Whose report will you believe? This has been a catch phrase used in the Christian community for quite some time now. For some, it may sound trite; nonetheless, it’s an important question to ask ourselves. Faulty reporting leads to faulty perception. Inaccurate information leads to bad decisions. Careless gathering of knowledge leads to ignorance, and ignorance has crept into segments of the church because of a cavalier attitude about spiritual matters. This has led to false doctrine and unbelief. People are wanton in their relationship with God because they possess inaccurate information about Him. They compromise because of their lack of understanding of grace. Why? Because they read and listen to the wrong reports.
Be selective when gathering information. You can ill afford to take someone’s word for it. You need to dig into things for yourself. This does not imply that you should become suspicious of everyone, but understand even the sincerest people on the planet are human. That being said, another question comes to mind: why do some believers elevate human reason above God’s omniscience? For example, science doesn’t tell us things; scientists do. They give us the interpretation of their findings. Much of what they believe about the data gets filtered through their worldview. If they lack integrity, and are bent on proving their theories based on that view, they will fail to present an honest assessment. In fact, they may very well not give all the available data due to conflicting information. Anything contradictory will not receive the attention it deserves. For some, science sounds more feasible than the Word of God. A lot of it sounds good, so long as you don’t really consider what’s being said. The Apostle Paul warned us about such so called science. 1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called (KJV). The NASB renders it: “and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’.”
Similarly, some approach the Bible in the same way. They listen to teachers based upon their belief system. There’s an unwillingness to be challenged in what they believe. Please understand that it’s not a great idea to look for teachers who oppose our beliefs for the sake of the challenge. Nor does this infer that we should become debaters. The point is you should have integrity in your approach to Scripture. Don’t be of the mindset that says, “Don’t confuse me with the facts; I’ve made up my mind.” Obviously, there are some beliefs that are non-negotiable. Such as salvation comes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. At the same time, you cannot be so foolish as to create or adhere to false doctrine based on your likes and dislikes. Not everything in Scripture is comfortable to the flesh. Even so, there’s great comfort in the truth for the heart and soul.
[bctt tweet=”Not all Scripture is comfortable to the flesh; but there’s great comfort in the truth for the heart and soul.”]
The reason some have strained relationships with the Father and the Lord Jesus is they believe the wrong report. They listen to their unsaved emotions, and hostile voices. Unforgiveness runs their life, and as a result, bitterness poisons their thinking. Others simply listen to opinions about God without reading their Bible. As a secular song said, “To know him is to love him.” The same holds true for God: to know Him is to love Him. The more you know God, the greater you will love Him. If you have barriers between you and Him, it would be a great idea to read what the Word says about Him. You may find that your perceptions are skewed. In order to make the necessary changes in your life for the better, you have to get the best information possible, and believe the right things according to God. You must be willing to change, and embrace integrity in order to obtain the truth.
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