Everything Is Spiritual Because God Made Everything - from The Letters of Francis A. Schaeffer

The painting of a picture, the work of a good shoemaker, the doctor, the lawyer - all these things are spiritual if they are done within the circle of what is taught in Scripture, looking to the Lord day by day for His help.

Thus everything is spiritual because the Lord made everything, and Christ died to redeem everything. And though full restoration will not come until Christ returns, it is our calling, looking to Christ for help, to try to bring substantial restoration in every area of life.

Of course, we all have fears; but we must learn to really trust the Lord, knowing that He loves us, on the basis of the work of Christ. We are all imperfect intellectually, psychologically, and morally. Yet the Lord does love us, and we do not need to be constantly overcome by fear. That is not to say that we all do not have fear at times. But that is different from constantly living under fear when we have all the promises of the Scripture, not just for the future but for our present day-by-day life. Christianity should give us freedom and not be a straitjacket. Rather than everything being prohibited, everything - except the specifically sinful things which the Scripture names - is in the area of our freedom.

I will try to answer your [list of] questions, though it is not easy within the limits of a letter:

--To be spiritually minded is to realize that we must have the wisdom God gives in the Scriptures, and not think as modern man thinks, that his own finite knowledge is a sufficient starting-place.

--You can think about anything [i.e., about every area of life rather than only about a limited "spiritual" area] - as long as you live within the circle of Scripture; that is, by recognizing God's existence and, as God gives you the strength, rejecting what the Bible says is specifically sinful.

--[When the Bible speaks of seeking the things which are above, it is simply saying that we should see] everything from the perspective of God's existence and what is taught in Scripture, rather than seeing things as though man were autonomous; or seeing things as though life consisted only of physical life and death...[without taking into account] the totality of reality, which of course includes above all the existence of God.

--In light of this it is perfectly acceptable to study secular subjects, provided they are seen in the proper perspective as I mentioned above. Any secular books may be read, and so on, as long as the individual remains sensitive as to how much he or she can stand. We do not all have the same strengths intellectually or psychologically, and we should not read or see what we really know is too much for us....

--Worldliness is seeing anything in life from a materialistic perspective - that is, from a perspective which makes the material world the final reality, and in which man's finite wisdom (rather than Scripture) is everything. In other words, worldliness is removing any area of life or culture from under the judgment of Scripture.

MARGIN NOTES
FRANCIS SCHAEFFER

Widely recognized as one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer was the founder of the L'Abri Fellowship, an international study center and Christian community with branches in Switzerland, England, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. Through his work at L'Abri, Dr. Schaeffer came into personal contact with thousands of people searching for truth and reality in their lives. Before his death in 1984 he lectured frequently in the leading universities in the United States and abroad on the relevance of Christian thought. Author of twenty-three books, Dr. Schaeffer was a dedicated writer of letters, corresponding with many of the thousands of individuals his life and teaching had impacted. This brief compilation gathers excerpts from a few of these letters, offering an intimate view of a passionate Christian communicator and mind.

The unique contribution of Dr. Francis Schaeffer on a whole generation was the ability to communicate the truth of historic Biblical Christianity in a way that combined intellectual integrity with practical, loving care. This grew out of his extensive understanding of the Bible from a deep commitment to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and a critical study of the world of man. These two pillars supported his inquisitive and analytical mind on the solid reality of the truth of God's creation and of his revelation. He understood the roots of modern thinking in its rejection of reality and rationality and pointed out the logical conclusions in a wide range of disciplines and in society.

Dr. Schaeffer understood that what a person believes will influence the way he acts in history and individual situations. There is a relationship between a person's view of truth and life, between philosophy and practice, between faulty ideas and foolish choices. Dr. Schaeffer discussed the truth of reality with anyone in many settings. This in turn brought students, professionals, scholars and others from around the world to his home to learn from his insights. They returned with them to their own world and applied them to their circle of life amd work. The ideas continue to bear fruit and to stimulate discussions and discoveries through more than 25 books, several films, taped seminars and lectures at leading universities in Europe, the US and abroard. The result has been a profound and enduring impact upon many thousands, who have themselves gone to make their own mark in history.

The central thrust of Dr. Schaeffer's teaching is that Biblical Christianity is the truth about the real world. The only reason to be a Christian is an acknowledgement of what is objectively true about human beings, the real world and the basic human predicaments. The Bible is true in all that it affirms. This emphasis is not so much the summary of academic instructions or doctrinal positions. It is the result of a searching mind, of being exposed to human history, the European culture and art, and of in-depth discussions with knowledgeable people for a life time of study, observation and work.

With the Bible as his base and a profound interest in human beings, Dr. Schaeffer's insights were developed through the experience of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the study of Florentine society and art, in lectures followed by tough discussions at modern Cambridge, in rude exposure to the slums of Bombaay and in probing questions of people from a great variety of backgrounds, in abortion protests, in response to life in the wider arena of human need and pervasive intellectual confusion in our world.

- Udo W. Middelmann
President - The Francis A. Schaeffer Foundation

This letter is taken from a collection of Francis Schaeffer's letters, published by Crossways Books shortly after his death. In my "formative" years as a new Christian, this book was a profound influence on my thinking, and my working through what it meant to be a Christian living in a fallen world. Schaeffer's words, more than once, proved an immense comfort when I was deep in despair. I thought these letters would make good devotional-style material for the Religion Forum.

Fortunately, instead of having to type book excerpts by hand, I discovered a website that has reprinted seventeen of the letters from his book. Earthly duties permitting, I plan to post one each day and hope that each of you will benefit from a brief glimpse into the mind and heart of Francis A. Schaeffer.

Please let me know if you would like to be included on a ping list to these threads.

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