Faith vs. "Make Believe"

Category: Articles,Doctrine
Author: John Malone
Date: 20th September, 2005 @ 05:20:37 AM


I think we are all guilty, at one time or another, of “make believe.” Another term for “make believe” is willing self-deception. I will admit to my own share, and perhaps then-some.

We are perverse creatures indeed! I don’t REALLY know why we elect to deceive ourselves into thinking things are such-and-such a way when clear evidence leads to a contrary conclusion, but THAT WE DO is something we simply need to discern, and deal with.

Often, I think, we use self-deception to have a more comfortable life: specifically, a more relaxed mental state.

This can be true for the Christian engaged in the spiritual warfare, especially in light of the attendant “hounding” and incessant pressures that go with it. The beleagured believer, so engaged, can either face the hostility of spirtual forces in every forum – public, church, home – or can “make believe” that things are as they should be, and try to “fit in” fellowship and worship in that “made up” context.

After 30 years of Christian life, I am persuaded that this “make believe” leads us to catastophic crises in our Christian life. It upsets our normally peaceful and restful spiritual state, replacing it rather with periods of a false and soulish “care free” attitude, suddenly broken by periods of depression that arise from “reality checks.”

And that is because “make believe” is not faith, but {it is sin|Rom 14:23}.

Faith comes (only) from the {report of the Word of God|Rom 10:17}. Whatsover (every Word) proceeds from the mouth of God is {what sustains|Mat 4:4} us. For this reason, we are {taught to pray|Lu 11:3} that every day, God would give us this “coming down, going upon (epi-ousiov, not ‘daily’) bread”: we need it to live.

Without this bread to sustain us, we live according to the dismal dictates of our fallen minds, which being informed from the senses, formulate conclusions and directions based on the “wisdom” of this world, which is {soulish, and demon-like|Ja 3:15}.

Merely “purposing” to maintain a spiritual mind is powerless. But daily seeking that bread which sustains “real life” will keep us from a world of make-believe.


© John Malone, 2007