Believe and don’t ask questions? Why truth matters more than ever
We live in turbulent times, full of conflicting information. From the news on TV and what we see on social media to the ideas promoted in movies and music, we are constantly bombarded with “truths” that contradict one another. Many of us grew up with the saying “believe and don’t ask questions,” an idea that encouraged us to accept things without ever questioning them. But what if Scripture asks us to do the exact opposite?
Today’s message is a clear call:
Examine first, then believe.
It is a call to use the mind God gave us, not so that we can rely on our own wisdom, but so that we can seek His Truth in a world full of lies.
The biblical warning: Where does the confusion come from?
The Bible warns us very clearly that in “later times” many will fall away from the genuine faith. The apostle Paul, in 1 Timothy chapter 4, says that people will end up paying attention to “seducing spirits” and “doctrines of demons.”
What are these “doctrines of demons”?
- Manipulating the truth: In essence, it’s about manipulating and changing the teaching of the truth. These are the “profane fables” or “old wives’ fables” that Paul tells us to refuse.
- Modern sources of disinformation: Today these “fables” take modern, sophisticated forms:
- Censorship and imposed narratives: The mass media and the tech giants (Big Tech) promote certain narratives while censoring the voices that contradict them. A recent and clear example is the way the official information about the pandemic repeatedly contradicted itself within a very short time.
- Entertainment as a tool: The music industry and Hollywood are used to normalize immorality and the occult. Some of the biggest artists openly admit that they are involved in witchcraft in order to be successful.
- Social engineering: There are clear agendas, such as those of the World Economic Forum, that pursue a “great reset” of society, using pretexts such as “safety” to take away our freedom.
How do we respond? Four steps to finding the truth
Faced with this attack on the truth, passivity is not an option. Here’s what we can do:
- Reject passivity: We have to abandon the “believe and don’t ask questions” mindset. God calls us to examine the Scriptures, as the believers in Berea did, to see whether the things we hear are true. Even some Bible translations may contain added verses (for example, the one that says “this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting”), which makes personal study all the more important.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit for discernment: We are not alone in this fight. Being filled with the Holy Spirit brings us discernment. We need to actively ask for this gift so that we can tell truth from lies in our everyday conversations, in what we consume online, and in the decisions we make.
3. Repent of complicity: Many of us, even unintentionally, have accepted the propaganda. Every decision not to be “on fire” for God, every choice that moves us away from Him, is an intentional step away (apostasy). The first step is to repent of our naivety and our complacency.
Be an active witness:
Our faith has to be visible. God calls us to be an example “in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.” The quality of our work and our integrity can be a powerful witness to those around us, blessing them as well. When the Lord comes, He must find us “working” for Him.
