What Happened to the Thinking Christian?

"The thinking Christian." To some outside observers, this term seems to be a bit of an oxymoron. The modern Evangelical media has presented "Christian" leaders to secular society as those who are sure that "the evil will be ripped out of this world" by a certain date, who insist that God is holding them ransom for eight million dollars, who claim to hear God's voice telling them to run for U.S. President, who can pitch the "anointing" into crowds like a baseball and "slay" enraptured followers "in the Spirit" simply by blowing on them, etc. All this nonsense is bad enough, but when unbelievers see professing Christians flocking after such men by the eager and gullible millions, can they be blamed for their disgust for Christianity? Can the salvation package really be all that attractive when the label reads, "Common sense not included"? Indeed, who wants to turn to a God who, in saving the soul, turns the brain to mush?

The modern believer knows quite well how to defend the newest faith-healer, but knows little to nothing of defending the faith. He is far too easily impressed by the "signs and wonders" performed by the latest televangelist, and yet is virtually illiterate when it comes to sound biblical doctrine. Tragically, it is this "Christian" who falls easy prey to the deception of the various cults and false systems that proliferate the landscape, as evidenced by the thousands of former Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, etc., who now can be found within Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholicism, and other groups. This is why it is imperative that Christians know now exactly what they believe and why they believe it. Though given in the sixteenth-century, the following warning of Martin Luther is equally applicable in our own day:

"If seduction and darkness were again to begin through the wrath and decree of God (as will happen after our days, it is to be feared), and the devil were to begin to perform signs through some false prophet and perhaps cure a sick person, you would no doubt see the mob press to espouse the cause in such a way that no preaching or warning would be of any avail.... For in those who have no love for the truth, the devil will be powerful and strong.... If, then, these teachings contradict the chief doctrine and article of Christ, we should accord them neither attention nor acceptance though it were to snow miracles." (1)

Likewise, Jesus said:

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits....
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:15-16, 21-23).

In His sovereign wisdom and purpose, God has continued to permit the presence of such "wolves" in the sheepfold in order that, as the Apostle Paul stated, "those who are approved may be recognized among you" (I Corinthians 11:19). In Deuteronomy 13:3, we read that the purpose of false prophets among God's people is to test our loyalty to Him. Will we pass or fail this test? How can we as Bible-believing Christians be sure that we are not led away from the truth by these false teachers, whose purpose is to "shipwreck" our faith (II Timothy 2:17)? How can we be sure that what is being preached from our pulpits, or over the television or radio airwaves is the true Gospel of Christ and not a cleverly disguised counterfeit? The answer is quite simple, and, as always, is to be found exclusively in the pages of the Bible. As Paul exhorted:

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15).

The wording of the above verse in the 1611 King James Version is even more explicit: "Study to show thyself approved...." As did the ancient Bereans in the days of Paul's ministry (Acts 17:11), we are also to diligently "search the Scriptures daily" to see whether or not the things we are being taught are indeed true. Notice that we have not been told to run to the corner bookstore to search the latest "Christian" bestseller for the newest revelation from God. It is to the Bible alone that we are to turn for answers relating to our faith; it is the instruction of Scripture that we are to cherish above the opinions and fancies of men.

Unfortunately, false teachers and greedy charlatans have literally flooded the Evangelical media with their counterfeit "gospels" simply because most Christians today are no longer willing to study the Scriptures themselves, and prefer instead to let others do their thinking for them. As long as their ears are tickled, they will keep listening. Logical thinking is out; experiencing "Holy Ghost goose bumps" is in.

In what can properly be viewed as "religious empiricism," the underlying message of modern Evangelicalism is that "if it feels good, believe it." Though such an attitude is mistaken as the exercise of faith, it is actually the unbelief of humanism in disguise. Indeed, the basic tenet of the existential belief system is that "man is the measure of all things," and that his own experiences are therefore both the origin and the validation of truth. However, the primary problem with this mystical approach to truth, which incidentally lies at the heart of the collective New Age impulse to "look within," is that experiential perception varies greatly from person to person, and cannot be either validated or falsified in and of itself. Therefore, since truth is supposedly derived from personal experience, then it too must be relative, thus rendering the very concept of truth itself indefinable and consequently utterly meaningless.

In John 18:38, Pilate sarcastically asked Jesus, "What is truth?" This seems to be the "rallying cry" of the entire human race as it flounders in the cesspool of relativism created by man's own stubborn narcissism. What is needed is an objective standard of truth that transcends human experience and, as a result, remains completely untouched by the relativism thereof. God has not left us to grope about blindly in the darkness, but has provided a source of illumination via the "light switch" of the Bible. However, this provision is accompanied by a grave responsibility on our part to properly interpret the Word of God and to honestly apply its teachings to every area of life. When we have fulfilled this responsibility, the Holy Spirit will in turn fulfill His by leading us "into all truth" (John 16:13).

Endnotes

1. Martin Luther, quoted by Ewald M. Plass, What Luther Says (Concordia, 1959), p. 632.