Listening to God’s Word in a Noisy World

The Christian life does not change depending on what the most (or least) popular talking head has to say.  

By Madison Fossa

 

It is no secret that the Right is divided right now. On social media, within the church, and in the broader American political landscape, controversies take up much of the conversation. As Christians ponder the rifts within the Republican party, we must remember to use the Bible as our guide. In every area of life, we are called to examine, study, and cling to the word of the Lord. This expectation remains unchanged in the face of new conspiracy theories, party factions, or disputes. The Christian life does not change depending on what the most (or least) popular talking head has to say. (READ MORE: Remembering Voddie Baucham )

According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV), the Word of God is sufficient for everything in Christian life: teaching, correction, and righteous living, “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  

Conservatives’ title is indicative of their mission: to conserve. Christian Conservatives should understand that the Bible and a godly lifestyle have historically been the object of conservation within the movement. It is astonishing, then, that when faced with these new divisions over morality, politics, and worldview, Christian Conservatives forsake the Bible as a cornerstone. God’s word equips us with all we need to learn, how to make discerning judgement calls, live, and think righteously.  

 

The Mind of Christ  

The most important place to start is having a sound mind shaped by the Word of God.  

All Christians have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16 ESV). Christ is not duped by the ploys of Satan or the whisperings of fallen men. As humans, we are not omniscient. Many times we will fall short of knowing the full truth or “the whole story,” in any political or cultural situation. The good news is this: because we have the mind of Christ, the more we renew our minds and exercise our Biblical discernment, the less we will be fooled by worldly lies. (READ MORE: A Roadmap To Victory)

God seeks to give Christians “all knowledge and discernment.” As we grow in the knowledge of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ, we can also grow in our ability to parse truth from lies. When Christians renew their minds, they will be ever more transformed into the image of Christ.  

When rumors fly across the internet and new conspiracies emerge every day, Christians must remember that it is difficult to fool a student of the truth. With prayerful vigilance, trust that God will give you the grace to discern right from wrong. Beyond this, he will only reveal what he wants you to know until Glory.  

  

A Sober Mind 

What does a renewed mind look like? 

One of the marks of a renewed mind is a “sober mind.” In 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV), Peter commands the Church to be sober-minded and watchful to evade the destructive Enemy. According to preachers like Paul Tripp, this kind of sobriety means that the Christian is focused on and living in light of eternity.  

“Think seriously, think accurately, think nobly, be sober-minded,” according to Dr. John MacAurther, late pastor and Christian author.

“[Pull] in the loose ends of life… that would be sinful loose ends, that would be wasteful, useless things that occupy your life, and get your priorities where they should be as you anticipate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious return or your arrival in His presence in glory.”  

Having a mind of sobriety means that we are living fully for Christ, not swayed this way and that by the musing of the world. Christians must repent from the idolatry of allowing anything other than the Word to occupy all their thoughts, attention, and labor. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and with the mind of Christ, exercise self-control and self-denial as you approach news headlines, conspiracy theories, or political trends that seek to distract you from what is true. (LISTEN MORE: Welcome to Season 5 of Liberty Mail!)

Ask yourself: What do these ideas do to advance the Kingdom? Is the Lord’s sobriety commanding your every thought, or has your mind been taken captive by the intrigue of American political life? 

 

A Mind at Peace  

Sobriety puts our minds at ease as we follow God’s commandment to be courageous. 

It is tempting, especially in the face of conspiratorial thinking and pessimistic social media feeds, to worry about the state of our nation. However, the Bible has an answer for this dilemma as well. (READ MORE: An Un-Civil Movement)

The scriptures are clear: Christians are to live free from fear. In fact, it is often phrased as a command in the Bible. Be not afraid. However, many Christians on the right have given in to a spirit of fear. Their souls are downcast, ruled by the discouraging news and alternative theories that their social media feeds constantly provide. It should sadden the Church that we are so eager to believe and conform to the world that we fail to hold our sources against the Bible.  

There is a spiritual problem when Christians are spending more time scrolling through discouraging content than committing their time to prayer, resolving themselves to courage in the Lord, and fighting the temptation to be anxious.   

In Matthew, Jesus himself commands us not to worry. Later, in John, he exhorts us once again to courage: 

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me…Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you… Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  

How can Christians “let the peace of Christ rule in [their] hearts, to which indeed [they are] called” or “be thankful” if they devote large amounts of time to fruitless speculations and worry?  These principles – of courage, productivity, and peace – are commandments, not suggestions. Intentionally placing temptation in our path by constantly letting the world whisper into our ear increases the chances that we will directly disobey God’s word. Reassess the things that you allow to take up space in your mind.  (READ MORE: Cars to Farms: A Review of Clarkson’s Farm)

 

Importance of Tradition  

Stand firm and hold to traditions. 

Lately, Conservatives’ tendency to draw on tradition has waned. The eschatology of the Right has become increasingly novel and distracting. In other words, the way we determine truth has changed drastically. The very essence of being conservative implies the conservation of something. This principle is completely tossed aside in favor of a new way of Republican thinking. Instead of relying on traditional, Western, Biblical, or American thought, the Conservative instinct is to doubt the things we have been told. (READ MORE: The Crisis in Iran: Where Do We Find Common Ground?)

When writing to the Thessalonian Church, Paul implores them in word and writing to flee false prophets and “stand firm and hold to the traditions that” he taught them, both by word and in writing.  

When addressing the Corinthians, Paul commends their adherence to the traditions that he delivered to them. While the cultural context of the verse may have changed, Paul’s emphasis on tradition cannot be ignored. There were plenty of Jewish traditions that Paul, of all Christian fathers, was eager to leave behind. Yet, he asked his brothers and sisters to remember, both in mind and deed, the traditions and good teaching that he poured out to them. (READ MORE: Choosing Conservative Icons Wisely)

Instead of being hasty to doubt tradition, history, and even the Word, Conservative skepticism should tend towards novelty. We ought to trust what the Church has said for millennia, and even more so the Word of God, which is approved for all things. The Word and statutes of God are the bulwark for tradition. It is these things to which Conservatives must defer.  

 

Don’t Lose Sight of the Mission  

Ultimately, conspiracy theories and flamboyant online leaders give Christians a false sense of productivity.  

God wants diligent workers for the furtherance of the Kingdom. Worrying endlessly will not create a productive spirit within you. Instead, it will cripple your courage in the sovereign ruler of the world. Likewise, letting your mind spiral down limitless conspiracy theories will likely not lead to anything groundbreaking. Instead, it will sow distrust, lead to fear, and divest time better spent laboring for your brothers and sisters. The more you look into these things, the more productive you may feel, but: 

What friends are you neglecting to fellowship with?  

What sin do you neglect to root out as you discover the sins of others?  

What prayers are you not offering as your mind is overtaken by the next ‘layer’ that you must peel back?  

And what does the word have to say; have you even checked?  

Ephesians says,

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes light.” 

Do not let your flesh be fooled; participating in pessimistic speculation and constantly trying to be all-knowing is not productive.  

Christians ought to be vigilant and prepared to deal with deeds of darkness. We know that the Devil walks around as ‘a prowling lion.” However, make sure that your cares, vigilance, and diligent pursuit of truth is geared toward the glory of the Savior and expansion of His kingdom. Do not let yourself be distracted by things “which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:4 ESV).  

Seeking the truth is important: 

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9 ESV).

God wants us to discern what is true and good, but he wants us to do so for our purity and so that we can do good works for His name (Titus 3:14 ESV) until his return.  

Trust that God, who knows all things, knows the details about our fight against the “powers of darkness.” He remains sovereign over all things, even if we don’t fully know or understand the scope of evil being done in the world. Test the things that you hear against the Bible, Church tradition, and your God-given discernment. Constantly renew your mind so that deceit may be obvious to you. Then, go confidently into the world and live as a sharp tool for God, diligently working for His glory.  

 

 

About the Author

Madison Fossa is a senior Trustee Scholar at Grove City College majoring in Biology and minoring in Technical Writing.

In addition to working as a Marketing Fellow for the Institute, Madison is the president of Young Women for America’s Grove City chapter. This summer, Madison interned with the American Spectator as an Editorial Intern, and will continue to write for the Spectator as well as The College Fix.

 

READ MORE BY MADISON FOSSA: An Un-Civil Movement

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or their affiliates.

Cover Image: Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Captioned Image 1: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Captioned Image 2: John Y. Huber Company, Philadelphia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons