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THEISM OR HUMANISM

By "Theism or Humanism" is meant "God or man".

Theism speaks of the one true God, the Creator God who is Self-Revealing, the only God, the God who is alone, the One who is Sovereign over all things. To speak of Theism is to speak of the God of the Bible. No other God can be spoken of because there is no other; He affirms: "I am YHWH, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me" (Isa. 45:5). All other claims of Deity are false, in fact, they are the claims of demons and of fallen men. Such cannot be trusted; the God who speaks is the true God and to Him man must listen.

Humanism speaks of man, of man who determines that he is the sum of all things, the measure of all things. Humanism is the perspective that affirms that because of thought there is reality (Cogito ergo sum). It is the elevation of rational thought or empirical data, or a combination of the two, to the level of that which determines, defines, and explicates all things. Humanism speaks of a closed system, a system in which man is supreme, which means that all things must be interpreted in terms of man. There is no provision or acceptance of any outside reference point. By such definition and perspective God becomes an impossible concept.

Between Theism and Humanism there is continuing conflict, and there can be no resolution. There is no middle ground, and none should be sought, because compromise is impossible. It cannot be God and man, but is either God or man. It cannot be part God and part man, but is either God or man. It cannot be more God and less man, or more man and less God—it is ether God or man.

Whether with conscious decision or not, every person is characterized by one of these positions; either the individual considers himself to be autonomous and emphasis is given to the resulting perceived freedom, or the individual considers God to be the great Determiner of all things. Each individual's reference point is either "I" or "Him." There can be no union of the two, for neither will allow it; each position requires total devotion.

The great question:
Is my life about me, or is my life about God?

The answer to this one question
will affect the answers
the person gives to all other questions.

It can be no other way;
there are no other options.
It is Theism or Humanism!
It is God or man!

The Bible begins: "In the beginning God . . ." (Gen. 1:1). It is God that is affirmed and presented, and it is with God that man has to do. God is the One confronting man—to Him man must answer. In all things God must be considered and He cannot be ignored.

All things must be interpreted in terms of God, both the macro and the micro, the large and the small, the universe and the single leaf falling from the tree. Without God as the point of reference neither the macro nor the micro can explained, and neither can be understood, neither has any meaning, and neither can ever be justified.

Begin with God and you will end with God, for He fills all in all. In Him and Him alone everything exists, that is, because of Him all things hold together and do not become the original nothingness.

Begin with man and you will end with man, which is to be without meaning and significance; it portents and requires nihilism. Man cannot be the reference point for himself; if man is made the nexus, then silence must ensue, for there is nothing to say.

Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
Isa. 6:3


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