Bible References
- Romans 12:2 MEV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Keywords are conformed and transformed.
- The verb conform derives from the Latin word confōrmāre to shape.
- The verb transform derives from the Latin word trānsfōrmāre to change in shape.
- Proverbs 23:6-7 MEV “Do not eat the bread of him who has an evil eye, neither desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”
- Crosswalk explains: “What you see in this verse is a person who is saying one thing with their mouth—but their heart is in a completely different place. When faced with this conundrum, which one do you believe? You believe what’s in the heart. The thoughts and inclinations of the heart shape the reality of who you are. They shape your thinking which will ultimately shape your actions.” The idiomatic expression “in his heart” does not refer to the blood-pumping organ but to the mind, “the most honest part of one’s feelings or beliefs,”: the mind.
- Isaiah 59:17 MEV, circa 711 BC, first pointed to a man’s mind where the perception of reality resides: “a helmet of salvation on His head.”
Principled Thinking
“Engineering is the practical application of science and mathematics, as in the design and construction of machines, vehicles, structures, roads, and systems.” Medium: 7 Principles of Engineering
Sound theology and practical engineering: “Systematic theology and engineering practice are models of reality, not ultimate reality itself. However, they can become good enough models so that you can reliably use them to guide your life.” Theology and Engineering Practice: Models of Reality, by William Jordan
What Is Truth?
PsychoLogs Magazine: The Psychology Behind Truth, “Cognitive biases are the intellectual mistakes in judgment that lead human beings to make decisions that are not in their interest. These biases are unconscious, and many cognitive biases can affect the perception of truth, like confirmation bias, availability heuristic, and anchoring bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency where a person [favors] information that supports a person’s existing belief. They reject the evidence that disfavors their belief. This might lead to creating a wrong or inappropriate picture of the perception of truth.”
The definition of the word truth is simply, “the actual state of a matter, the condition of conforming with fact or reality, a fact, proposition, principle, or statement proven to be valid.”
French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes originated the Latin phrase, cogito ergo sum, meaning, “I think, therefore I am.”
Learning is a physical phenomenon. Memorization and learning are not separate activities. “You cannot learn something without storing it in some form of memory for future use. From neuroscience, we know that memories are encoded by physical changes in the brain. In other words, your brain changes physically whenever you learn anything, and your brain continues to be molded by experience and learning throughout your life.” Science of Learning Portal, Neuroplasticity: How the brain changes with learning
Memorization of scripture reinforces one’s worldview of the Kingdom of God. Reading your Bible and memorizing scripture physically changes your brain.
Neuroplasticity is a double-edged sword. The images, ideas, activities, and conversations you experience become indelibly new components of your memories.
Illiterate and marginally literate people are highly susceptible to unhealthy worldviews. What is the evidence?
The Prison Policy Initiative reports, “people in prison are disproportionately illiterate.” The GreaterGood charitable organization reports, “Illiteracy leads to higher recidivism among U.S. prisoners.” Literacy Midsouth reports on the relationship between incarceration and low literacy.
Summary
Keep your heart with all diligence,
for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
and put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look right on,
and let your eyelids look straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
and let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or to the left;
remove your foot from evil.
For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 MEV
The technical and inexpensive means for having and preserving one’s spiritual and mental health is a liberal application of neuroplasticity through memorization of scripture.
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 