“Don't Believe Everything You Think”

                Those are the words I saw on a bumper sticker recently. Granted, it is just bumper-sticker philosophy, which seldom is very sound. But in this case I think the writer was on to something. Now, the Bible teaches us to hold our faith with a sense of certainty and confidence. Hebrews 11.1 says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen”. This speaks of certainty. We can have real conviction about the things of the Bible, for there is ample proof. The apostle Paul spoke with this sense of certainty when he said, “…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim 1.12).  Elsewhere he said, “But we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak” (2 Cor 4.13). The spirit of faith is a conviction that speaks out no matter the consequences.

                And yet at the same time, there is a sense in which we ought to have a healthy skepticism about at least some things that we ourselves believe. I do not mean to suggest that we hold our convictions with doubt and uncertainty, especially not our convictions regarding such things as the existence of God, the truth of scripture, the reality of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, the promise of his return, the surety of heaven, etc. These are fundamental truths with such ample testimony that we can and must believe them with life-changing, unbending conviction. But the Bible also tells us to “examine everything carefully” (1 Thes 5.21). John warns, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out in to the world” (1 Jn 4.1). Can we, should we, apply these even to ourselves, to the things we believe? Of course! We must continually put our own beliefs to the test. Like the noble-minded Bereans, we must both “receive the word with great eagerness” and “examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so”  (Acts 17.11). It was their firm conviction in the truth of scripture that allowed them hold a healthy skepticism toward any understanding that differed from their own.

                But here is the clincher. In areas where our own understanding differs from the understanding of others, shouldn’t we be just as skeptical toward what we believe as toward what they believe -- especially in areas where otherwise like-minded brethren might differ? Why should we have more confidence in our own understanding than in the understanding of others? After all, “every way of a fool is right in his own eyes” (Prov 12.15). None of us is perfect and we are to be continually growing in knowledge (2 Pet 1.5-8; 3.18). Hold the fundamental truths of the gospel with a certainty that you would die for, but be careful about believing everything you think. That’s the only way we will ever grow in the truth. And the only way we can ever have any real certainty about anything.

© 2006 Randy Hohf