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This post is about truth, pride, ego, and approval, and their role within Christian debate, discussion, and arguing.
There is something interesting about the human condition.
We long to be approved.
We long to want others to want our approval.
We long to want people to agree with us.
Often we're uncomfortable if someone doesn't agree with us, or approve of us.
We seek to impose our wills upon those who don't agree with us or approve of us.
What does the Bible call this?
The pride of life.
1 John 2
15 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.
We're told that the pride of life is not of the Father. So what does this mean for Biblical discussion, debate, and arguing?
We are instructed to contend for the faith and truth.
Jude 1
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
So what does this all mean?
I think it calls for some honest self-examination when you're engaging in debate, discussion, and argumentation.
Ask yourself, "Am I truly contending for truth, or am I just trying to prove that I'm right? Am I trying to impose my will on someone? Is this about truth, or is this about ego?"
If your answer is about pride, ego and approval, then drop the topic and move on.
After you've gone around in circles many times with someone, and they clearly aren't going to accept "the truth", is it really about you contending for the truth, or is it more about you contending for your ego, pride, and desire to prove you're right.
Some may say that you're "compromising" truth if you refuse to go in an infinite loop of argumentation with someone. Such statements are rooted in pure pride. You really think one more time around the mountain after 1000 times is really going to be the convincing time?
There is something interesting about the human condition.
We long to be approved.
We long to want others to want our approval.
We long to want people to agree with us.
Often we're uncomfortable if someone doesn't agree with us, or approve of us.
We seek to impose our wills upon those who don't agree with us or approve of us.
What does the Bible call this?
The pride of life.
1 John 2
15 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.
We're told that the pride of life is not of the Father. So what does this mean for Biblical discussion, debate, and arguing?
We are instructed to contend for the faith and truth.
Jude 1
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
So what does this all mean?
I think it calls for some honest self-examination when you're engaging in debate, discussion, and argumentation.
Ask yourself, "Am I truly contending for truth, or am I just trying to prove that I'm right? Am I trying to impose my will on someone? Is this about truth, or is this about ego?"
If your answer is about pride, ego and approval, then drop the topic and move on.
After you've gone around in circles many times with someone, and they clearly aren't going to accept "the truth", is it really about you contending for the truth, or is it more about you contending for your ego, pride, and desire to prove you're right.
Some may say that you're "compromising" truth if you refuse to go in an infinite loop of argumentation with someone. Such statements are rooted in pure pride. You really think one more time around the mountain after 1000 times is really going to be the convincing time?
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