Sunday
Sep092012

On High Horses, Man, We’re Riding

The Bible teaches that man has inherited a sin nature…that is, a nature of deadly prideful disobedience and rebellion. As a result, according to the Scriptures, we are born into this world spiritually separated from the Holy… (Holy, Holy)... Author of Life. In essence, we are spiritually stillborn. (see John 3: 3 for details)

One might say that man is born into this world on a very….very “High Horse”. So high, in fact, that today many highly esteemed scientists, philosophers, educators (and more) actually insist that there is no Creator, no Author of life, no Intelligent Designer, no First (uncaused) Cause. Bottom line, they say… with omniscient assurance… that “There is No God!”.

Don’t look now, but High Horses don’t get much higher than that. (See Psalm 14:1, Romans 1:22)

One classic example of this inherited and intrinsic “High Horse” attitude was voiced recently by western secularism’s chief philosopher/scientist and proud champion of Human Reason, atheist Richard Dawkins. In an attempt to sound reasonable, humble and intelligent, Mr. Dawkins… in a staggering fit of madness… wrote:

“The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt to do it justice.”

Mr. Dawkins, of course, is not alone in his assessment. Indeed, Human High Horse-ism has a very long and very proud track record over the centuries. It has manifested itself in many ways and has appeared in many guises throughout human history. In fact, these High Horse manifestations have been… and still are… legion. I am convinced that today the most popular and recognizable manifestation of this chronic idolatry is “Humanism”….ie., the belief that man and man alone is the measure of all things. Humanism is nothing new, of course. The prophet Isaiah recognized this idol strain and spiritual malediction some 2,700 years ago when he warned:

“Then the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away---be abolished.” –Isaiah 2: 17-18

This Man-centered heart condition (aka. “Sin”) to which Isaiah alluded is as persistent and pervasive as it is perniciously deceptive and deadly . At the beginning of recorded human history it prompted the construction of the Tower of Babel.  And mankind has been building ever since.  Human High Horse-ism knows no  historical or  cultural bounds.

Idolatry is like that. (1Samuel 15: 22-23)

Tower of Babel

It's a "Horse-and-Chariot" thing, and even though the intelligentsia class may wish ...and insist... that man has evolved past all that "Sin-stuff", the truth of Sin and Sin's effects cannot be so cavalierly and conveniently erased.

“The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots followed them into the sea…the water flowed back over the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”—Exodus 14: 23…28

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” –Psalm 20: 7-8

“On High Horses, Man, We’re Riding”
(Ditch Your Superstitious Genes!)

 

On High Horses, Man, we’re riding,
Here in Egypt where we dwell; 
Yes, we’re proud of this high standing… 
Oh, my yes, we’re doing well!

Idol Chariots of Reason
Have advanced us…Oh, so far!
Steeds of Scientism show us
How advanced we truly are!

We don’t need no “revelation”…!
We’ve got Hubble Eyes to see!
We’ve been shown we came from Nuthin’;
Hubble truth has set us free!

Our Intelligence informs us
There’s no “god” out there at all!
Talk of “Sin” is simply foolish…
And, of course, there was no “Fall”!

So, come on, my friend…Passover!
Ditch your superstitious genes!
Saddle up! Be cool and “with it”!
Just evolve, and you’ll be clean!

Join us in the Proud Procession…
There’s no “god”, my friend, to fear!
Follow us, son, into battle….
Join the Haughty Cavaliers!

Human hearts despise surrender…
Rebel attitudes do rule;
Wayward clay disdains The Potter,
We clay pots just play the fool.

Help us, Lord, dismount High Horses…
Father, may your will be done.
Give us Grace to bow before You….
Spirit, help us see the Son.

Pull us down from these High Horses…
Place us, Lord, on bended knee.
Blind us with the Light of Glory,
At the Cross of Calvary.

"Saul of Tarsus sees the light" ("Conversion of St. Paul", Caravaggio, 1601)

“…the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” –Isaiah 29: 14

 

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” –John 3:16-17