteria will be useful in approximating
g(x) at a continuum of points in the range of interest.
 It should be noted that x and y can be vectors.

This shows there are circumstances under which operational science provides useful
approximations over a limited range. One of the most restrictive circumstances is the
requirement that there is a relationship between x & y and that it is sufficiently simple that we
can find it. Another key assumption is the ability to make measurements across the space of
interest, this precludes us from making generalizations which have unobservable implications.
In our case, the observations (x,y) pairs and the generalization g(x) deal with what is, not what
ought to be, or what is it there for. The generalization is testable, and a huge number of points,
representative of the region of interest. Sometimes additional assumptions are made
concerning g(x) which may limit the amount of observations. These assumptions may include
things like symmetry, periodicity, band-limited behavior or other notions.

Though operational science is not self-contained and must rely on another epistemological
method to provide the necessary assumptions for operational science, and further assumptions
that ensure its utility, it does under a restrictive set of assumptions provide a basis for making
useful generalizations or models over a finite region given a finite set of samples. It should be
noted that the assumptions under which it is guaranteed to produce useful generalizations are
quite limited. Though operational science may not give us a basis for meaning, morals, justice
or beauty, it has given useful well tested models that have allowed cleaver engineers and
technicians to design and build cars, computers, and all our modern technology.
6.6 Operational Science and Purpose
Logically one cannot deduce why something is, or what ought to be, from sensory perceptions
about what is. Nor can an observation of what is falsify a theory about what ought to be.
To ask the question “why?” implies the existence of intent, and reflects a belief that someone
has an intent for all or some things. These beliefs are read into the question why, they are not
intrinsic to the object and it’s behavior.

1) Conjectures on purpose cannot be falsified by observation alone.

2) Even if one postulated a purpose for something which was not in line with its physical
properties, it could always be argued that its purpose remained but the object failed to live
up to it’s purpose.
a. The additional postulate that he who made it never fails, could be used in
conjunction with observations concerning the properties of things in order to limit
possible theories of purpose. However this additional assumption is not deduced
from observation.

In summary, purpose and morality cannot really be determined by observation alone.

6.7 Operational Science and History

Operational science can not back out a history for the universe even if the universe was a
completely mechanized universe, and there was no mutation of the nature of things, and if one
had perfect models of the nature of all things, and a perfect understanding of the current state
of the universe.
1) It is possible for systems governed by the same laws regarding how the state changes from
one state to the next but having different initial conditions to converge to the same state
over time. Consider the following systems that have this property.
a. Systems with no external inputs:
i. The ball in the bowl - Let’s say you walk into a room and find a marble resting
at the bottom of the bowl, and the whole setup is encased in a vacuum and
assume you know gravity and friction perfectly. Can you infer from this a
history of the spatial relationship between the ball and the bowl? The
answer is no, there are an infinite number of trajectories that would end with
the ball resting at the bottom of the bowl. There are an infinite number of
examples that can be developed where a state converges to a stable
operating point. It is not hard to construct examples of systems like this.
1. Many dynamic systems have stable operating points that the system
converges to, if it starts anywhere within a basin of attraction of that
point.
b. Systems with external inputs:
i. Whereas the previous example dealt with a continuous system with no
external inputs, we also can find examples of finite state machines (such as a
Soda Machine) which also do not allow us to determine history from
knowledge of the current state of the system. Let’s say you know the current
state of a soda machine I might see how many coins there are and of which
 denominations and how many dollars have been deposited as well, I might
have a perfect understanding of how the soda machine operates but that
does not tell me the order in which the coins had been deposited, or the
time that elapsed between the deposits. You might assume the soda
machine was fully loaded with drinks and that it initially did not have any
money in it, but you have no way of verifying these assumptions, they are
bounding conditions at best. You might observe the soda machine for awhile
and try to find patterns for it’s usage. Like rates at which people buy drinks
and what kinds of drinks, even if you had models that fit the data you
collected extremely well, you would not be able to know that those patterns
and rates did not change over time, even if they were time invariant, it would
not tell you how long this machine had been in operation since the last
reload of drinks, for how can you be certain the last reload was a complete
reload. It is not enough for me to understand how a particular thing
operates, to determine history I would have to know how everything around
it operates and even then I might not determine everything from looking at
the current state.
c. Since multiple states of a physical system can converge to the same state, it is
impossible to determine the past history of the physical world even if given a perfect
knowledge of the current state of the system and a perfect understanding of how
the system progresses from one state to the next going forward in time.

If one believes our world is moving in increasing entropy. There are many hypothetical entropy
states that could decay into a lower entropy state. Knowing the current state may rule out
certain higher entropy states being in the past, (provided that assumption that we are moving
in the direction of increasing entropy is true for all time), but it does not imply a unique prior
entropy state since there are an infinite number of preceding entropy states which are lower
that it could have come from.

 Thus operational science even with perfect observations and flawless generalizations
would not be able to provide a history of the universe even if it possessed a perfect
knowledge of the current state of the system, and of how the states in the system
changed from one state to another.

 Now when we factor in that we don’t have a perfect knowledge of how things
operate and we do not have a perfect knowledge of the current state of the
universe, and if energy is quantized as most now believe it to be, Heisenberg points
out the implication that we are going to have to live with some degree of inability to
accurately measure fundamental entities. So even when we apply all our efforts in
measuring a particular thing there are several things we will not be able to measure
as a consequence. Couple this with the fact that we do not even attempt to
measure all things at a fundamental level, and we see our ignorance concerning the
state of the universe is great and that it always will be great. That coupled with a
lack of understanding of how things operate, we realize how unconstrained
 speculations concerning unwritten history are. Furthermore, even if we had a
perfect understanding of how things operate, that does not tell us how they came
into existence. The scope of what so-called historical science attempts to answer is
much greater than that of operational science, they are much less constrained in
their attempts to make generalizations, and when confronted with constraints from
operational science. They can make other assumptions to maintain their history.

Those who claim they can back out history from operational science are either ignorant
concerning the nature and limitations of operational science or they are not being honest.
Typically, if you ask them for a proof of their history from an assumed initial condition using
models meeting the “proven useful” conditions, they will be unable to do so.

6.8 Attempted Reconstructions of History vs Operational Science

Efforts to reconstruct history are not part of operational science, because they do not deal with
repeatable events. Like empiricism they may attempt to make generalizations from particulars.
Yet their generalizations differ from operational science in many respects including:
1) They attempt to model something much more complicated
a) The flow of history is influenced by many more factors than for example the
displacement of a spring under a force.
2) They are much broader in scope
a) Claiming all of life on earth came into being through unintelligent random mutations
and a natural selection is broader in scope than claiming that for a certain range of
voltages, the voltage across a resistor divided by the current through it is roughly equal
to a constant.
b) A broader scope also requires a greater level of testing, since the generalization has
implications for a broader range of particulars
3) They are not as easily tested and generally do not allow testing at the intervals
a) It is easier to test ideas about an assumed repeatable process than a non-repeating
history.
i) If the assumed repeatable process does not give repeatable results, then we have
cause to doubt our assumption of repeatability.
b) Consider the presuppositions under which operational science was shown to be useful,
and contrast that to the level of testing required for those theories and the level of
testing these “historical empiricists” are able to perform. Also keep in mind, that
broader theories should require a significantly greater level of testing. When the
historical theories are “tested” much of what is called measurements are filtered
through apriori assumptions.
4) The theories do not fit into the form that has been proven useful.
a) Theories about repeatable processes have the opportunity to help us predict future
events.
b) Theories about the past have been hard to test
6.9 Importance of Operational Science
Let us reconsider the first commandment given to man involves taking dominion over the world

Gen 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto
them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth.

Taking dominion involves many things. It involves getting rule over our own spirit, it involves
setting up and maintaining proper government in society, it involves modeling processes,
inventing items, developing and marketing products. Correct teaching takes dominion over
falsehoods and wrong ideas, health care takes dominion over peoples physical condition
allowing them to function better, Biblical counseling takes dominion over confusion and
encourages people who are mentally and emotionally weak enabling them to get back to being
productive. Preaching the gospel is part of the mandate to take dominion over the earth. All of
the activities done to subdue the earth to the glory of God and the betterment of mankind are
acts of worship if done with the intent of glorifying God. If not done with the intent of
glorifying God then even the plowing of the wicked is sin.

Wrong teaching has led many to believe in a false secular/sacred dichotomy. This false
dichotomy results in a small view of religion, relegating it to a small part of someone’s life. The
false secular/sacred dichotomy has led many to think the only or best way to serve God is by
being a Bible teacher. Yet the scripture warns us that not many should be teachers.

Jas 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that
we who teach will be judged more severely than others.

If this was true in James day when a single teacher’s influence was limited by the technology of
the day, how much more so today when a man’s teaching can be recorded and spread
throughout the world via television, radio and the internet. All occupations have value, we
should be asking where are the greatest needs, how can my gifts and talents be used to meet
them. We need scientists, we need doctors, we need businessmen, government officials,
financiers and tradesmen. All are important, all perform acts of worship. In fact, the first
people the Bible describes as “filled with the Spirit” are not preachers, apostles, or prophets but
tradesmen.

Exo 28:2-3 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for
beauty. (3) And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with
the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he
may minister unto me in the priest's office.
 Exo 31:2-6 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the
tribe of Judah: (3) And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in
understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, (4) To devise
cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, (5) And in cutting of stones,
to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. (6) And I,
behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in
the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I
have commanded thee;

According to the Bible these tradesmen were filled with the spirit of God, given wisdom and
knowledge. Their knowledge involved operational science, it allowed them to model the
behavior of things and then use those models to build buildings, to make clothes and do many
other things. The body of Christ has many parts and each part of the body will be involved in
different aspects of taking dominion over the earth. Some may be Bible teachers, some
chemists, some computer programmers, some bankers, some businessmen, some lawyers,
some administrators, some policemen, some soldiers, some technicians, some machinists, etc…

Those involved in other noble professions are also ministers. If you make shoes you are
ministering to people who have feet and need shoes. If someone practices hospitality to God’s
apostles does not the scripture indicate they will be likewise rewarded?

Mat 10:41-42 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a
prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous
man shall receive a righteous man's reward. (42) And whosoever shall give to drink
unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I
say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

We are told to sacrifice ourselves to God

Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.

The rest of Romans 12 tells people that each persons sacrifice will take a different form
depending upon their gifts.

Those who advocate this dichotomy do a great service to the enemies of God by encouraging
the people of God not to get involved in many key aspects of society such as government,
business, operational science, finance, etc... This has discouraged church members from using
their gifts to obtain key positions in society. As a result, the pearls of God has given us are cast
before ungodly swine who use them to shape the culture to the detriment of society.
Proverbs_29:2 states “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the
wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Because Christians were discouraged from taking
dominion over the media, the financial system, and the government, the ungodly exert a
disproportionate level of influence in society. This disrespect for important endeavors, did not
just hurt those whose gifts would have allowed them to be a great success in those areas, it
hurt all believers. Truly when one member of the body is not encouraged to use their gifts and
talents for God the whole body suffers.

1Co 12:14-25 For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say,
Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16)
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore
not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the
whole were hearing, where were the smelling? (18) But now hath God set the
members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (19) And if they were
all one member, where were the body? (20) But now are they many members, yet but
one body. (21) And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again
the head to the feet, I have no need of you. (22) Nay, much more those members of
the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: (23) And those members of
the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant
honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. (24) For our comely
parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more
abundant honour to that part which lacked: (25) That there should be no schism in the
body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

7 The Practice of Operational Science

The goal of this chapter is to give the reader a better understanding of the modelling process.
The assumptions made and the issues involved in forming a model.
7.1 The Collection of Data
When we use our sensory perception to collect data we are limited by its abilities. For example
even those with great vision, only see a limited bandwidth of the spectrum and only see a
certain level of resolution. In addition, to the limitations of the sensor, we must consider that
our perceptions are often preprocessed based on certain prior assumptions. For example when
most people look at the picture of the railroad tracks below they assume the tracks are roughly
parallel even though in the picture they get closer together.
While in the case of the railroad tracks, we use past experience to interpret a picture, there are
times when we may use prior assumptions that cause us to misinterpret what we see. An
example of this is the Ames room.

An Ames room is built so that from the front it appears to be an ordinary room whose walls
ceilings and floor are rectangular. Though this is not the case, the walls are trapezoidal, but the
proportions of the markings on the walls and floors are such that it gives the same 2D-image a
normal cube shaped room would. Because we assume a cube shaped room when evaluating
what we see it makes a person or a thing appear to be much bigger if they are in the close
corner than the far corner. Below is a diagram of an Ames Room along with some pictures of
Ames rooms. The diagram and the pictures were taken from www.wikipedia.org
Some critics of empiricism have used optical illusions to show that our sense perception is not
totally reliable. Unfortunately some conclude that because sense perception is not perfectly
reliable, empiricism is worthless. While it may not be a means of getting exact and perfect
truth it is a means of useful approximations. Regardless of their words these same people
typically practice empiricism every day, and for all the short comings of their sense perception,
most seem to have little interest in gauging out their eyes or deafening their ears. While they
make a point that much of what we call observation has in fact been interpreted, the
imperfection of the process by no means renders it useless.

In the Ames room, one infers relative size of objects based on assumptions about the shape of
the room. Many so called measurements are not really direct measurements but are inferred
measurements. For example some evolutionist date rocks based on an assumed chronology
with index fossils representing a certain time period. They may claim to have measured the
date of a rock, when actuality they just identified certain fossils and associated those fossils
with a certain date.

7.2 An Example of Modeling in Operational Science

Suppose we have the following data set relating the observed values of two quantities X and Y.
It should be pointed out that we are making a couple assumptions in addition to the ones
necessary to practice operational science stated in the previous section

1. We assume that for every value of X there is a unique value of Y and we desire to be able
to predict the value of Y for a given value of X. (We call X the independent variable and
Y the dependent variable)
2. We assume the relationship between X and Y doesn’t depend upon any other quantities
and hence we only need to know what X is to know determine Y

The goal of the operational scientist is to make the most useful generalization concerning the
relationship between the value of X and the value of Y that fits the data points.
The words “most useful” stated in the goal needs clarification, so included is a set of
characteristics that would help a model to be useful. (This list is not exhaustive)

1. The relationship between X and Y is valid over a large range of the value of X.
2. The relationship between X and Y could be expressed by a functional form.
3. That functional form is continuous and differentiable.
4. The functional form is one which is simple (a line, a polynomial, a trigonometric
function)
5. The functional form is linear (this makes mathematical analysis easier)

In light of the above criteria, we might optimistically hypothesize an orderly relationship

between the value of X and the value of Y represented by the following line.
Notice that the hypothesis assumes a relationship between X and Y for an infinite number of
points where there is no data. The hypothesis cannot be completely verified because it would
require processing an infinite amount of data!5 It should also be pointed out that although the
model chosen fits the observed data points, it is not the only model that fits the data points. The
following figure shows a different curve (a sinusoid) which also fits the data equally well!

5
Data at every point in the line would still not verify all the assumptions we have made before beginning the
modeling process. For example, we assumed that Y was only a function of X. let us assume an infinite amount of
data was collected and every point covered if all our measurements were taken at roughly the same temperature, and
it is was later discovered that the response Y, was not only a function of X but also of the temperature. Our model
would only be good for one value of X and temperature.
7.3 Choosing a Model
Since the data collected is finite and we are making a generalization covering an infinite number
of points, we could find an infinite number of generalizations or models that fit the finite set of
data equally well. William of Ockham assumed the simpler model should be preferred, this
principle became known as Occam’s Razor. Christians employ Occam’s Razor because they
assume that since God wants man to subdue the earth he made the models required to do that
simple.

The model which more accurately reflects the relationship between X and Y (if there is one) is
the best model. Since both models accurately reflect the observed data it would be good to
obtain more data points to determine which model is better. In operational science this entails
conducting an experiment to get additional data. In some cases we may not have the ability to
construct an experiment which fixes the value of X and allow us to determine the value of Y.
Even if we are able to get new data, there is no guarantee the new data will fit either of our
models. This case is illustrated in the following figure.

No matter how much data is collected, there is no guarantee we will ever guess the correct
model. But models tend to be much more reliable in areas where they are well tested.

7.4 Models as Approximations

In the previous example, we assumed that the value of X completely determined the value of Y.
A weaker statement would be that the value of X is all that one needs to approximately
determine the value of Y. We might write this as Y = f(X) + N, where N is a small but
complicated function of possibly innumerable variables, often referred to as noise. N is the un-
modeled portion of Y and changes in a manner hard to predict. Typically we make no effort to
predict the explicit value of N, we do however seek to get a rough idea of the average magnitude
of N.
7.4.1 Example:
Assume that we are interested in predicting the earth’s position in it’s orbit about the sun, given
the sun’s mass, MS, the earths mass, ME, and the earth’s position, P0, and velocity V0, with
respect to the sun at a given time are the main factors we need to predict the orbit. If we used
these factors we might have a model of the following form

y(t )=f 1 ( M S , M E ,P0 ,V 0 , t ) +N 1 (t )

If we want to more accurately predict the orbit of the earth we might take into account things like
the shape of earth (this would involve approximating the shape of the earth with a mathematical
function such as an ellipsoid with a major axis of length a and a minor axis of length b). This
will result in a much more complicated function model including the additional terms, however
the average value of the noise term will be slightly decreased.

y(t )=f 2 ( M S , M E ,P 0 ,V 0 ,a,b,t ) +N 2 (t )

The gravitational effect of the moon and other planets could also be figured into our model to do
this we would need to include masses for each planet as well as some function expressing their
positions throughout time. Again these additions would slightly reduce the average size of the
noise term, but it would also make the model much more complex. At some point we gain very
little predictive accuracy in exchange for increasing the complexity of the model.

It should also be noted that some of the quantities which we might like to measure may not be
precisely defined. For example, let’s say we are interested in the length of an object. Many
objects expand and contract depending upon the change in temperature; consequently if we
really wanted to characterize the length of the object precisely we might specify the length as a
function of the temperature of the ambient environment. For most cases we probably don’t care
knowing the length of an object to such a precision as to worry about how it changes with
temperature.

Even if an object’s features did not change with its environment, there is the issue concerning the
ability to precisely measure an object. One of the first things we are told to do in an elementary
science class is to measure the length of an object with a meter stick. The meter stick has
markings of centimeters and perhaps even millimeters but it is not useful for measuring to a
precision beyond the nearest millimeter.

We can summarize above limitations by the following list

1. The quantities of interest may not lend themselves to being simplistically defined
2. We have not taken into account every factor that has an effect on the quantity of interest
3. We have measurement error in both the dependent variable (the quantity predicted by the
model) and independent variable (the quantity used to predict).

Because of the above limitations, some people expand the data points to regions of certainty.
Below is a picture of the set of data points given earlier but with ellipses around them. The size
of the circles are related to the uncertainty of the values of the dependent and independent
variables.

Even if there was an approximately linear relationship between X and Y, given the limitations
previously mentioned, we would not expect all the data points to fall on a single line. Instead we
might expect something like the following chart

In like manner, if we have a data set like the one above where the points approximately follow a
linear progression we would prefer to approximately fit the data points to a line than to exactly
fit the data points to an extremely complex function. We prefer the simpler model, in part
because it is simpler, and also because we believe there are some components of the
measurements of Y, and perhaps Y itself, which are not related to the value of X. Requiring an
exact fit for our model, would be incommensurate with the limitations of our modeling process.
When one attempts to fit data more precisely than the data warrants it is called over-fitting the
data, or fitting the noise.

7.5 The utility of approximate models

The knowledge of operational science provides a useful but often flawed model of how things
operate, but it is sufficient to control or subdue things. Most models used to control things are
not made with perfect understanding of the things behavior. They are often reductionistic
general rules. Some models require feedback to correct for the reductionistic nature of the
model.

7.5.1 Example a refrigerator

You do not need a perfect knowledge of
(1) how the refrigerator loses heat
(2) what will be the ambient temperature of the refrigerator
(3) when it will be opened and for how long
(4) what foods will be placed in the refrigerator and at what temperature
Your refrigerator has a thermometer sensing the temperature and a device that extracts heat.
Its control law is very simple when the temperature gets above a certain point extract heat,
when it gets below a certain point stop extracting heat.

7.5.2 Example 2: control a satellite does not require perfect knowledge of its dynamics to point
2) The dynamics are hard to know precisely
a) The solar arrays flex and move with solar pressure which is hard to know ahead of time
b) The mass properties of the satellite change over time as it outgasses fuel
i) The fuel may slosh around in the tank in a complicated manner
c) The exact amount of fuel outgassed by firing the thrusters may not be precisely known
 d) The vibrational modes of the satellite are not perfectly understood
e) The properties of the materials may change with temperature
3) To combat this we take measurements continually
a) Gyros sense rotational motion
b) Star trackers sense the orientation of the satellite and calibrate the gyros
c) We may measure how much propellant we have in the tanks or how much has been
discharged
4) We use our measurements and our reductionistic understanding of the vehicle dynamics to
control the orientation of the spacecraft
a) Reaction wheels spin to counter act undesired rotation
b) Thrusters fire to get rid of excessive momentum
5) The more accurately we can model the dynamics and the more finely we can apply forces to
rotate or move the spacecraft, the more accurately we can point the spacecraft.
7.6 5 points concerning the “Noise Term”
1. The noise term is a catch all term for all the known effects we don’t want to include into the
model, and all the unknown effects haven’t included in the model.
2. The noise term is assumed to be a very complicated and unpredictable function, After all, if
even a portion of the noise term was easily described it could be included in the model.
3. An average value of the noise term is often measured by comparing measured and predicted
values.
4. The noise term is often modeled a random function.
a. Example: Rolling a die is a very simple action, but it is difficult to predict the
outcome. On one hand, we believe that the result of the roll is determined by things
like the position, orientation, velocity and angular rate it receives from the initial toss,
the weight and the balance and shape of the die, and the friction from the air and the
surface upon which it rolls and ultimately comes to rest. However because of the
extreme difficulty we have in measuring and factoring in this and other information,
we just say that for a particular toss the die has an equal probability of taking on any
one of the possible values. In stating this, we are not saying that we believe the
outcome was determined by a random forcing function outside time-space, rather we
have adopted a probabilistic model in light of the fact we don’t have accurately
measured values for all the quantities necessary to predict the outcome of the die, and
even if we did, we probably wouldn’t want to spend the time needed to perform the
calculations necessary to predict the outcome!
5. When we say things happen “by chance” we are really saying the outcome is not something
we could predict with certainty. You might say for example that you met someone by
chance, what you mean by that is that you did not plan it. Typically, one does not mean by
that statement that there was a “Chaos god” outside of time-space who caused all these things
to happen, although some may believe that.

7.7 Quantum Mechanics, Randomness, and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

After making measurements, Bohr proposed a model of an atom where the electrons could take
on certain discrete orbits corresponding to certain quantities of energy. As a consequence the
energy that could be released from or absorbed by the electrons of an atom was quantized. The
idea that energy is quantized has large implications, namely, it affects our ability to measure
quantities without disturbing them. In every system where something is measured, there is some
interaction of forces with the object of interest. For a large object this interaction of forces does
not greatly impact the characteristics of the object because the energy used in the measurement
process is quite small. However when we begin to look at very small objects and desire to
measure some of their properties the existence of a minimum “quanta” of energy can have a
significant effect upon the object because we cannot use an arbitrarily small amount of energy in
the measurement process. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that we can never
simultaneously measure the velocity or momentum of a particle and its position. This means that
we have limitations in our ability to measure and know certain things about the physical world.
Because of our inescapable ignorance concerning some of these things, it is often useful to use
probabilistic models, much as we did for other complex behaviors about which we didn’t have
information. Again, by using these models, we are not implying that the underlying process is
random, merely that we lack access to important information that would be necessary to model it
completely accurately.

7.8 Scientific “Laws”

The practice of empiricism involves generating and then testing hypotheses. If the hypothesis is
tested and the testing produces results consistent with the hypothesis, it makes us more confident
of the hypothesis. When a hypothesis has been tested to a large extent and seems to hold in
every known case, the hypothesis is then referred to as a “Scientific Law”. Scientific Laws are
not always true, in fact, operational science has a history of repeatedly disproving it’s own laws,
and then refining them, or in some cases, rejecting them! We should always keep this in mind,
there is a danger that over time we can become so confident of a hypothesis or a “Scientific
Law” that we consider it to be an unquestioned established fact. Even Newton’s laws, as useful
as they are, were shown to be flawed and revised by Einstein. It should be noted, that although
operational science cannot give us certain truth, it gives us very useful hypotheses. Even
generalizations of observations which are known to be flawed, can still be useful if they are
approximately accurate for certain cases. Often much of what is required is not exact
knowledge, but approximate knowledge. Those with knowledge of operational science should
understand the presumptions and the limitations of it. They should not ascribe more value to
their hypotheses than is warranted. Unfortunately, there have been cases where empiricists, and
even operational scientists, have so loved a theory, they clung desperately to it despite massive
evidence to the contrary. A.E. Wilder-Smith in his book “The Scientific Alternative to Neo-
Darwinian Evolutionary Theory”6 gives just such an account of a scientist named Priestley.
Priestly was an advocate of the phlogiston theory of combustion. Despite the ever increasing
amount of evidence that suggested the phlogiston theory was flawed, Priestly clung to the
phlogiston theory up to his dying day. This is a good reminder to us that even operational
scientists with their narrow scope of inquiry are not infallible nor are they unbiased

6
A. E. Wilder-Smith “The scientific alternative to neo-darwinian evolutionary theory” The Word for Today
Publishers, Costa Mesa, California 92704 forward pages i-iii.
The phlogiston theory believed that some substances such as metallic zinc contained a substance called
phlogiston and after zinc was burned phlogiston was given off and a zinc calx remained. When the calx was
measured it was found that it weighed more than the metallic zinc because rather than losing phlogiston it
gained oxygen! Further experimentation seemed to support the oxygen hypothesis but no evidence seemed
sufficient to dislodge the phlogiston theory from Priestly’s head.
7.9 The Success of Operational Science
While the models of operational science are not perfect, and do not address many things, they
have been the basis for all the amazing technological achievements. Modern medicine, the
space program, modern conveniences such as the microwave oven, the automobile, computers
and other semiconductors, smart phones, etc… were all designed using models from
operational science. While recognizing the success of operational science, it is important
recognize there is much we do not know. While some of our models are wonderfully useful,
there are many things we know very little about. In some cases we are limited by our ability to
observe and in other cases, the system we are trying to model might be so complicated it is
difficult to understand all of the modes of it’s operation. One example of that is the human
body, the human body contains so many complex feedback mechanisms and so many intricate
processes going on in parallel, it would be hard to model them all. Most of our understanding
of the operation of the human body is very reductionistic.

It is also important to distinguish operational science from other forms of empiricism which
have not been so successful. It is quite common for humanist involved in making hypotheses
outside the scope of operational science to claim their hypotheses be granted the same trust
and confidence afforded the most tried and tested models of operational science. Sometimes
they employ operational scientists with great academic credentials and claim their theories
were given to them by “science”. This should be recognized for what it is, it is a person with
great credentials in operational science making statements about history, metaphysics, or
morality hoping their status as greatly credentialed operational scientists can give their ideas in
another area a level of credibility they would otherwise not get.

8 Dealing with a non-Christian World

8.1 Paul’s method of interacting with philosophers
Acts 17 contains a summary of Paul’s presentation of the Christian religion to pagan
philosophers at Athens. Paul does not start off by appealing to a mutually agreed upon set of
self-evident truths and show where they made a logical blunder to end up at their beliefs rather
than Biblical beliefs. Nor is Paul overly concerned with how these particular men might be
manipulated to like the teaching he would present. No, Paul knew that the gospel would be
foolishness to those who are perishing but Jesus’ sheep would hear their shepherd’s voice and
follow him. For this reason, not trusting in the wisdom of men, he boldly proclaimed truths
that ran directly contrary to his audiences cherished presuppositions.

 They thought they were genetically superior, Paul told them that God made all men of one
blood
 They thought themselves to be wise, He told them they were ignorant of God
 They built costly temples for their gods, Paul told them God did not dwell in temples made
by men’s hands
 They were proud, Paul taught them that God did not need anything from them
 They believed in human autonomy and Paul told them that God predetermined the lives of
men
 They believed the body was absurd and evil, Paul proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus, as
proof that He would be the one that will judge the world.

So as we engage others we should be careful to openly deal with the all the statements in
scripture, even if they are contrary to the presuppositions of our culture or unpleasant to those
we are speaking with.

8.2 A warning against seeking the approval of the world and pleasing men.
Christians get into much trouble when we desire to be popular or wise in the sight of men

1Co 3:18-20 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in
this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. (19) For the wisdom of this
world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own
craftiness. (20) And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are
vain.

Hoping for the love and approval of the world is an unrealistic goal. Consider the words of
Jesus:

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to
the end shall be saved.

John 15:17-19 These things I command you, that ye love one another. (18) If the world
hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If ye were of the world,
the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen
you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Seeking the affections of the world is a dangerous and adulterous desire

1Jn 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of
the world.

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God.

The many of the Pharisees heard Jesus and believed but they were afraid of the social
consequences of admitting that Jesus was the messiah and the other religious leaders were
wrong.
 John 12:42-43 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue: (43) For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

We all have a desire to be liked by those at our school, family, social circle, church, Bible
College, or denomination and to fit in with them, like the chief rulers and the Pharisees we are
prone to peer pressure. It is important for us to love God more than man, and desire to be true
to God’s word more than to be a respected member of our theological circle, or accepted by
the worldly philosophers.

8.3 The So Called “Problem” of False Revelatory Epistemologies

Critics of Christianity may ask how can someone know what is indeed a revelation from God
and what is not? Some may demand that Christians supply a method whereby anyone can
know and recognize that the Bible is the word of God. This however is a not a requirement for
Christianity to be true. In fact, if there were a method of argumentation that would effectively
convince anyone the Bible was true, then the Bible would not be true since the Bible teaches
that men naturally suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

8.3.1 Men naturally suppress the truth

The Bible tells us that in their natural state, men do not seek God or the truth, but are actively
attempting to suppress the knowledge of God. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul quotes Psalms
14 to prove this very point.

Romans 3:11-12 (KJV) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh
after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Romans 1:18-22 (ISV) For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the
ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth. For
what can be known about God is plain to them, because God himself has made it plain
to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes—his eternal
power and divine nature—have been understood and observed by what he made, so
that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him
as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and
their senseless hearts were darkened. Though claiming to be wise, they became fools

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes very clear that, if left to ourselves, we will
consider the things of God foolishness and reject them.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 (KJV) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

8.3.2 Men use false teachers to help suppress the truth

To assist them in their efforts to suppress the truth, the Bible says that men heap to themselves
false teachers who will tickle their itching ears.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (KJV) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables.

Notice the Bible does not consider the followers of false teachers innocent victims but people
who are actively looking for someone to tell them what they want to hear. Peter records how
many of the false teachers are in it for the money and make merchandise out of their followers.

2 Peter 2:1-3(KJV) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there
shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be
evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their
damnation slumbereth not.

8.3.3 God’s sheep recognize His voice but others would not
While there is not a method, whereby an arbitrary person can be made to believe the Word of
God is the Word of God. Jesus made very clear that: The sheep the Father gave him would
recognize his voice and follow Him. But He also made clear that some were not His sheep and
hence would not believe on Him.

John 10:25-29 (KJV) Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works
that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye
are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

8.3.4 Believing God’s word requires an act of God

Peter’s understanding that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God was not something
he recognized on his own, nor was it something he got from some other man, but was revealed
to him by God.

Mat 16:15-17 (KJV) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter
answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered
and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

8.3.5 God hides the truth from those who are not His sheep.
This idea is made even clearer by the following statement Jesus made.

Matthew 11:25-26 (KJV) At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in
thy sight.

Notice that God both actively hides things from those that cannot see and actively reveals it to
those that can see. The means of recognizing the word of God is given by God. Many people
presuppose God is under some external obligation to treat everyone the same, but this is not
the teaching of the Bible. Jesus in speaking with his disciples told them that He spoke in
parables because it was given for them to know the mysteries but it was not given to others.

Mat 13:10-11(KJV) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto
them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

8.3.6 Those who are blinded are not blinded against their will
God reveals His truth to His people and He hides the truth from the rest. Having said that, it is
not as if those who are blinded want the truth and are being frustrated by God. In fact, the
Bible makes clear that men are not seeking God or the truth, but are running from God and
suppressing the truth. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul quotes Psalms 14 to prove this very
point.

Romans 3:11-12 (KJV) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh
after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Romans 1:18-22 (ISV) For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the
ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth. For
what can be known about God is plain to them, because God himself has made it plain
to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes—his eternal
power and divine nature—have been understood and observed by what he made, so
 that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him
as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and
their senseless hearts were darkened. Though claiming to be wise, they became fools

This is why it takes an act of God for people to repent

2 Timothy 2:23-26 (KJV) But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they
do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all
men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if
God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And
that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive
by him at his will.

8.3.7 The sheep and the goats are not chosen based on their internal merits or characteristics
The Bible makes very clear that those who repent did not do so because they were of a
fundamentally different nature than those who did not repent, in fact it says they had the same
kind of nature

Ephesians 2:1-9 (KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
(2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to
the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. (4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus. (8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Notice the following things from the above passage

 It says of the saved people “were by nature children of wrath, even as others”
 God is the active agent in the salvation process:
o He quickens (v1, 5)
o He raised us (v6)
o He made us to sit in heavenly places (v6)
o It is a gift of God (v8)
 The purpose is God’s demonstration of His grace and kindness toward us (note it
does not say “all men who would ever live”) (v7)
 After saying that God is the active agent, Paul goes out of his way to make sure we
know that we were passive recipients of salvation.
o It is not of yourselves.
 o It is not of works
o Therefore nobody can boast

In the book of Romans, Paul makes clear that the vessels of honor and the vessels of wrath
were “of the same lump of clay” and the difference between them was due to the will and
actions of the potter not the properties of the clay.

Romans 9:21-24 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make
one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (22) What if God, willing to shew
his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction: (23) And that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (24) Even us,
whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

To assist them in their efforts to suppress the truth, the Bible says that men heap to themselves
false teachers who will tickle their itching ears.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (KJV) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables.

It is interesting to note that Paul’s exhortation is to preach the word, regardless of the response
of the recipient of the preaching. To the believer is the preaching of the word of God, it is
God’s choice to give or withhold repentance to the acknowledging of the truth

The we read earlier in Romans 1 that the wicked heart of man is actively suppressing the truth
and for that purpose create and follow fanciful vain imaginations out of their wicked hearts.
Using the humanistic epistemological methods they profess themselves wise but become fools.

From the outset we see a tension between the humanistic epistemological methods and
Revelation.

John 3:19-20 (KJV) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

8.3.8 Summary
The ability to know and determine truth does not rely innately in man. Man is sinful and
willingly suppresses truths in unrighteousness. Knowledge of any kind or extent is a gift from
God. It is not something man can obtain on his own apart from God. This should not be
surprising because man does not exist apart from God. God upholds all things by the word of
His power.