“In nineteenth-century France, disgruntled workers developed a subversive tactic that involved throwing a shoe into a factory machine, causing it to grind to a halt, ruining all productivity. This act of aggression became known as sabotage (from sabot, the French word for shoe)…Today, we are witnessing the relentless
of Christianity and the church from within. Subtle saboteurs are tossing one theological shoe after another into the machine, causing spiritual bewilderment and breakdown.” (The Coming Apostasy by Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley, Introduction vii).
In recent years, I have listened to several subtle saboteurs. I don’t think those in question intentionally distorted the Word of God, but it happened none-the-less. Lack of study and sound teaching, culture, and isolation among other things can sometimes bring to halt spiritual truth in a person’s life.
I also think that there are pressures placed on pastors, Christian authors and speakers, as well as others in Christian leadership, to walk away from timeless truths in pursuit of something new that appears to be supernaturally insightful, relevant, and progressive.
The Bible tells us that we grow in our understanding and discerning. We change and develop in our ability to grasp spiritual truth, but the spiritual truth doesn’t change. “It is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
I take very seriously my role as a Christian author, speaker, and ministry leader. I understand that when I share the Word of God with others that I am held accountable for the words I speak.
Recently, on a radio program, I mis-quoted something. At a ladies’ Bible study a number of weeks ago, I shared a tidbit of information that was incorrect. On both occasions, I did my best to set the record straight.
We need to be on our guard about what we speak and what we hear. We live in a time when truth is no longer recognized as truth. It appears to be dependent on opinion, trends, popularity, and society at large.
To protect us from misunderstanding, we need to read God’s Word, pray,
and trust responsible and reliable people to assist us in spiritual growth.