Fanaticism

Fanaticism never helps the work of the gospel.

While Martin Luther was teaching people to base their faith on the Word of God, certain ones rose up, claiming people need not follow the Bible but instead rely on personal revelations from God. They claimed it was sufficient for a believer to rely on feelings, on what they individually felt or thought to be right.* Lest we think such ideas disappeared into the annals of history, similar ideas still permeate Christianity.

I recently spoke with a young lady attending an evangelistic series I was conducting who agreed with the messages being presented, but she told me that she needed to wait until she felt impressed within herself that the Bible’s teachings were for her. “The Spirit speaks to me about these things,” she told me.

“When that happens, then I can believe.” In the church, we witness a similar dynamic. With alarming frequency, people choose not to adhere to a certain doctrinal position taught by the Bible but instead go their own way in opposition to the body. While we recognize that the church is not the final arbiter of truth —that role is filled by the Holy Spirit— an immense amount of damage is done when individuals gather a group after their own teaching and lead that group in opposition to biblical truth.

While disagreements among Christians seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible are inevitable, there can be no place for disunity in the church.

Iron sharpens iron, and a differing viewpoint need not be harmful. But disagreement and disagreeability are two starkly different things.

When factions splinter away from the body to promote doctrines counter to the church’s understanding of the Bible, great damage is done.

This is modern fanaticism. Those who draw people away from the church to establish rival groups are not doing the work of God. God said, “He who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Fanaticism in the church is an attack on God Himself.