My Belief System will
be large enough to include all facts,
open enough to be
examined and questioned,
and flexible enough to
change if errors or new facts are discovered.
In
my previous email I introduced the “Rider and Elephant Model”
which helps us understand how the human brain functions on two levels -- conscious
(rider) and subconscious (elephant). Another important function of
the brain is “making predictions” by using belief models. The
most important predictions relate to survival. The elephant is the
guardian and protector. At the subconscious level the elephant is constantly
doing the following:
1. Searching for information that confirms
its belief models and experiences.
2.
Distorting and molding new information to make it fit its
preconceived concepts in order to confirm its belief models and
experiences.
3.
Filtering out information that doesn’t fit its preconceived
concepts or confirm its belief models.
Let
me repeat, all of the functions above take place at the subconscious
level, which means we are unaware of what our elephant is
doing.
The first step in
breaking through belief barriers is
identifying belief
models
our elephants are using.
Now
I will return to my story about my belief conflict about salvation. My belief
models about entering eternal life (being saved) didn’t agree with what
Jesus taught in Matthew 25:31-46.
●
I believed good works played no role in entering eternal life.
●
Jesus said good works were required to enter eternal life.
I identified four belief models that played
major roles in creating what I believed – (1) saved by grace through
faith alone;
(2) once saved always saved; (3) the Bible is the
inerrant infallible Word of God; and, (4) monotheism.
The second
step is identify when belief models first appeared.
We do this by searching for facts
and creating a timeline for the belief models.
●
5th century BCE (Babylon) – After the fall of Judah and the beginning of the Babylonian
captivity, a small circle
of priests and scribes gathered around the exiled royal court, where they first
developed the concept of Yahweh as the sole God of the world.[i]
●
1525 CE (Germany) – Martin Luther
created the “saved by grace” doctrine.
●
1540 -- (Germany) Martin Luther: inspiration does not insure inerrancy in
all details.
●
1550 -- (Switzerland) John Calvin’s doctrine of
“perseverance of the saints” laid the foundation for the “once saved always
saved doctrine” to be created.
●
1586 -- (Italy) The Jesuit and cardinal Robert Bellarmine wrote "There can be no error
in Scripture.”[ii]
●
1895 -- (Canada) The Niagara Bible Conference
developed its famous “five points of fundamentalism;” one was “The inerrancy of
Scripture.” [iii]
Using these facts, I understood that during the
time Jesus led his movement (27-30 CE – Galilee and Judea), monotheism
was a central belief model of Second Temple Period Judaism, but my
other three belief models didn’t exist. They would be created
over 1,500 years later as the result of the conflict between the
Protestants and the Roman Catholic Church.
Now
let’s apply that information to my belief conflict about salvation.
●
Jesus taught “good works were required to enter eternal life” over 1,500 years
before my beliefs about salvation were created.
●
Jesus never taught saved by grace through faith alone, once saved always saved
or the Bible is the inerrant infallible Word of God.
Be
sure to note that “true or false” or “right or
wrong” are not factors in the above conclusions. The facts we have
at this point, however, revealed the sources, times, and places linked to my
belief models. But, I did know that some of my belief models were in
direct opposition to what Jesus taught.
One
thing we quickly learn is that new facts usually raise new questions. In this
case, the question that popped into my mind was this – What status should
belief models that oppose what Jesus taught have in people’s lives? That is
a question for you to answer.
Shalom,
Jim Myers
●
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