In my experience, a common accusation made to Christians by non-believers is that we’re not really all that intelligent and that our faith is a great cop-out, a great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Usually such statements are made to support their bias for science and evolution, which is in turn a grand excuse for them to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence for God. Nevertheless for the purposes of this post, I’m going to ignore the non-believer’s excuse and take his side. Too many Christians do evade the need to think and evaluate evidence for what it is they’re embracing in their teaching and reading.
As a result of such a failure, the devil is having a field-day turning them into spiritual mince-meat. Years ago I met a young man who told me that he made a commitment to Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, but since joining a church he had now lost his peace. He no longer believed his soul was saved because he wasn’t baptized into the Holy Spirit and did not speak in tongues. He didn’t bother to check the Scriptures for himself, he simply embraced what he was being told. The reality is, the unsaved (the world) cannot receive the Holy Spirit until they are saved John 14:16-17.
Another young man came from a Roman Catholic background but on hearing the gospel he repented of his sin and received the Lord into his heart. He too found a church and sat under their teaching for some months. It was during his mid-week Bible-studies with the young adults group that he began to doubt the sincerity of his commitment to the Lord based on what he was now being taught. He was told he could only be assured of his salvation if he gave his money and spent time witnessing to the lost. I encouraged him to reject that teaching and stick only to what the Scriptures tell us about salvation.
He left that church assured of his salvation, but he continues to be, “tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine….” Ephesians 4:14, because of his failure to think and evaluate biblical evidence for himself. He asked me for my thoughts on a writer, extremely popular for his books on how to receive liberation and freedom for the soul. I asked, “What do you think of him?” He told me he thought the book that he was reading was great, “Very Christian, he quotes a lot from the Bible,” he said. I informed the young man that the author is a New Age proponent with an anti-Christ spirit, who uses the Scriptures, but totally out of biblical context.
The young man was shocked and said he would read no more of it. At the same time, he showed no enthusiasm for knuckling down with God and searching the Scriptures for himself. I was obligated to inform him that if he did not do so it would only be a matter of time when he would be enticed by some other book or teaching. This applies to all Christians. We either hunger and thirst for God’s viewpoint on all matters or we will hunger and thirst for someone else’s viewpoint Matthew 5:6. Everyone has a void in their life that must be filled. Satan knows this. He has perfect insight into human nature but sadly, so many of God’s people do not.
A national church leader claims Jesus personally appeared to him in his office and told him that he was to teach truths that other churches have failed to teach. As a group they’re extremely proud of “the new word” they’re getting. Quote: “Some people would break the doors down to hear what we have. We truly are a blessed people. Others would give anything to come into this word.” However, when one tests the fruit of such teaching against the Scriptures, one discerns fear, intimidation, manipulation and domination in the group. If their teachings were truly of the Lord one would experience the Spirit’s liberty 2 Corinthians 3:17. Not so though.
Did this leader test this so-called personal appearance of Jesus? Did his leaders and elders challenge him on how he applied his tests? Did they apply some tests on him? Based on the fruit mentioned above, I do not believe so. The influence this man has over that church is strong, indeed. The people among them who have stopped to think and evaluate biblical evidence for such teaching have left that place but they’re few and far between … not enough to influence the bulk of them to stop and do the same. Fear of man is a powerful snare, more powerful than putting one’s trust in the Lord it would seem Proverbs 29:25.
I’m of the opinion that a major reason Christians evade the need to think and evaluate evidence for what it is they embrace through teaching and reading is because they’re not really seeking truth. In other words, while truth might be important to them, the greater degree of importance is placed in a need to belong with others … “to be an important part of something greater than themselves,” is how a secular psychologist put it. If that’s true (and it is) then Christianity has the Ultimate Solution in Jesus Christ – not something, but SOMEONE greater than themselves. What a message! What a reality!
Another reason Christians are not really seeking truth is because neither are their leaders. Too many of them are more than content to labor their (or the group /denomination’s) doctrinal hobby-horses. That is; one group majors on spiritual gifts, another one majors on salvation and baptism, yet another on relationships and unity and somebody else majors on the social gospel. Instead of embracing all these doctrines and seeking under the Holy Spirit’s anointing and guidance to raise up a body of believers so as they can function in all of them, they settle for their own narrow, anemic little patch and the passive, pew-sitting masses think that’s all there is.
What to do then? Truth seekers will have to seek the Lord in earnest and perhaps prepare themselves to come out of those places. Why? Because God cannot grab enough of your ear for you to get His attention while you’re in there. Your beliefs and understanding of His ultimate will for you have been perverted and distorted through the limited teaching you’ve settled for. Chances are you’ll have to be de-programmed so God can start with you again. It is not that you’ll have to dump the truths you’ve embraced … but it can be almost guaranteed that they’ll have to be reordered so as you can become the balanced, spiritually wise person God requires for His future work.
That might also mean that you’ll be on your own for a season. If so, God will bring wise and mature Christians your way in some shape or form from time to time; but essentially it’ll be just you and the Lord. Added to this, God may allow problems and circumstances to come your way that no human can solve for you; you will have to wait until you get a word from God alone. Sometimes the waiting is short, other times the waiting is long … months and years. That’s scary at first until you realise that there’s really no other way for you to put your beliefs to the test and discover the faithfulness of God as a living reality and not just mere theology.
In addition, it will feel like God has abandoned you and Satan will take full advantage of those feelings. That’s a good thing because not only will this drive you to your knees in prayer but you will develop a deeper respect for the Bible. No longer will it simply be a book for you to read because you feel bad when you don’t, but you will start to live the truth that faith doesn’t come by feelings, it “comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10 :17. You will discover that God has little to say outside of His Scriptures, but everything to say inside of them and you will not hesitate to think and evaluate all that you hear or read from there on.
Speaking of the Bible, as a truth seeker alone with the Lord, He will require you to set aside any paraphrased version should one of them be your sole source presently. It is not my intention to hurt or offend anyone here but these “interpretations” are simply the thoughts and opinions of men and when you compare them with a traditional version they don’t stack up. They are misleading, they misrepresent God because they change and water down what He has declared via the Holy Spirit. Personally I believe most are an offence to God because of their psychological and New Age gobbledygook.
People say they’re much easier to read than the more traditional versions and that maybe so, but the question is … what are you reading? What are you not reading? In other words, what Scriptures have been doctored or simply removed altogether? Have you given any time to stop, think and evaluate evidence for your stand? The Bible declares, “the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword….” Hebrews 4:12. I am yet to meet the Christian who can demonstrate that reality in their life whose sole source of the Bible is one of those paraphrased versions – especially when coming face to face with Satan and his cohorts.
It used to be years ago that the reason many Christians were a powerless witness for Christ was because they did not take their Bible seriously. Paraphrased versions continue to have the same effect. I am not saying your version should be tossed from your possession, but I am saying you need a traditional Bible … and when there’s a discrepancy between the two, it is the traditional version that is correct and it is the paraphrased version that’s in error. God will confirm that for you without fail. Such confirmation doesn’t come to most Christians because they have not sought the Lord in the first place. It’s a different story when God gets you on your own for a season or two though.
Most Western World Christians will continue to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence for what it is they’re embracing in their teaching and reading because truth will continue not to be their number one priority. If it were any different the evidence would be there for all to inspect, but it is not. Therefore, the common accusation made by non-believers continues to have some validity. It is not that we are unintelligent people, it is that too many fail to apply their intelligence according to the directions of the Holy Spirit. When that’s the case faith is a great cop-out.
Our attitude towards truth is our attitude towards God. Our attitude towards God is our attitude towards truth. The way we relate to one is the way we relate to the other. This is what gets demonstrated to the outside world too and either way, they will continue to judge and criticize each one of us. But should one ask us the reason for our hope, we need to ensure we can present it in such a way that they too can think and evaluate evidence for what it is God desires them to embrace. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” 2 Timothy 2:15-16.
“… perhaps prepare themselves to come out of those places…”
That’s the answer. A new beginning with new wine skins.
True, Larry, just as the Lord said, “… and both are preserved.” Mat 9:17. Thanks again.
Roger
It would be extremely difficult to critique such a long essay in a short space, so all I will say is that you make a huge number of a priori assumptions and that given your frequent use of the word “evidence” I think you owe it to your readers to define the term, because I see no evidence for the existence of God, Satan or any other supernatural being. Neither is the existence of God a prerequisite for explaining anything that I see in the world around me. If you want to know more about my thoughts on the subject, I invite you to read Knowledge or Certainty.
Hi Dennis
Thank you for response.
It has been said, “A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.”
Based on my 26 years of moment by moment experience with the Lord Jesus Christ, I am not about to start an argument with you today.
On my About Page I say, “As I write these testimonies, it may be difficult for me to explain to you the how, what, when or why of what Christ did or didn’t do. I’ve always found it difficult to explain the unexplainables of God. Therefore, taking my example from the Gospels, I will simply tell of these experiences making no attempt to convince someone who’s unconvinced.”
Should you read that page I would also invite you to click on the link: But they still have a god.
Roger
Ministries of apologetics debate what is not open for debate. The rest of us do well to consider your response to Dennis. Well said, Roger, and my sincere best wishes to Dennis. Taking the time to read your post and respond indicates he may be open to “hearing.”
Last week I spent several hours with a gentleman who served as a licensed pastor and on the team of a large evangelical ministry for nine years. Behind the scenes the august evangelist disparaged those who attended his meetings as gullible fools and bragged that the offerings given went into “his pocket” and it was no one’s business but God’s what he did with the cash.
This man left the ministry and left his faith. His abject misery exemplifies the truth that it is better to have not believed than to turn away again. I believe he now considers the possibility of a vision other than that learned from the “great” evangelist. He remains in our prayers and is evidence of the crux of your post.
I agree with you, Lynn. Having spoken face to face with scores of men & women from all sorts of backgrounds who said they saw no evidence of God, the mere fact that they took the time to share such has often indicated to me that they are open to the possibility of His reality. As I’ve said a couple of times on the blog, the greater sadness for me has always been the one who displayed complete & utter indifference.
How about your experience last week??!! “Gullible fools” he calls them. Fascinating that he fails to see himself as that. He doesn’t get it that he’s ripped himself off first & foremost. It sure is God’s business, I can’t think of a greater gullible fool than the one with Scripture knowledge who thinks he can rob God and get away with it. He isn’t getting away with it though, is he? Abject misery is his partial reward. Sad to think that’s only the beginning.
Sometimes I wonder why I write about the church institution & leaders the way I do. In sharing your experience you’ve thrown some light for me … thanks and bless you, Lynn.
Roger
All I can say is “wow”. Roger, you explained exactly my experience in regards to being taken out of church. Only I didn’t know that it wasn’t a bad thing for quite awhile. Felt guilty. Sometimes other believers judge me. I understand. It doesn’t look right or good to them. 🙂
God bless you and the wisdom and ministry He has given you, for such a time as this!
Hi Debbie
Most of God’s people have been conditioned to the first part of Hebrews 10:25 “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some…” They have never taken much notice of the second part, nor in fact, the entire passage. Take verses 19-22 for example – if they would enter into the Holiest and stay there, guilt trips & judging would no longer be the deal for them. If the Lord could deliver His church from “right” & “good” then He would have something to work with, but the church loves “right’ & “good” so He has to bring His truth seeker/lovers out for a time so as to rearrange our theological clutter. Love for truth is the only safety factor we have, isn’t it?
Thank you, Debbie and God bless you as well.
Roger
GREAT POST! Roger you stated so many things that the Spirit has taught me. I kept highlighting to restate them here, but there were many 🙂 Thank you for putting this out there – it needs to ring from the hill tops.
Rachel
Hi Rachel
Thank you. It’s always a grand blessing to learn what the Lord is revealing to others on these issues, isn’t it? The only reason the church is so apostate is because too many of those gone before us have failed to stop, look & listen. That failure will continue on until the end, but not for all. The Lord will build His church in spite of everything that seeks to hinder and I pray never to be part of that hindrance.
Bless you, Rachel
Roger