No one likes to be told that they have a kink in their think, we really don’t like the idea that we might be wrong. However, it should be obvious that we all have some ideas in our head that don’t align with the truth. We all strive to be like Christ, but we are all at various stages in the process of being transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Part of this process entails revelation exposing error. We see something in a new light or the Lord reveals something new to us and it exposes where we have believed something less than the truth. It is then up to us to embrace this revelation and allow it to bring renewal of our minds, adjusting what we believe to be true to accommodate this revelation. Sometimes it means having to let go of some cherished ideas. This is not always easy.
I don’t think this is an outrageous proposition. Humility is agreement with the truth, and the truth is that we all have a lot to learn.
There is a revelation that I’d like to share with you, something wonderful and beautiful and awesome, and I’m so excited about that. But because it addresses a fairly fundamental way of thinking in the church today I write with some trepidation. The subject could easily become contentious, and my heart is not to stir controversy, but to share a beautiful revelation.
This revelation addresses a widespread kink in the think of the church today. This kink can have a wide range of side effects, from mild confusion to something bordering on idolatry and even blasphemy, and like most kinds of kinks, it spills over the borders of its domain and tarnishes other completely healthy areas. It attacks the Word of God at a very fundamental level and opens the door for us to go looking in other places for His voice. The worst thing about it is that this kink has become so commonplace that we have turned it into something to aspire to, like a vow of poverty, when in reality it comes from the mind of man, not the Word.
Exposing this kink will have far reaching consequences and will, hopefully, begin in you a process of repentance, of metanoia, a changing of your mind, of the way you think, which will transform your understanding and breathe new life into your understanding of the Word. It won’t be easy, once you see it you will realise the depth of the thing and pulling it out by its roots will be a long and slow process. There is a purely physical reason for that; changing your neural pathways takes diligence and time, your brain has to physically dismantle and rebuild neural connections. The more integrated this kink was in your system of understanding, the more physical neurons need to be adjusted. This takes time. Don’t give up. Like any good work, it will bear fruit at the proper time, if you do not give up.
Once we open this can, we’re going to have worms coming out of places you didn’t know could have worms. Don’t panic! You don’t need to deal with them all at once. In fact, as you allow the Holy Spirit to bring revelation and you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, you will find that discovering and removing worms becomes a joyful process, a happy collaboration with the Lover of our soul.
I plan for this to be the first part of a series. There is a lot to be said and I expect a lot of pushback. This is also normal. The hardest part about dealing with deception is exposing the lie. Once the lie is exposed, the rest is relatively easy. So it is with most truths we hold dear, and so it should be. We should cling to that which we hold to be true, after all, we are supposed to build our foundation on rock. The only way I adjust my foundation is if I realise that a part of it is, in fact, built on sand.
There is also the normal human process of how we receive new ideas that are contrary to what we already know and trust. Some will reject the idea out of hand. They have built something beautiful and are not prepared to go mess with the foundations in case the building becomes unstable. Some will see that they have no choice but to accept what they are being shown, but choose not to make any changes because of the disruption it will cause. What would the neighbours think? Others will recognise the problem, understand that there are storms on the horizon and fire in the sky, and that sooner or later the weakness in the foundation will be exposed. They choose to embrace the refinement.
This series will be for those who choose to embrace the Word and who allow it to do its transforming work in us. I encourage you to be like the Jews in Berea, first receiving the message, and then examining it.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed” (Acts 17).
Now, back to that kink…
You think that the title of this article refers to the Bible.