Christians- Is it possible to honestly search for God's truth and wind up with the wrong understanding?

Question

What I mean, is if you spend a lot of time searching God's word with an open mind and open heart, asking for the Holy Spirit's guidance, to wind up with a wrong understanding of scripture?

I am not saying to believe everything a pastor says, but to take various idea's from various denominations and examine them, with prayer.... and then still come to a wrong conclusion?

I would also appreciate if you would list the various religions/denominations you have searched in. (In the sources area would be helpful) Thank you.

I am saying if we analyze what we are told by pastors and accept nothing if it can not be proven by the Bible and at the same time ask the Holy Spirit to guide us.... can we still be led astray? Checking everything that is told to us by the Bible....

Answer 1

I read a book, called "War on the Saints," written by Jessie Penn-Lewis about 1910. She wrote about this very problem. It's hard to find a published copy of it, but you can read it online at http://www.apostasynow.com/wots/Contents.html

The key to avoiding heresy is to maintain that openness of mind and heart that you mention. Live according to all the word of God, but with the attitude that if you realize you've been wrong, you will confess it in prayer, receive God's blessed forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and move on.

In my experience--I've been a Christian about 3 years now--you will have to do this pretty much on your own. You quickly get into trouble by trusting what others tell you. You are always welcome to learn from others, but you must establish the truth of spiritual matters via your own study and prayer.

One of the frustrating things about your search for truth is that the more concerned you are for Biblical truth, and the more you search it out and live by it, the more you will find yourself at odds with most easy-believers and with mainstream, denominational Christianity. Most people, despite what they say, like to find one or two people or books, and stick with them, not venturing outside this narrow comfort zone. They don't really enjoy exploring new ideas, and can get quite testy and unpleasant if you force the issue.

Again, you will have to do most of this on your own. If your experience is like mine, you will rarely find people who are both faithful to scripture, and humble in their search, and willing to be taught. You will find either people who are opinionated, arrogant know-it-alls who talk too much and don't accept new ideas, or you will find people who are too liberal, and entertain too many speculative ideas about faith, and clearly stray from the gospel message and the commandments. You must avoid both. If you do find supportive friends, you will find them as individuals--I don't think you'll find a demomination that will satisfy you.

It is human nature to be fallen, to be mistaken. But remember, you do have the Holy Spirit to lead you to all truth, and you do have a Savior who forgives you of your sins/mistakes. So forge on, and keep your nose in the Bible.

Here I will list most of the demoninations I've attended or studied, and the major problems I find with them.

--United Church of Christ (UCC): No focus on Christ, the atonement. Too lenient about sin. More like a social club than a church. Very worldly POV.
--Amish/Mennonite Churches: They go to extremes of moral conservatism (legalism) and liberality, at times seeming almost UCC/Episcopal, or like conservative Baptists. They are obsessed with genealogies, and secretly find pride in their membership in this group, thinking it superior to others. They focus on behavior and sin, and not on forgiveness. Many are over-involved with the social gospel (works outside the body of believers), and not the gospel of Christ. They lack genuine love for each other--they tend to isolate even within their communities because of distrust and fear of judgment. Weak Bible teaching.
--LDS/Mormon: Highly aberrant theology and Christology. Extra books are a violation of the Bible. Extreme focus on behavior and works-based salvation. Most don't have a personal relationship with Christ. Temple worship is witchcraft.
--Evangelical-Covenant Church (ECC) & Evangelical-Free Church (EFCA): Lots of good potential. Tend to be social clubs with insular memberships. Some Bible teaching, but weak and somewhat worldly point of view. Not very interested in charity; see religion mostly as a personal matter.
--United Pentecostal Church (UPC): Aberrant theology, including denial of the Trinity, works-based salvation (speaking in tongues is proof to them you're saved, contrary to scripture). Despite great claims to having truth, virtually no Bible study. Members are very insular, private, suspicious of outsiders and don't like talking about their faith except in a stereotyped, harsh, judgmental way. Met several people in bondage to strong sin, unable to reach out to God or to others. A shocking level of abusive relationships and sexual abuse shows that the Holy Spirit isn't with this group.
--Home churches: Excellent potential, but must rely on self and other members for all spiritual growth, which is not how many people live their spiritual lives. Can be problems with leadership, either lack of direction, or people trying to hijack the group for their own agendas. Potential for arrogance, an insider-outsider mentality. Can be problems if all members are spiritually weak or ungrounded in the Bible.
--Victory Christian Center/Megachurches: Spiritually dead, but lots of entertainment value. Loud music, excellent production values, smooth but spiritually empty preaching. Lots of spiritual seekers, but members generally unable to direct own spiritual lives. Large size = isolation and lack of relationships, unless cell groups exist. Cell groups beg the question why have the large church at all. These churches are usually have a very businesslike feel to them, and are oriented towards the leadership, not the average member. Preaching and teaching often worldly, unBiblical.
--Episcopalian/Anglican: Catholic roots betrays roots in religious heresy and idolatry. Worship style idolatrous; emphasis not on Word or personal relationship with God/Jesus--do not emphasize (or even acknowledge) faith-based salvation. Tendencies towards priestcraft. Energy and attention towards leadership, not members. Episcopals are increasingly new-age, unconcerned with holiness. Don't study Bible.
--Lutheran: Still some tendencies towards Catholic attitudes. Strange ideas about baptismal regeneration. Lack of Bible study for members. Increasing number of aberrant ideas infiltrating church.
--Baptists: Strong adherence to their view of the Bible--they ignore things that they aren't comfortable with, even if they are easily understood. Ignore charity obligations of Christianity; focus on an anti-worldly, anti-hedonistic POV. Occasional odd views about issues related to marriage, sexual identity, and men's and women's roles in church. Harsh and unyielding to those who disagree; not a good church to try to have an open discussion of spiritual matters. On other hand, a good place to go for a solid grounding in the Bible. Religious ranters abound. Anti-intellectual POV.
--Salvation Army: Dry, Methodist approach. Decent but not excellent Bible study; sort of a blind-eye approach to sin, although it's discouraged. Emphasis on 12-step and psychological ideas, rather than biblical ones. Military organizational style and titles are not biblical. Heavy involvement in secular social welfare means they compromise gospel often in their works; they seem to have forgotten their first love.

But when I think about my experiences of church in toto, compared to what I believe the Holy Spirit and the Word tell me, here's what I come up with:

Modern churches almost completely ignore charity. Charity is for the church to share and experience with each other. Charity is either nonexistent, or it is done in a very institutional way, like welfare. Charity should be the way things are done all the time; problem-solving through faith and works should be at the forefront of church life.

Churches ignore the gospel of healing. People don't have faith in healing, and they don't understand what the Word says about it. They don't pray for healing for themselves or for each other.

People have unbalanced ideas about sin. Either they think that the atonement covers everything, and they are free to do what they want (extreme Arminianism), or they don't trust in God and the Holy Spirit to forgive and heal sin. Churches are uncomfortable teaching and preaching about sin.

Too much money is spent maintaining church buildings and programs, which is not what God ever intended.

Modern worship music is just awful. It sounds like rock music, it is theologically and devotionally unsound, and is usually not arranged in a way that is conducive to congregational singing, with odd, nonstandard arrangements and bizarrely syncopated rhythms. Occasionally seems downright blasphemous, sensual, demonic, has lyrics that do not acknowledge Jesus Christ or God the Father, but vague, undefined spiritual powers and entities. An invitation to witchcraft, in my opinion.

The rank-and-file membership is not taught or encouraged to minister to each other, or to seek their own spiritual strength and answers in personal study, prayer, and fasting. Have you been to a church that taught fasting? I haven't. For that matter, I don't think most churches emphasize faith in Jesus enough either. They don't teach how to pray, or what it means to have faith. Preaching is too often from worldly experiences, rather than from the Bible.

Churches don't encourage personal relationships among members. I've been to several churches where virtually nobody befriended one another. And I've been to churches where the membership was divided into cliques, and outsiders weren't welcome. Churches rarely portray Christlike love among their members.

Psychological ideas have infiltrated churches throughout. People have psych ideas about problems and solutions, rather than Biblical ones. They don't pray for one another. They tend to see problems as a sign of judgment rather than a sign of Satan's attacks that should be counter-attacked.

So, here are a bunch of thoughts and ideas. If you care to explore these or any other ideas, you are welcome to send me an email.

Answer 2

Actually, if you read the bible with something other than a drone's mentality, you'll find alot of people going "Rabbi, I did what you said, so what's that mean?" Think Nicodemus slinking to meet Jesus, dying to ask the question how a person can be 'born again.'

Contrary to simple religious doctrine, reading the bible ad nauseum does not, ipso facto, a good catholic make. That is because Jesus is using metaphors...lets all say it again class, met-a-phors, to illustrate his point. Assuming Jesus knew, or at least guessed, what he was talking about, choosing to teach people via metaphor must have had some sort of 'purpose' to it.

A metaphor, a really good metaphor, is kinda like a zen koan: let it sink into your mind and watch the ripples. Also, metaphors can be considered a test: understand the metaphor, instant divine light bulb or check mark. Also, using metaphors is a great way to test how people think (and therefore act.) Give someone a metaphor about sowing seeds, and then see who raises their hands and asks what kind of bag they should use.

The problem, as with zen, is that if the teacher cheats and gives you the answer, then the teacher is actually slowing down your progress. Think of it this way: I give you a closed-book test, but you're stuck on the answer. I give you the answer, you still haven't figured out the problem. I already did the work and understand why its the answer, but if I simply give you the answer, how does that improve your ability to do the same. What it teaches you, instead, is to wait for me to give you the answer, not figure it out on your own and apply it without my help: the whole point of the test.

The problem is not getting the message wrong, it is understanding how/why you got the message wrong. When you understand that, then you will understand how you got it 'wrong.'

Think about the parable of the Good Samaritan: really good metaphor and somewhat easy to understand. Ask yourself some questions: what is the parable about, why does Jesus use the examples that he did, is there a reason, can it work on multiple levels, does the parable teach anything, does the parable indeed work or is it just wishful thinking?

Most people who get the wrong understanding do so because they read the bible (or any book, see below) with an answer already in mind (God hates gays, for example.) Because they do that, the bible passages that coincide with their predetermined belief, therefore, become proof, and those passages that might even refute or argue against are dismissed or ignored. If you read a book (any book, actually, the metaphor works the same for all) hoping to gleam something from the author that you, as of yet, do not understand, having preconcieved notions tends to make one read on autopilot, coasting along instead of truly responding to each and every word and placement. And it is when people coast that their autopilot tends to veer offcourse, until they are so far away from where they are, somebody has to go track them down.

Answer 3

It is absolutely possible for non Christians to reveal God's truth. The best example I have is of an atheist in one of my college classes. He was explaining the all seeing eye/watch tower and as he continued to explain and illustrate it God started showing me how satanic influence in the world progressed. I was so impressed and sad at the same time because I realized how some college courses/professors are promoting intellectualism to the exclusion of free thought. **God can and does speak and show us things through a variety of people not just Christians.

Answer 4

Q: "Is it possible to honestly search for God's truth and wind up with the wrong understanding?"
--

A: I don't think so. But it's very easy to assume we are honestly searching for truth when in reality we are not. So many times, traditions replace the principles of truth, and this is a problem with mankind. Too impatient, too chaotic, too distracted by the "things" ever around them, and always ill-prepared to accept the truth because of it.

But the solution is simple: Establish true principles, and build on them, not on traditions and superstitions. Who goes around teaching mankind how to tell traditions from true principles, though? Most people can't tell you what the difference is. Everything ends up being so "relative" in truth to the tunnel vision of the beholder. Opinionated. Selfish. Having developed apathy toward change, and never really possessing the desire to "consider that which you've never considered before."

Answer 5

I didn't understand fully what you wrote. But I have read, some of Hindu holy books. I have read Kuran. I have read Bible.
There are lots of good things told in all these books. All the religion's main intension is for the man's well being.
But Bible is the one and only book which touched my heart, spirit and body. it cleansed my every parts.
Dear, one thing I want to tell you is that there is only one TRUTH and One God. Not many. So the way also will be one. Once we know that Bible is the real TRUTH, there is no need to look into and search for another truth.
If once you know 5x6=30 and you are sure of it. No need to look into another answer you will get with 5x6. You will always get answer 30.
So where ever you seek, finally you will reach only and one answer that is JESUS..
Love by a
Real TRUTH seeker and truth finder

Answer 6

Well, look at the Branch Davidians and the rev Jim Jones!

Answer 7

Absolutely it is possible!!!
If you get told a lie...and don't know it's a lie....it's still a lie!
And if the person who told you the lie, doesn't know they lied to you....it's still a lie. And if that person teaches others the same lie as a "TRUTH", and tells them to go out and teach others....it's still a lie.
We must ALWAYS seek the truth, no matter how painful and hard it can be. SQUASH THE LIE!!!

Answer 8

Sure.

It's known as "Looking for love in all the wrong places."

And it happens all the time.

Save yourself lots of time, and begin your search here:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

http://home.inreach.com/~bstanley/

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/index.html

Answer 9

it is totally possible. many pastors have told me that many times, we may be searching for one thing, only to be led to another... i can't really list those denominations, since i don't have that much time. oO

Answer 10

If you are searching for god's truth your understanding will only diminish...