Spiritual Pushovers and Terminal Hardheadedness      
 

by Jonathan Perz

 

Instead of a deep put-your-finger-on-a-well-studied-Bible-verse conviction among disciples of Christ, there is a growing set-the-Bible-aside-and-embrace-the-latest-or-standfast-in-the-longest-held mentality dominating the ranks of those who call themselves Christians. Make no mistake, we are all ignorant to some degree when it comes to God’s word. Likewise, we can all be misguided or hard-headed in our understandings. Still, some disciples have made an art form of holding convictions without any proven basis in God’s word. We speak of faith rooted in the ideas, assumptions and precepts of men, instead of that which is deeply rooted in the word of God (cf. Rom. 10:17). Some disciples might struggle with being spiritual pushovers. Their convictions are such that they are continuously “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). They move from one trendy position to the next. They are ever in pursuit of spiritual novelty, adjusting convictions on the flimsiest of Biblical evidence. They are “children in understanding” (1 Cor. 14:20), rarely allowing their understanding to mature. They are “unskilled in the word of righteousness,” but masters of the latest spiritual guru’s bestseller. Their senses are not “exercised to discern good from evil,” and they often mistake fleshly wisdom for spirituality (cf. Heb. 5:13-14). On the other hand, some are terminally hardheaded. These are deeply convicted souls who are absolutely immoveable in their faith … even if they are shown to be incredibly wrong in their thinking and conviction. In the face of overwhelming evidence to their contrary, they stand deeply rooted in error, with hearts like flint (cf. Zech. 7:11-12). These are altogether stiff-necked and rebellious, pressing on stalwartly in doctrines inherited from their fathers or their own think-sos, instead of doctrine from the Father and the Son and the Spirit (cf. 2 Chron. 30:7-8). They are blind to truth and wed to un-change. They stubbornly hold to “truths” that lack Biblical basis or reality, but have been passed down and embraced without the necessary “proving” of all things and “testing” of the spirits (cf. 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1). These concerns are shared with great humility. This is written from the perspective of personal experience, not from some looking-down-from-on-high perspective. This is not about condemning others, but avoiding the snare of self-condemnation. The world loves spiritual pushovers, as these are easy to mold and manipulate, and enjoys the terminally hardheaded, as these are easy to ridicule and marginalize. Yet being a true disciple means disciplining your convictions after His teaching, being tenderhearted enough to acknowledge our own wrong-thinking, and convinced enough to stand in proven Biblical truths taken directly from the oracles of God.      Other Articles by Jonathan Perz An Open Letter to Christians Slow to Wrath God Help Me To Be A Better Listener The Reluctant Disciple Light or Darkness "Confused" by Truth Dressing Our Daughters Like Prostitutes Is the New Testament a Law? Coming to the Defense of Sin and Error Fellowship With God is Conditional     For Past Auburn Beacons go to: www.aubeacon.com/Bulletins.htm   Anyone can join the mailing list for the Auburn Beacon! Send your request to: larryrouse@aubeacon.com