The Church Must Develop Critical Thinking Not A Critical Spirit

In the realm of faith, Christians are urged to engage in thoughtful reflection and to live by revelation rather than criticism. Charles Spurgeon wisely noted, “The church is imperfect, but woe to the man who takes pleasure in pointing out her imperfections!” Let’s explore the significance of critical thinking, navigate the nuances of biases, and speak to the symptoms affecting the body of Christ like an autoimmune disease.

Embracing Intellectual Integrity:

The Holy Bible encourages believers to cultivate critical thinking. Critical thinking is an analytical process that involves asking questions, seeking to understand, and addressing ideas or actions. It’s driven by humility, curiosity, and a unifying purpose. A critical spirit is negative, fault-finding that tears down rather than builds up. It’s marked by pride, indifference to people and context, and seeks to divide rather than unite. 

As followers of Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, not a truth, we must speak the truth in order to utilize its liberating power (John 8:32, Ephesians 4:25).

Beware Of Biases:

Cognitive biases, as explained by Craig Groeschel, are subtle distortions that can hinder our ability to think critically. A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking when your brain wrongly filters information through your personal experiences and preferences. He identified three main biases:

1. Confirmation bias: Preferring information that aligns with pre-existing beliefs.
2. Status quo bias: Preferring what you already know even when objectively better alternatives exist.
3. Anchoring bias: Placing excessive weight on initial information.

Denying these biases is as important as it is difficult for us to maintain a balanced, Biblical and spiritually mature pattern of thinking in today’s culture of information saturation.

“If you don’t read the news, you’re uninformed. If you do read the news, you’re misinformed.”

Denzel Washington

Your response to someone’s sin can also be a sin. Share on X

Confronting Deception:

Satan is the accuser of the brethren, and Jesus declares God’s name to His brethren (Hebrews 2:12).

Deception and false accusations have been persistent companions in the Christian journey. From Potiphar’s wife falsely accusing Joseph to the deceitful framing of Naboth by Jezebel, false accuation is often used to strike at the character of godly people. Jesus Christ Himself received the most false accusations from not just ordinary people but from those who were supposed to represent God in His day and age. Despite Satan’s efforts to sow discord, the promise of overcoming through the blood of the Lamb and the power of testimony remains steadfast (Revelation 12:11).

Attacking Its Own Members:

In autoimmune diseases, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells, tissues, and organs, leading to inflammation and damage. Parallel to the body’s autoimmune response, the body of Christ is susceptible to a spiritual ailment. This condition prompts the church’s members to erroneously attack each other resulting in division and strife. The call from Apostle Paul is clear: pursue peace, unity, and the edification of one another (Romans 14:19, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:2-3, Philippians 2:2-3).

For every famous pastor who falls into sin, there are thousands of faithful pastors who don’t. Share on X

Prioritizing Unity over Dispute:

The family of God must fight but not each other. Reflecting on the first murder in the Bible, where a brother killed a brother, underscores the importance of the family of God focusing on external challenges rather than internal conflicts. Our prayer must be for unity, echoed in Jesus’s desire for believers to be one as the Trinity is one (John 17:21). The fight is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12), and God commands blessings on unity (Ps 133:1-3).

Drop the stone and pick up a mirror. Share on X

Recognizing Imperfect Messengers:

God can do His perfect work through imperfect people. While some may misuse their gifts (Matthew 7:22-23), caution is advised against extremes—neither demonizing nor idolizing men of God. Your response to someone’s sin can also be a sin.

Disagreements on minor issues don’t brand one a false teacher (Acts 20:27), and the characteristics of false prophets, outlined in the Old and New Testaments, provide a litmus test.

According to Peter, false teachers are those who: 

• Deny Christ (2 Peter 2:1)
• Exploit believers for personal gain (2 Peter 2:3)
• Abuse Christian freedom, neglect duty (2 Peter 2:10, 19)

Men of God are like gloves. They can rip, but the work of God continues. Share on X

Discerning Information Intake:

The adage “Pay attention to what you give attention to” underscores the importance of discernment in what one hears. Just as an ear is a metaphorical womb, whatever is listened to is conceived and will be birthed in due time. Mark 4:24 advises, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In the tapestry of theological truths, critical thinking stands as a guardian, warding off the autoimmune affliction threatening the unity of the body of Christ. By embracing critical thinking, believers can navigate the labyrinth of lies, recognize biases, and foster an atmosphere of unity, love, and edification. Let us make sure of all things and hold fast to what is true!

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