People are increasingly becoming accustomed to a certain degree of
narcissism in their walk with Christ. They reject anyone who brings up anything
that they disagree with or otherwise stirs up their own perceived personal worldview which they
have actually unwittingly adopted from the secular media and anti-Christian
university professors both in Christian and secular universities.
Questioning what someone thinks these days is often viewed as an ad
hominem attack on that person. To some, though to a much smaller degree, it’s
actually considered a physical attack on their person justifying a physical
response. New, cute little phrases like “micro-aggressions” are now routinely used
to describe statements made that are at odds with what the hearer believes and
thereby challenges what they (and the entire educated world from their perspective) justifiably defend and espouse.
Unfortunately, many who describe themselves as Christian have joined
the pack. Repudiation of
spiritual authority and the rejection of any spiritual guidance into their lives
by those whom God is expecting to give Him an account for them, as clearly stated
by the writer of Hebrews when he says, “Obey them that are over you,
and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give
account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you.” (Heb. 13:17), has now become
the new normal. Most now reject any spiritual guidance if it includes any manner of
correction or rebuke. At best, proper spiritual mentoring may include
suggestions in their secular mindset, but should never fully or completely
embrace the advice the Apostle Paul gave his spiritual son Timothy in 2 Tim.
4:2, when he says,
2 Tim. 4:2 (NIV)
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out
of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and
careful instruction.
People are now often ONLY good with one of the three instructions given by
Paul to Timothy here. Namely, that we as Christians (and not necessarily as
leaders) should “encourage” one another. Many utterly question and reject any
person’s authority to either correct or rebuke anyone else without their express
consent. They embrace Paul’s advice to the Corinthians that everything they do should
be “done in love” (1 Cor. 16:14), but then reject the statement just before it in
verse 13 where Paul instructs the Corinthians that they should also “Be
watchful, stand firm in the faith, [and] act like men, be
strong.”
The bottom line is that this new and insidious religious narcissism, affecting millennials
in particular and the Church as a whole, now serves as the backdrop
for knowingly rejecting Biblical authority as the only objective standard of
faith. Don't be mistaken. This is all about ascension. This is nothing less than dethroning God and taking His place on the throne of our hearts while believing ourselves to be correct in our elevation of self over God.
That
said, this is not a new problem. The great American theologian Jonathan Edwards years
ago addressed what he then described as “religious narcissism.” He believed it to be “the essence of hypocrisy.” It remains very much that to this day.
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