No one enjoys being in a state of confusion, and yet there appears
to be a steady rise in the number of people suffering from confusion.
Thanks to mass media and modern technology, we can view the faces of
people the world over in the privacy of our own homes. These faces often
reveal confusion along with such emotions as fear, anger, suffering,
loneliness, and hopelessness.
Considering the perilous times in which we live such strong emotions
can be expected even among Christians because, after all, Christians
are human too. The difference is believers have the Word of God, the
Holy Spirit and, hopefully, brothers and sisters in Christ to help see
them through difficult times. But what can the Christian do about confusion
in his or her personal life? What is the cause of prolonged confusion
in a believer?
As most of you know Gentle Shepherd Ministries is regularly involved
in ministering to hurting, wounded, hungry, lost, and confused people.
We would love to report that 100% of them are “winners” who
go onward and upward with the Lord Jesus, but the truth is, not everyone
wins. We often grieve over these souls who, after much investment of
time and energy, appear for a time to gain ground, only to return to
their destructive mindsets, habits, and ways. They are reminiscent of
a lost traveler who after having been given light and compass, map and
experienced instruction, tosses it all aside to continue stumbling in
the dark.
Why should a Christian, who professes to know Christ and His Word,
live continually in a state of confusion? What are the major causes
of confusion? We know that God is not the author of confusion according
to 1 Corinthians 14:33.
First, we need to remember that Satan is often a key factor in causing
confusion. Jesus warned in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not,
but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Satan’s
three main activities, as outlined here, take place in three spheres—the
spiritual, the physical, and the mental (mind, will, and emotions).
We know from scripture, as well as from experience, that this enemy
means business concerning the total destruction of mankind in any way
he can achieve it, whether spiritually, physically, or mentally.
When Satan comes against a committed Christian mentally, that is, to
cause confusion, he does it in such a way as to be undetected. Once
he is identified as the culprit he can be resisted and commanded to
leave in the authority of Christ. James 4:6-7 instructs, “But
he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you.” But how can a person
determine if Satan is behind their confusion? One key to the answer
is found in verse six, “God resisteth the proud”. Pride
can be a major open door for confusion to enter in because pride is
a form of idolatry. Pride subtly shifts our dependency and focus upon
God to ourselves—to what we think we know or understand; our capabilities
and accomplishments; or our so-called righteousness. Any form of idolatry
results in confusion because it puts us out of touch with spirit and
truth. At this point, Satan is able to pervert our perspective which
in turn fails to measure up with what we already know as fact. Once
the simplicity of Christ is compromised in our minds a fog of confusion
can blind our eyes to the fact that we are no longer walking in the
light on the narrow path. This is why we must humble ourselves before
God and ask Him to search our hearts before we can effectively resist
the devil. King David prayed thus, “Search me, O God, and know
my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23, 24.
Pride is not the only cause of confusion for the believer, however.
Satan takes advantage of us when we are overworked, overwhelmed, and
overtired. At such times confusion may be coupled with discouragement
and depression. This usually occurs if our focus has been subconsciously
shifted from the Person of Jesus to something else. Many Christians
are focused on their family, or focused on their calling or ministry,
or focused on their challenges. This is the time when, even though we
may feel a Universe away from God, we need to close ourselves in with
Him and pour out our heart to Him, telling Him exactly how we feel.
If this describes you, let the words of this old hymn minister to you.
“Jesus calls us; o’er the tumult of our life’s wild,
restless sea. Day by day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, ‘Christian,
follow Me.’ Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s
golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, ‘Christian,
love Me more.’ In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil, and
hours of ease, still He calls, in cares and pleasures, ‘Christian,
love Me more than these.’ Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies, Saviour,
may we hear Thy call, give our hearts to Thine obedience, serve and
love thee best of all. Amen.”
Christians who allow sin to separate them from God find themselves
in confusion. Such sins can be disobedience concerning loving God foremost
at all times, worldliness, unforgiveness, jealousy, covetousness, selfishness,
fornication, bearing false witness, dishonesty, self-exaltation, hard
heartedness, respect of persons (prejudice), judgementalism, gossip,
slander, self-righteousness, haughtiness, lack of kindness, etc.
Isaiah 59:2, which was written to God’s people, declares, “But
your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hidden his face from you that he will not hear.” If the
Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, then repent and ask the Lord to forgive
you for we have this promise in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.”
We often encounter Christians who become confused when reality collides
with their unscriptural concepts of what the Christian life is all about.
There appears to be no end to believers today who live in a very small
world that mainly consists of “me, myself, and I”. As long
as these self-deluded people are wrapped in their bubble of delusion
they can remain blissfully ignorant of the world around them. This type
of person often strives hard to only think “positively” and
to never let anything “negative” invade their unrealistic
existence. However, the day will surely come when reality pops their
little bubble, resulting in confusion. Suddenly God becomes a stranger
to them because, after all, He isn’t performing the way He is supposed
to according to their standards.
Another reason countless numbers of believers find themselves in confusion
today is because of the failure of the church realm to be the salt and
the light of the world by making disciples of Christ. Discipleship is
not only fundamental, but essential if Christians are to be established
in the faith “once delivered unto the saints” Jude 3.
One doesn’t have to go far to find Christians who have no foundation
in the real Jesus or understanding of the character, attributes, and
ways of God, and the scriptural conditions of salvation and Christian
living. The sober fact is, we find that it is not unusual to meet professing
Christians whose conversation immediately gives evidence of the subtle,
yet deadly, poison with which they have been indoctrinated. For example,
people who continually lift up their church, that is, their pastor,
the building, fun programs, entertainment, numbers, etc., doctrines,
and religious experiences (many of which are pure occult in nature)
are people who are unwittingly confused about real Christianity. Included
in this group are those whose focus and emphasis is not on the Gospel
and discipleship, but on good causes such as changing the entire American
culture through politics, marches, demonstrations, ecumenism, and the
like. Then there are those who appear godly on the surface, but a closer
examination reveals the false fruit of personal “goodness”,
works, and hidden, self-serving agendas along with a self-centered,
judgmental, stony heart.
The spiritual devastation and destruction the world over caused by
the infiltration of the church by the world, humanism, ecumenism, psychology,
and other false gospels is incalculable. Consider this: if you have
a false gospel, you also have a false Jesus and another spirit. This
results in a perverted and warped perspective through which everything
is viewed, including the Word of God. Because of this perverted perception
even the scriptures are twisted to mean something different from what
was originally intended and is plainly revealed in context. No wonder
people are confused as to who the real Jesus is!
Confusion is the natural result when people are continually bombarded
with false teachings from the pulpit, to TV and radio programs, and
books that consistently water down, twist, complicate, or outright contradict
the plain teachings of scripture. Undiscipled people who have not been
established in the faith “once delivered to the saints,”
Jude 3, fall into the slime pits of error and spiritual ruin when
they take into their minds and spirits such blasphemous teachings as
“gain is godliness”, “we must give to get”, “name
it and claim it”, “God is always positive”, “there
must be a New Reformation”, “Christ cannot return until the
church sets up the kingdom on earth” and “we all must come
into unity”. True unity can only come through the Cross which insures
that the right spirit and truth is upheld. Otherwise, immature and unstable
Christians are “…children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive,” Ephesians 4:14.
The only hope for those under such confusion is to be willing to receive
“the love of the truth, that they might be saved” 2 Thessalonians
2:10 and to return to the simplicity of Christ, 2 Corinthians
11:3. Has modern man somehow evolved to the point that it is no
longer important to heed the Apostle Paul’s own passionate confession
in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know any thing
among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified?”
Sadly, we find that most people immersed in spiritual error are militant
and unteachable. These are those who are so thoroughly indoctrinated
into error that they are completely blind to their own state of confusion
where the truth is concerned. This type of person doesn’t want
to be challenged with the fact that he or she has been deluded because
their religious conclusions and beliefs serve their own purposes and/or
agendas. Often such persons conclude that what they believe is truth
because of the way it makes them feel!
Often professors of Christianity are confused because of the fact that
they actually do not desire or love the truth, they prefer darkness.
John 3:19 puts it this way, “And this is the condemnation, that
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.” Judas Iscariot is a good example
of such a person. Even though he lived with Jesus for over three years,
he had his own agenda of personal gain. We know from the scriptural
record that Judas had neither the right spirit nor a love for the truth.
People who cannot receive a love for the truth, or who have their own
personal agendas, will always betray you down the line. Such is described
in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, ‘Eat and drink!’ But his heart is not with
you” (NAS).
We meet many miserable people who come to us for relief from their
situations, but who do not want to gain a relationship with God. They
are seeking to somehow find a solution without the Savior. They want
to be set free, but they refuse to let the truth set them free (because
they have to get real). Amazingly, most of these people think that they
are “saved” but their fear of losing control to God (surrendering
to His Lordship) or of coming totally clean (giving up their rights)
so that they can truly be set free keeps them from going all the way
with God. And while they may walk away with some temporary relief, eventually
the shroud of confusion envelops them again as they cling to their sin
and idolatry, (idolatry meaning their right to be god of their life
and call the shots.) Somehow they want to believe that they are A-Okay
with God while putting their trust in themselves and doing their own
thing. James 1:8 says of such, “A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways.” James also wrote, “Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord, and he shall lift you up,” James 4:8, 10.
Confusion also reigns in the lives of Christians who refuse to be accountable
for their own actions and attitudes. It’s amazing how many Christians
we meet that have the same excuses as the unsaved for their lack of
accountability. It’s as if they believe that somehow, because they
are a Christian, they no longer have to be accountable for the messes
they make of their lives. These are the types that blame God for their
confusion, anger, failed relationships, and misery in general. The focus
of these people is totally on themselves and their little worlds. Not
only does confusion reign, but also self-pity. They reason that since
they are Christians God should overlook their spiritual slothfulness
and self-centeredness, and somehow come down and make their little world
comfortable.
Much of the confusion that these self-centered people experience is
the result of the sins of ingratitude and dissatisfaction which causes
envy and strife. In James 3:16 we read the results, “For
where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
Confusion eventually becomes the cop-out for their pathetic lives.
Unless such people stir themselves up to get past themselves and repent,
get real with God, grow up and lay hold on Christ, they remain clueless
in their confusion. It will always be everybody else’s fault. The
cure for this type of confusion is to pray from the heart with King
David, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Behold,
thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou
shalt make me to know wisdom. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and
renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt
not despise. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put
to confusion,” Psalm 51:1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 17; Psalm 71:1.
Then there are those who must have things on their terms. These people
can be highly motivated, ambitious, and energetic but the truth is Christianity
is a life that is contrary to our terms. Basically, people (including
many who call themselves Christian) want to be God. When a situation
arises where they cannot be God, confusion reigns. After all, they just
know that they are right!
It’s sad to watch this type of Christian in action because sooner
or later they will run into wall; that is, a situation that they cannot
control. When this happens you will see an extremely confused (and often
angry) individual who, unless they humble themselves, repent, and seek
God’s face, will undoubtedly make the wrong decision. A good example
of such a person is King Saul who was convinced he was right when pursuing
David, yet we read in 1 Samuel 24:16-22 that Saul confessed that
David was righteous. Afterwards, Saul continued to hunt David to take
his life, but in 1 Samuel 26:21 we read where Saul again admitted
that he had sinned. Saul’s life is a study in contradictions.
The Apostle Paul is another example of a person who just “knows”
that they are right. Yet Paul met his moment of confusion on the road
to Damascus. Fortunately for him, he quickly realized that he had been
one-hundred percent wrong and quickly submitted to the Lord. We all
know the rest of the story, of how the greatly humbled Apostle Paul
laid the foundation of the church for the Gentiles.
To sum it up, confusion is the offspring of babble—the confusion
of voices—that bombard the believer. These voices may vary, but
they can all result in confusion. Therefore, to the beguiling voice
of Satan we must stand our ground and with Jesus declare, “Get
thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shat thou serve” Matthew 4:10. When the voice
of pride tempts us to self-exaltation we must heed our Savior’s
words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their’s is
the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:3. When the beguiling voice
of heretical teachings tempts us, we need to remember Jesus’ warnings
in Matthew 7:15-16a; 24:4 and 11, “Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Take heed that no man deceive
you…many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”
When the voice of personal agendas threatens to engulf us, we must adhere
to Jesus’ words, “For whosoever will save his life shall
lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew
16:25, 26. When the voice of compromise tempts us, we run to Jesus
and heed His strong words in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven:
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity. When the voice of reason tempts us (the
voice that tells us we don’t have to be accountable) we must stir
ourselves up and come into line with Jesus warning in Matthew 7:13,
14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which
go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Lastly,
when the voice of self-righteousness compels, we must bow before the
King of kings who said in Matthew 10:38 “… he that taketh
not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
May you live in the joy and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ who purchased
you with His own blood. Amen.
