Be On Guard

One of the things that Scripture is very clear about is guarding the deposit of the faith (II Timothy 1:14), testing the spirits (I John 4:1), and keeping a close watch on your doctrine (I Timothy 4:16).  Unfortunately, since moving back to the Midwest, I've noticed how most evangelical Christians are not discerning in what they read, the pastors they sit under, or the studies they attend.  I was shocked when one retired evangelical pastor told me he had no doctrinal convictions regarding what church he was now going to attend - as long as it was "Bible believing."  I was shocked when a Reformed woman said she goes to a non-Reformed church in the summer just because they hold the services outdoors.  I was shocked when the MOPS group in Forest City endorsed Rachel Held Evan's new book A Year of Biblical Womanhood.

It scares me to think that evangelical Christians are no longer discerning; they willingly trust any Bible study or pastor or author as long as they use the word "God".  We have fallen so short of guarding our faith as Paul told young Timothy, and no longer keep a close eye on doctrine.  People are too trusting.

I am not trusting.  And there is a struggle that comes with that distrust.  When a friend invited me last month to MOPS which is held at First Baptist in Forest City, I was torn.  On the one hand, I'm all for meeting other young moms who love Jesus, getting out of the house on these cold days, and enabling Aidan to have some structured social time.  But on the other hand, I hate not being able to go and soak in teaching - I'm always on guard.  The evangelical community has become so undiscerning and spread their wings to accept everything as long as they mention "God."  The MOPS speaker that day (sorry, I don't even remember her name) endorsed A Year of Biblical Womanhood before she gave her talk, and I was disturbed.  Now, I know better than to read what she writes, but what about these young moms who don't have pastor-scholar husbands like mine?  They eat up everything these speakers say.  How can we teach our communities to become more discerning?  I don't want to come across as this all doctrine guru, but I also want women to be careful and to fill their minds with solid food that will satisfy and enable them to endure when the hardships come.

Why do we need to be careful about Rachel Held Evans?  Let's take a closer look at this woman who, as one of Christianity Today's 50 Most Influential Women, has a blog that daily draws thousands of "highly evangelical" readers:

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Firstly, her degree is in English literature.  Check out this interview at 1:30:

So why does she write about theology?  Who knows, but she does.  The question is why are women so eager to purchase her "Biblical Womanhood" book?  If you wanted to know about Biblical womanhood, wouldn't you purchase a book about the topic from a Biblical scholar?  I'm all for asking questions; the concern lies in where you go to find the answers.

Additionally, Kathy Keller (who holds a Masters degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) wrote a valuable critique of Rachel's book:

Book Review: A Year of Biblical Womanhood

Desiring God also wrote a review that I highly encourage you to read:

A Year of Biblical Womanhood: A Review

So my plea for you and me:

Please be on guard.  Guard your faith  and keep a close watch on your doctrine - "persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers," (I Timothy 4:16).
We sing, "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes (or Ears)..." with our children; why, then, are we so quick to forget our own advice?