(How we think, speak and act out in Life)

The moment the slippery serpent spewed out its venomous question in the Garden, the universe of the earth was forever changed. Adam, who was in charge (actually God’s Viceroy on earth), was completely sidestepped in the very first conversation between a snake and a woman. Prior to this exchange between Adam’s rib, and a creeping creature, there was only one truth and one epistemology. The serpent put paid to that. The serpent introduced a “truth”, and “epistemology” of suspicion and incredulity of the truth. One could say that the devil was the original relativist, post-modernist and social constructivist rolled into one, right at the dawn of history.

Once bitten, man become almost forever torn between truth and its relativistic version, between Creator objectivity and created subjectivity. From an external benchmark to an internal self-sufficient one. The results have been disastrous as men’s search for meaning had led to a labyrinth of convoluted to simplistic solutions to the question, “What’s wrong with mankind?” One familiar with British apologetics immediately call to mind GK Chesterton’s own response to that question once splashed across a famous British newspaper, “I am!”

Alas, self-honesty is not the currency the world uses. Truth continues to be smeared upon from the time Pontus Pilate stood before Truth Incarnate in the Roman Praetorium in Jerusalem that fateful Easter weekend some 2000 years ago, and asked scornfully-and if I may say, condescendingly, “What is truth?”

The sly serpent introduced a half-truth which the world has chosen to believe and live upon. As long as GOD and all He stands for is a matter of “cherry-picking” from the viewpoint of most professors of the faith “once delivered to the fathers” (Jude 1:3), then, in a real sense, He is NOT LORD. Whoever and Whatever GOD is, for so-called professors of the Judeo-Christian faith, He is only a religious symbol, to be called upon to get us to heaven, and to bless us. Almost as though He owes it to us to do so.

The typical professor of faith in Christ, from whichever denomination he or she may be from, cherry-picks from among the Word of GOD what “works” for them, or have “worked” for them in time past. Upbringing and religious affiliation certainly have parts to play. The very existence of a denomination is a hint that GOD’s Word is negotiable, and apportionable.

Here’s where A-B-C schema comes in. This famous formula exists in Cognitive Psychology, and all psychological interventions applies this scheme in one style or another. You and I subconsciously live out its scheme. A is for Antecedent, B for Belief and C for Consequence. This is not linear or mono-directional. Imagine the brain with its synaptic structure and interdependent trails, and you get the idea.

Where a human being gets their Antecedents from, and how Beliefs or perceptions of internal and external cues are made sense of brings out the consequence. The consequence can be a Thinking, Feeling and Behavioral consequence. The Antecedent likewise. The trick therefore is to enlarge the space of B for Belief so that there’s space to choose a non-reflexive or a non-conditioned response, a response more in alignment with our core central beliefs and value system.

There’s an “A-B-C” that operates solely in the human, earthly and sensual system, and another that begins and ends with GOD’s sovereign grace. It begins in Genesis chapter 1, verse 1, with the opening WORDs of GOD, “In the beginning, GOD…”. Once this schema is adopted and internalized as one’s very own, that becomes the starting place for GOD’s paradigm to impact and influence all of the human being’s life. The human is brought to a place through GOD’s sovereign grace through the preaching and sharing of Christ in His good news, the gospel. Unless the human “sees” that ALL of life is under the absolute sovereignty of GOD and His grace, the schema fluctuates from GOD led-ness to a mixture of human independent spirit worked solutions.

The key is to let GOD speak through His Word to show that Jesus Christ is GOD in the flesh and come to restore the divine image in humanity through His Person. Made in GOD’s image leaves no space for sensual living after the serpent’s style. To receive Jesus Christ is to be brought into His realm of living. A life characterized by life and peace (Rom 8:6).

Every professor of Christ has the divine privilege of being united with Christ in faith. Faith in Christ is not about faith in an external and outside reality. Faith in Christ means exactly that-faith IN CHRIST who is IN us, and we IN Him. This makes all the difference for our schema of life. Our Antecedents come into alignment with Christ, into alignment with “truth and grace” (John 1:14). Our Belief system, mindset and values revolve around “grace and truth”. Our consequences are “life and peace”, the “abundant life” (John 10:10), and a victorious mindset shaped by GOD’s schema found in GOD’s gospel word.