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For a long time a condition has been developing in the Christian community that can undermine faith and spiritual growth, and mislead many of those beginning to come to trust in Jesus Christ unto eternal life. It can seem so legitimate to some, but at its root it is Satanic in its effect. This has occurred slowly, hence the progressive acceptance of it as being a valid and proper approach to living a Christian life, and being a Christian. For lack of a more sophisticated description, I will call it Cafeteria Christianity (or Smorgasbord Christianity). The whole spectrum of it, since it really is not a true Christian doctrine, could perhaps be more correctly defined as a "Christian" Cafe’ Society. It has otherwise been described as "Christian subjectivism", etc.

In essence it involves the two basic pillars of Christian living and practice: the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. Over the centuries there has been the rise and fall, then rise and fall, etc., of the emphasis on different tenets and practices - some of which were OK, and within God’s "permissive will". Others, were disastrous in various ways moving from extreme legalism, and finally swinging to extreme liberalism. But with the Christian "Cafe’ Society", the individual may pick and choose any aspect of true Christian beliefs, and simply ignore others as being "not right for me" (Matthew 23:23). The essence seems to be the emphasis on one of two extremes. One is to live "in the Spirit" with little or no emphasis on the written Word; the other is the reverse: to live by the Word (Bible), with little or no emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Each seem to have its circle of influence.

The latest seems to be emphasis on life "in the Spirit", with little interest in living "in the Word" (written). What is not realized is that they would not know that there is the Holy Spirit if there was no writtten Word (Acts 19:2). It is through the written Word that they have awareness of the true God, Jesus, salvation, eternal life and the Holy Spirit. A moment of pause should reveal the inherent danger, but the adherents of this approach see it differently. Life, truth, reality, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit can all be viewed through the lens of their own minds, experiences and feelings. They see freedom, and "feel free". The Bible is resisted as being all about hardness, harshness, and fear and punishment. The Spirit only is leading since the Bible is irrevelent, untrustworthy, and out-of-date in our world. Once this leap of "faith" is made, they can pick and choose from an array of personal experiences and inclinations, in which they can claim personal inspiration and understanding as appropriate for them. What they see (if anything) in the Bible, is reduced to the same method of evaluation (1 Peter 1:20). Beliefs and practices are drawn from the here-and-there of life. Most of the beliefs are cast in the mold of personal subjective experience. The Holy Spirit and the Bible are made to serve a personal agenda. We now have a set-up for false conversion.

Sad... but again we see the truth of the cliche', "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing".

As stated above, the danger in this should be obvious. There is no lack of those claiming to be led "by the Spirit". How is one to know whether they are or not? There is no lack of those using the name of Jesus in connection with many types of pursuits. Are they using His name in vain? The list goes on. The point is, there is no benchmark without the written Word of God. There is no observable gage or measure without the written Word of God. The liability to deception and especially self deception and delusion is extreme. We would end up with as many takes about love, fear, joy, fairness, eternal life, heaven, hell, right and wrong, and righteousness, as there are individuals offering them! One excuse is that God is so powerful and loving that He does not need anything in writing to communicate His will for the individual. True enough. But that is not the way He chose to do it. God has chosen to reveal his plan and His will for mankind through the medium of the living Word and the written Word. The written Word is literally "God breathed" (2 Timothy 3:13-17). The written Word keeps us from subjectivism - from creating God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in our own image (Isaiah 66:2).

There, in the written Word, is the history of God’s dealings with mankind, written down in tangible form, so that we will not miss His point (1 Corinthians 10:6-12). The Holy Spirit works through the written Word. The written word contains the spoken words of Jesus, and the written Word harmonizes and tunes us to the leading and receptivity of the Spirit. God’s plan for mankind’s redemption necessitated something that mankind could touch, feel, and "sink his teeth into". It is ironic that those of the Cafe’ Society have "faith" in the touch and feel of their own subjective experiences - a need fulfilled at the well of self deception and error. If the written Word is discounted or rejected, the Spirit is also rejected. Even the way to life - eternal life, and the Spirit - is also rejected, because the words of the Bible are Spirit and are Life! All the mediums of communication and revelation that God has ordained work together. They work together because they are all of the same - they are all of God (John 6:57-63).

Neglecting or rejecting the written Word of God - the Bible - is very dangerous to our spiritual health, and a roadblock to saving faith for the world.

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed" - Acts 17:11-12

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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