All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” ~Matthew 7:26-27

The beach provides countless opportunities to contemplate the nature of God, the Christian life, and various other aspects of theology. The persistent rhythm of the waves reminds us of God’s unceasing love for His people. The vastness of the horizon pictures for us the eternal nature of God. The magnitude of the ocean’s depths call to mind God’s power in creation. The heat of the sun warming the body might remind you of the light of the Gospel warming the soul. But a recent trip to the beach reminded me of the destabilizing and shifting nature of false teaching.

I’m sure most of you have experienced this: you approach the ocean and stand with your feet just close enough for the waves to run past your ankles, and as the water is pulled back out to sea you feel the sand moving from underneath your feet. If you close your eyes it feels as though the whole world is moving beneath you, and you might even lose your balance as the sand disappears and your feet begin to sink. Just like planting your feet at the water’s edge, so it is to listen to multitudinous online voices proclaiming the be teachers of truth.

One of the blessings of the internet is the ability to access more information in the blink of an eye than university professors of yesteryear could have researched in a decade. But as you well know, blessings like this often come with obverse curses. In the case of the internet, one of the curses is that anyone with a semi-competent web designer can create his or her own blog, addressing any number of contemporary or historical issues with the clout of a seasoned scholar but the expertise of a toddler.

The rise of the “Christian internet” has created a terrible problem for the Church. Far too many Christians spend their time indiscriminately reading the online musings of self-proclaimed experts in theology, ecclesiology, and culture. Many of these men and women promote their newfangled versions of Christian thought. Without a solid foundation in the teachings of Christ, undiscerning believers are led astray by the ear-itching musings of pseudo-experts rather than listening to the life-giving Word of God. For many, the appeal of reading modern man’s thoughts over God’s Word reveals a real heart issue. This argumentum ad novitatem (i.e., chronological snobbery) is proving to be the theological downfall of many spiritual homes.

Upon what are you building your spiritual house, Christian? Does the core of your theology and practice come from internet teachers, blogs, and the latest book rather than the Word of God? Of course, not all internet teaching, blogs, or books are bad, but they must accord with the teaching of Scripture. Let me encourage you to spend more time simply reading and meditating on God’s Word than on things posted online. And when you do read things posted online, search the Scriptures to see if these things are so.

Rev. Kyle Lockhart, Pastor of Teaching & Spiritual Formation