Wheat and Chaff

I've spent my whole life in Reformed circles, and serious and sedate ones at that, apart from a little time with Inter Varsity in college. And I'd read some things and heard some things about the dismal state of the church today and especially a lot of the outright fraud, stage magician stuff that goes on, but whenever I'd hear so many in Christianity dismissed as charlatans, my reaction very often would be charitable. I'd say, well, they mean well. We have some different views, but to judge them as out-and-out liars and bunko artists? Well, that's a little harsh, isn't it?

But I just now stumbled across this post at Feeble Knees. Read the one from Messy Christian that Feeble Knees links to as well. Just anecdotal, I know. But it confirms much of what I'd heard in my life, from those who warned me in my childhood of the importance of doctrine, and the importance of judging things by the Scriptures. I remember being confronted once by someone questioning my skepticism and saying, How can you question the experience of so many of your Christian brothers and sisters around the world? And the voice of my father came up in my mind, and I said, "I build my theology on the Bible, not on stories." Facile, I know, but how many seem to have forgotten it.

These posts remind me of just how many have forgotten the principle of judging all by God's word, and not the word of any man or any experience. Lies dressed up in Christian Spiritual garb are still lies. Lies that make us feel closer to God are still lies. Only the truth can set us free.