By Elizabeth Woodson, TGC. (Photo: Negar Nikkhah/Unsplash)
As I scroll through my social media feed, I regularly see posts and videos from Christians that call out false teachers, theological errors in the latest Christian books, and heresies hiding in our contemporary worship songs. While vetting teachers and resources is necessary, this practice of critically analyzing other believers’ theological positions has, for some, become a competitive sport. The persistent tracking of who holds the “right” doctrine has turned the ability to identify false doctrine into a badge of honor.
I know because I’ve done it. My love for theological precision has led me to call out false gospels and unorthodox doctrine shared online.
But here’s what I’ve learned over the years: Our love for knowledge and critical analysis can lead us to confuse spiritual transformation with knowledge accumulation. We may assume that because we know all the right answers, we’re being shaped by them.
Ironically, the skill we’ve developed to spot false gospels everywhere else can make it difficult to see the ones we’ve allowed to take root in our hearts.
Mirror We Avoid
Those of us who lean toward intellectualism and regularly use our analytical skills to critique others’ sermons, ideas, and practices need to be aware of a potential danger. We’re not as apt to apply the same level of scrutiny to our own theological tradition or personal spiritual formation. We tend to see ourselves as knowing the right answers, protected from the deception that others experience. However, this type of thinking makes us vulnerable.
If our gaze is always turned outward, we might not notice when false gospels quietly take up residence in our souls. The false gospel of performance can sneak in such that our theological dexterity becomes a means to earn God’s favor and leads us to believe our large amount of knowledge makes us “better” Christians.