Faith – Most Christians cite one of two reasons why they are Christians. First, they were raised in the faith. The second is that they had an experience they note as the reason for being a Christian. Many would call this blind faith. These people can’t tell you about their faith or why they believe it. Their reason for being a believer is because mom and dad were or because they had an experience.
They’ve never looked into the claims of Christ or his word, except for church on Sunday morning. Those two answers, growing up in the faith or having an experience, can explain most people of whatever faith and might be the reason for the changing religious landscapes discussed in this 2019 article.
“The religious landscape of the United States continues to change at a rapid clip.” In a 2019 article by the Pew Research Center, “telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade.”
A 2016 article by “The Federalist” entitled “Survey Finds Most American Christians Are Actually Heretics” stated, “After all, many of the 75 percent of the country who call themselves Christians don’t take their faith that seriously, and the rest are either members of other religions or have no religion.”
This is where blind faith can lead and why so many of the faithful’s children find themselves part of the “deconversion movement” or just losing their faith.
Scripture is clear about studying in order not to have blind faith. II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
It gives three reasons to study. First is to show yourself approved or pleasing unto God. God wants His followers to learn of Him and to understand the plan He has for those who love Him. He doesn’t want people to follow Him blindly but to have knowledge about who He is and what He has in store.
Next, He doesn’t want believers to be ashamed. Ashamed of what? Some unbelievers would try to make Christians look like fools for their faith because they don’t understand the One they follow or don’t have the understanding of their faith they need to withstand the “slings and arrows” hurled against it.
Lastly, it is to be able to rightly divide the word of truth. So much error in Christianity today comes from not rightly dividing scripture. Scripture, if not understood correctly and taken in context, can lead to great confusion.
The first thing needed in understanding the Bible is help from the author, as 1 Cor. 2:14 reads, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Then take the words in context and apply the who, what, when, where, and why questions to make sure you have a grasp on what’s happening in the passage you’re studying. Who is the writer talking to? What are they talking about? When is this happening: in the past, present, or future? Where did this take place? Why is it being said?
The Bible says in Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
Jesus also says to the Jews, in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” I think that would be a good lesson for all.