The Subtle Danger: When Personal Conviction Replaces Biblical Truth
One of the subtle dangers facing Christians today is not the open rejection of God or the Bible. It is something far less obvious: confessing the authority of Scripture while quietly allowing another authority to take its place. Sometimes that authority is personal feeling, and we say, "I feel God is telling me this." Sometimes it is human reasoning, and we say, "This makes more sense to me." Sometimes it is contemporary culture, and we say, "Surely God would not require that today." Sometimes it is religious tradition, and we say, "This is what we have always been taught." And sometimes it is personal experience, and we say, "I know this must be true because of what happened to me." None of these things is evil in itself. Feelings are part of our humanity, and God has given us reason. Christian tradition can preserve profound wisdom, experience can teach us, and circumstances can help us discern God's providence. Yet none of them i...