Should Christians Think Outside The Box

by Albert Emanuel

The popular expression "think outside the box" has crept into the church and is influencing a new generation of Christians. The idea is that Christians are trapped inside a theological box and need to escape for the sake of their spiritual growth. The Christian box has a negative connotation because it is viewed as narrow and limiting. We are being encouraged to think outside the bible and go beyond scripture. The exclusiveness of Christianity is seen as a black box that prevents illumination. And the social and political pressure of the current culture has caused many believers to start thinking outside the box of Christianity. But should believers take the world's advice and think outside the box.

For starters, the bible is not a box. It is the word of God and the mind of God. The journey through the mind of God is endless. Christians are not trapped inside a scriptural box. They are entering the mind of God and plumbing the depth of his wisdom. The vast territory of scripture is more than sufficient for a lifetime of thinking. The word of God opens new vistas of thought that challenge the mind and enlighten the soul. The bible is not a place of confinement and restriction. It contains the truth of God that will set you free.

That is not to say that there is no truth outside of scripture and that we cannot explore God's creation and discover the laws of the universe. But truth outside the word of God will not contradict truth within the word of God. Many Christians who think outside the bible have abandoned creationism and adopted evolution. They have entered the science box, but fail to realize that it is filled with doubt and uncertainty. It is important to know the limits of science. The scientific method is often a source of error. In reality, the theory of evolution was a quantum leap in the wrong direction.

Who would want to think inside the box of atheism, agnosticism, and secular humanism. If they had the
courage to think outside their box, they would discover God. The reason they are trapped inside their box is because they don't want to retain God in their knowledge.

It is important to think within scripture rather than outside scripture. The Christian orthodox box contains
doctrines that are outside of scripture. It needs a thorough cleaning. Theological boxes often accumulate
doctrinal garbage that should be discarded. The orthodox box is piled high with centuries of doctrinal debris.  The question is: Which generation of Christians will have the courage to take out the theological garbage?

If the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God, then why are so many Christians incorporating the world's wisdom into their thinking. The wisdom of God and the wisdom of man are incompatible. Christians should remain inside scripture and stay out of the world's box. If you want to think outside a box, then think outside the box of deception that the world is trapped in. Going outside of scripture and stepping into a box of error seems a rather foolish move. When the world says "think outside the box", what they really mean is: "think outside your box and start thinking inside our box".

Satan wants Christians to step outside of scripture and enter his box of deception. He wants you to think for yourself instead of letting God do your thinking. Satan offers complete freedom of thought because he knows that it will lead to error. Pluralists were thinking outside the box when they decided that all religions lead to salvation, and feminist theologians were thinking outside the box when they accused God of being a child abuser for putting his son to death. If you think outside the box long enough, your salvation might be at risk.  Every heretic that left the church was thinking outside the box.

A box that contains nothing but truth is a great place to do your thinking. If we must draw an analogy between the bible and a box, then thinking inside the scriptural box is the wisest thing you can do. Why think "outside the box" when you can think inside a box that is free from error.

The next time someone tells you to "think outside the box", tell them to take their own advice and think
outside their box.




Copyright (C) 2007 Albert Emanuel