<quote from Real Faith & Reason>
We’re looking at the way we think our thoughts. Now, we want to look in more detail than we did previously. We see two distinct types of reason. On the left side, we’re looking at reasoning based on assumptions. As discussed previously, the assumptions come out of the worldview and then return to the worldview to confirm the worldview using circular reasoning and confirmation bias.

In contrast, on the right side, divine revelation provides a firm foundation for rational thought. Truth sets the innermost human mind free. We have this truth and freedom when we acknowledge God’s revelation and submit to it. This revelation comes to us directly from God. No intermediary exists to interpret the revelation. God interprets reality and reveals it to us. God speaks to us through the Bible and every means of divine revelation mentioned in the Bible. And His revelation never conflicts with the Bible since God never disagrees with Himself. For those of us who are born again, Christ lives within, so the experience is greater and clearer. We still have a fleshly nature that’s involved in the circular process of the filter, the worldview, and the assumptions, but we’re learning to disregard that fleshly problem. We’re learning to discern the voice of Christ and to respond in willing submission to Him.

God also reveals reality to ungodly thinkers who refuse to acknowledge Him. Ungodly thinkers filter and dismiss much of this revelation, and they refuse to glorify God for any revelation they accept. They twist and warp any revelation they accept by rationalizing the revelation to fit the constraints of their worldviews. Atheists and Christians alike rationalize God’s revelation if they fail to acknowledge the voice of God when He’s speaking to them.

Between these two opposing ways of thinking, is the human will. At each moment, every thinker decides. We decide which of these two ways of thinking we’ll acknowledge. We decide which reasoning we’ll use. In every condition and during every moment, we decide constantly. Failure to decide is a decision to be double-minded. Double-minded thinkers follow the ungodly thinking on the left. And since human interpretation discounts or adds to revelation, human interpretation follows the circular reasoning on the left. Revelation, however, is direct and avoids fallacy, while human interference tries every trick to frustrate revelation.

As we’ve seen, we’re the ones who choose whom we’ll serve at each moment, and since no one can decide for us, we decide whether we’ll acknowledge God’s leading or lean on human understanding. In every case, we make this choice in all our ways and in everything we do, and there’s no time when we aren’t making this choice. Even when we think we aren’t making this choice, we’re choosing ungodly thinking. To more fully understand what’s happening, we notice what God says through Scripture:

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15 New International Version)

But didn’t God choose us? Isn’t it true that God did choose us? Yes. God chose us. Even though many speculative theologies go well beyond what God says, He did choose us as these Scriptures plainly state:

“For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined [appointed ahead of time] us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.” (Ephesians 1:4-6 Berean Study Bible)

“For those God foreknew, He also predestined [based on foreknowledge] to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29 Berean Study Bible)

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.” (John 15:16 Berean Study Bible”

Here, we looked at only three verses, but God’s decision to call us is a major theme of Scripture. And yet, the fact that we must choose is also a major theme in Scripture. God chose certain individuals based on His foreknowledge. He knew what decisions we would make. As a builder chooses skilled workers based on the builder’s knowledge of those skilled workers and what they will do, God foreknew each of us and how He would use us.

Unfortunately, the theologies surrounding these Scripture have become intensified in the minds of many saints, and many have broken fellowship over speculative interpretations. We can see that both are true. We can see that God hasn’t asked us to explain away certain Scriptures that disagree with our favorite interpretations. For our purposes, we must realize that God has put it into our hands to decide to follow Him in every situation as the following Scriptures teach:

“I call heaven and earth to testify against you today! I’ve set life and death before you today: both blessings and curses. Choose life, that it may be well with you—you and your children.” (Deuteronomy 30:19 International Standard Version)

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:14 New International Version)

“As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His message. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord replied, ‘you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42 Berean Study Bible)

“choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25 New American Standard Bible)

“So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.” (Genesis 13:11 English Standard Version)

“Enter through the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad the way leading to destruction, and many are those entering through it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 Berean Study Bible)

“But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.” (James 1:14 Berean Study Bible)

“There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death.” (Proverbs 14:12 God’s Word Translation)

Since God is worthy of trust, knows all things, and can’t lie or be wrong, why would we follow our worldviews that consist of vapor? He can bypass our human interpretation processes. He can impart truth directly to us. We only need to submit and desire His righteousness. He even gives us the power to desire His will and to do His will if we ask Him for it. It doesn’t depend on us. So when we listen to Christ, He brings light to our spiritual eyes. Then our senses constantly improve. We’re ever more able to discern as we yield ourselves to His Spirit. But we aren’t the ones who are discerning between truth and fiction, between good and evil. Christ in us is discerning.

“The command of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:1b Young’s Literal Translation)

As we progress, yielding leads to greater yielding and spiritual maturity. And this maturity is Christ in us more fully formed as we die more completely to our fleshly natures. As we mature, spiritual discernment gets more accurate. We exercise our senses by using those spiritual senses. As a result, our discernment improves.

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14 English Standard Version)

We must be able to distinguish good from evil.

The human mind is evil:

“The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.” (Jeremiah 17:9 God’s Word Translation)

God is good:

“’Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus replied, ‘No one is good except God alone.’” (Mark 10:18 Berean Study Bible)

Neither of the two methods of thinking shows an instant result. Instead, both are incremental processes that are constantly going on within us, and in these internal processes, each of us makes choices, and those choices direct thoughts, words, and actions. So each of us either descends into darkness or rises into light and glory one step at a time. Those who want truth will rise to the fullness of light and glory if they’re faithful. They’ll succeed even if darkness deceived them in the past. God, Who is absolutely just and Who knows our hearts, will see to it.

As we continue to grow in Christ and die to self, our senses become keener as we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit in obedience. When we vigorously exercise our senses by using them, our sarx minds lose ground as Christ is built up in us. As we mature, His presence in us gives us increased ability to tell the difference between our minds and God’s mind, between evil and good.

As we’ve already discovered, the natural human mind is evil, and God’s mind is good.

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25:13-30 about a master who gave stewards gold to invest for profit. In Scripture, gold typifies deity. When we acknowledged Christ, we were born again and immediately had Christ in us, the hope of glory. By grace, which is through faith, God had put a seed of Christ into us, but He expects an increase of this gold.

God speaks much about edification in Scripture. And the word “edification” means to build up. Specifically, God is telling us about building up Christ in us. Through Scripture, God explains many of His methods for building up Christ in us and warns against the things that undo this work. Not only that, but God speaks through Scripture of refining gold, which represents the ways that God removes the impurity from the gold, demolishing the strongholds of Satan in our minds. This process of making increase of the gold and refining the gold is the process of coming to spiritual maturity.

In this journey, spiritual senses direct our walk, and they direct us to meet regularly with other Christians and to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through Scripture. Equally important, they expose the false teacher, correct the false belief, and steer us away from sinful thoughts, words, and acts.

Though seldom considered, humility is part of maturity since humility allows us to submit ourselves to God-set authority. Through humility, we can take correction, and we can better judge who’s sent by God and who’s speaking by the Holy Spirit. To say it another way, we can better see the body of Christ, the spiritual gifts, ministries, offices, and orders that make up the body of Christ.

God reveals the meaning of what we observe and experience. He explains and interprets observation and experience beyond human limits of observation, and all who walk in the Spirit have this continuing experience. The only alternative is allowing our fallen, deceitful, wicked human minds to filter, explain, and interpret observation and experience beyond the human limits of observation. However, that alternative will result in error since the human mind is deceitful and desperately wicked and can only interpret by making up stuff.

Since knowledge of reality is partial for the present, we only know in part. However, partial knowledge isn’t the same as not having any knowledge with certainty. We have partial but unquestionable knowledge. For instance, we know Christ absolutely but not completely as we’ll know Him one day. We recognize the body of Christ now. Even though we see as if looking in a mirror, our vision improves as we yield to the Spirit of Truth. So we have some absolute knowledge, and God’s revelation is our only accurate knowledge. However, revelation is still incomplete because of human weakness.
</end quote>

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Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

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http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

The Interpretation Process

We each have a way that we interpret our experiences and observations. Our interpretations are our representations of reality, but they aren’t reality itself. Our interpretations aren’t even the small part of reality that we have observed or experienced. Instead, our interpretations are the thoughts we have about the small part of reality that we’ve observed or experienced. In other words, interpretation is what we have left after we use our minds to think about our observations and experiences. However, it’s not just interpretation of direct observation and experience. Consider how often we infer based on things we heard from some “trusted source” but never saw or experienced for ourselves. So we have these interpretations, and we feed them back into our worldviews as confirmation bias. We reason in a circle. In short, the worldview filters experience and observation, and then the worldview confirms itself with the filtered results, which strengthens the amazing filter that keeps you and me from seeing reality as it is.

This process is a lot to take in and understand, so we’ll try to paint a picture of how it works:

At the top, we see a symbol labeled “Reality,” which represents what exists. Of course, reality includes microscopic organisms, animals, people, stars, planets, and fossils. And it includes heaven, hell, angels, and demons. It also includes God.

To the left of reality, we see a circular reasoning process where the worldview generates assumptions and presuppositions, and those assumptions and presuppositions create a filter that filters reality. Then, the filtered impressions of reality return as confirmation bias into the worldview. It’s circular. We see assumptions and presuppositions coming out of the worldview, and as we live our lives, these assumptions and presuppositions don’t seem like made-up stuff. Instead, they seem like part of reality, and they strengthen the filter of the worldview.

The influencers are there, the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. The world, of course, is the total of all the ungodly thinkers. To make matters worse, we usually block out people who clash with our worldviews. The fleshly nature uses desires, emotions, and impulses to get its way. The fleshly nature influences us, often to our hurt and regardless of how we try to control these passions. Then we have ungodly influences from the outside, the culture, and life in general. These external influences include ungodly friends, books, publications, videos, shows, social contacts, teachers, news services, and experts. That’s where peer pressure tries to squeeze and coerce us into the world’s mold. And that’s where cleverly designed fables and stories in videos, movies, TV shows, textbooks, and novels seek to mold our minds without our awareness. Not only that, but we don’t fight against flesh and blood; we fight against principalities and powers, the wicked spiritual forces in the heavens influencing our filters.

We react to reality and filter it. Whatever conflicts with our worldviews, we dismiss and ignore. That’s denial. Whatever matches our worldviews, we use as confirmation bias to make our worldviews seem more real. Then, we bring assumptions out of our worldviews. We’re usually aware of our assumptions. We also bring presuppositions out of our worldviews, but we think that our presuppositions are part of reality. We feed these assumptions and presuppositions into our filters along with the influences that come from the culture, our fleshly desires, and demonic forces. That reinforces our filters, so they become strongholds against truth. We’re less able to see reality as it is. As we filter reality, this circular process keeps leading us from one level of darkness to a deeper level of darkness.

It continues. We filter reality and bolster our worldviews. Then presuppositions and assumptions come out of our worldviews to bolster our filters, which filter reality so they can bolster our worldviews. And on it goes moment by moment every day of our lives unless God intervenes.

It’s not easy to see this problem in ourselves, but it sure is obvious in others. The trouble is that it does little good to see the problem in others, and yet we can benefit by seeing it in ourselves. We don’t observe reality directly. Instead, we observe reality through human limits of observation. As the mind’s filter obscures and distorts the limited observation, we can’t understand or accept some of what we observe since our filters deflect our observations, distorting our perceptions. Then we add distorted, filtered perceptions to our worldviews.

Of course, we must keep in mind that every person’s filter is unique since we each filter our perceptions through our respective worldviews. This way, our filtered perceptions match our worldviews. In the resulting blindness, we have trouble perceiving anything not already in our unique worldviews. And even if we do perceive something that isn’t already in our worldviews, we reject it as crazy. We often aren’t even able to see it. The filter also can add whatever the worldview expects to find. It even adds observations and experiences that aren’t there. As a result, we confirm our biases. The relationship between the filter and the worldview is confirmation bias.

We’re looking into the shared insanity of humanity. Of course, people who go too far in insanity can’t take care of themselves. Those of us who have the same problem but less severe can still add value to those around us. When we run into people whose worldviews are radically different from our own, we think they’re insane, and they think we’re insane. Arguments and disunity result.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

Some followers blindly believe the interpretations of certain scientists. Other followers blindly believe the interpretations of certain theologians. Some theologians blindly believe the interpretations of certain scientists and instantly convince their followers of those scientists’ claims. Since some thinkers have rationalized faith in scientists, they find it hard to believe that scientists aren’t perfect. As a result, they exalt scientists. They consider scientists’ words to be the authority, but these scientists are subject to the same faults as everyone else, and peer pressure among scientists is intense. This peer pressure coerces scientists who refuse to bow down to the sacred cows that the elites erected through groupthink. And the same peer pressure rewards those scientists whose interpretations don’t conflict with the sacred cows. And the same is true of theologians.

God established peer review. He established the order of a multiplicity of ministries and many counselors. If we follow His order, peer review helps overcome the problems of worldviews. However, when peer review isn’t Spirit-led, it makes the worldview problem worse. It filters out righteousness. It establishes groupthink and enforces it. Peer review becomes a form of censorship. It aggravates the errors of perception and exaggerates the problems of worldviews. As a result, peer review gives unwarranted credibility to unreliable group-held worldviews and creates the illusion that make-believe is reality. And this unwarranted credibility allows make-believe to creep into every part of life. We see it in entertainment, fiction, fact-checkers, education, news, museums, zoos, public parks, nature centers, scientific journals, and every other activity and setting. Perhaps the most effective is entertainment. ^{(AiG 2-Part Video https://goo.gl/EiA25k)} We each have a responsibility not to allow these influencers to push us toward hate, godless thinking, naturalism, racism, envy, covetousness, sexual immorality, or any other sin.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

Amazon sells it, but you can get your FREE copy of Real Faith & Reason, which shows the intersection of faith, reason, truth, and sanity.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

fake reality and science
God gave science as a tool and a gift.
All knowledge and wisdom is hidden in Christ.
Sadly, some people worship science.
They believe in science more than God.
They think science is the source of knowledge.
But science (whatever the term “science” means) is flawed because humanity is flawed.
One Problem: Confirmation Bias

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>
Fake Reality

We’ve looked briefly into how the world runs mainly on fake realities, or we could call them worldviews, paradigms, or filters. Total Quality Management (TQM) uses the term “paradigm” for fake-realities. It’s still a worldview, but TQM calls it a paradigm. TQM addresses this problem because paradigms limit thinkers and keep them from seeing reality as it is. This disconnect with reality hinders problem-solving and decision-making in business, which is the focus of TQM. However, worldviews get in the way of every aspect of life.

Communication theory uses the term “filters” for fake-realities. Filters add to or diminish what communicators and listeners perceive, so the filters interfere with communication. We hear each other through the constraints of our worldviews.

Now that we’ve touched on the limiting characteristics of worldviews let’s examine how worldviews affect science. Scientists have tried to deal with individual paradigms through the peer-review process; however, they’ve had problems. The peer-review process is flawed. Editors reject about half of all papers selected, so they have tremendous power for message control. They shouldn’t make biased editorial decisions, but they do. They don’t take the papers on their merit but filter based on traditions and sacred cows. They have the same problem as any other human has. Because of this closed-minded hypocrisy, scientific peer review hasn’t helped with the group-held paradigm and the politicking. Instead, blatant viewpoint discrimination, groupthink, and coercion destroy peer review. Those in power enforce this norm. Rather than open-minded inquiry, the elites of the scientific establishment censor anyone who disagrees with the sacred cows.

Therefore, instead of helping to solve the problems of bias, peer review often results in even worse confirmation bias, which intensifies the problems of discrimination and coercion in peer review. As a result, many scientists keep quiet because they’ll suffer persecution if they blow the whistle, and most scientists come into the bondage of group-held paradigms as an upshot. In this condition, they can’t accurately see real reality anymore.

This bondage among scientists is similar to the bondage among theologians. Theologians often lock into a certain theological worldview and protect their chosen worldview with a group-held paradigm and politicking. As a result, it’s not safe to express disagreement in either science or theology. Peer review among scientists or theologians doesn’t guarantee accuracy. Instead, it tends to promote error and confirmation bias. It’s no surprise that the process is corrupt since humans run it, and humans are imperfect.

Scientists experiment and observe. That’s good. Then, they filter perception and interpretation based on a shared worldview that’s enforced by peer pressure. They select only peers who agree with the shared worldview to perform the peer review farce. Of course, the peer review process reinforces the worldview using confirmation bias, which strengthens the filter. And that strengthened filter influences them when they experiment and observe. It keeps them from seeing reality as it is.
</end quote>
#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

<quote from Real Faith & Reason>

Our words defile us because we yield to a spirit other than Christ’s Spirit. If we yield to Christ’s Spirit and allow Him to speak through us, our words transfigure us and purify us. And they purify those who hear and receive our words since they’re receiving Christ’s words, so they receive the Logos. When we think, speak, or act according to the flesh, we defile ourselves and those who hear us. For example, when we speak in anger, we defile ourselves and everyone who hears and receives our angry words.

</end quote>

#RealFaith&Reason

Have you read this FREE book yet? “Real Faith & Reason” gives the absolutely certain proof of the Bible and the God of the Bible and shows how you can have real faith. This is faith that changes situations and transfigures you from glory to glory.

Amazon sells it, but you can get your FREE copy of Real Faith & Reason, which shows the intersection of faith, reason, truth, and sanity.

http://RealReality.org/Real_Faith_and_Reason_Vol_1_-_Scientia.pdf

#RedPill #RealReality