I heard a preacher make this statement and I latched on to its truth. “Doubt tolerated, is faith contaminated” let me write it again in case you missed it, but I’ll write it slowly this time. DOUBT TOLERATED, IS FAITH CONTAMINATED. That my friends is the reason why the Church is drying up and dying like a severed branch. Because it is impossible to to please or even approach God without it. If you’re living with contaminated faith because of teaching, which is really ignorance of God’s Word, just believing what you’re taught instead of searching the scriptures for yourself, there’s good news! You can start over. Biblical Truth is the greatest antidote for contaminated faith.
Jesus said these great words:
“So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32 AMPC
To tolerate something, is to accept it, even though you know in your heart that it isn’t right or true. Why do we do that? Most times it’s just to fit in, or go along. The lesser reason, especially when it comes to the church, and has been for centuries, is our lackadaisical approach towards the Word of God. If you are ignorant of what it says, the door of your mind is wide open to contaminants. Without the true light of God’s Word becoming like a laser beam, burning away the layers of diseased thinking, you’ll never grow beyond what you have accepted as truth. The Psalmist wrote these words, which coincides with what Jesus was saying to the Jews who believed His Words.
“Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted [with eager desire], for I longed for Your commandments.”
Psalm 119:129-131 AMPC
Written by someone who desired and searched for truth, wouldn’t you agree? That’s what Jesus called abiding in His Word. Seeking Bible truths requires that we move beyond the periphery of the teachings we have heard, to digging deeper. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us do just that. But how many of us even acknowledge that He’s there? You’ve heard me say, you can’t counter lies with lies. Only Truth can and will expose lies. What Jesus told the Jews that day, is relevant today. There’s only one sure way to Bible Truth, ready for it? Abiding in The Truth. Who’s the Truth? Jesus Christ! Need proof?
“Jesus said to him, I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.” John 14:6 AMPC
He was speaking to people who had lived by the law all their lives, but were still groping around in darkness. Remember what we just read in the Psalms. The entrance or unfolding of Your Word, not your pastors and theologians, not your religious teachers words, His Word, gives light or understanding of biblical truths. Your mind will never be renewed any other way. You can read all the religious books, by the best Christian authors, no other commentary or books can do what only His Word can. There’s no substitutions for God’s Word. Anywhere! Period!
I have no problem with Christian books, I have an extensive collection. I enjoy them, and have gleaned from them, but, they’re not the Truth. That’s their opinion or revelation. I need my own. So I go searching His Word for His Truth. Has your faith been contaminated because you have tolerated doubt? Remember I said there was good news? Here goes. READ YOUR BIBLE! Huh.. yup, you heard right. Read your Bible. All the contaminated lies I heard growing up concerning my faith in Jesus, was debunked when I opened my Bible and heart to my resident Teacher.
The Holy Spirit went to work in my mind, heart and spirit. Every time I’d hear a lie, He’d counter it with something He had shown me in the Word. He used Harold Camping, a religious zealot who taught a mixture of falsehood and truth to contaminate many lazy Christians, to train me in how to recognize lies. Every time that man would say something false, the Holy Spirit would alert me to the counter Truth. He used that man to sharpen me. As I studied the Truth, abiding in Jesus, the contamination was washed away. The two edged sword of the Word, cut away every doubt and lies, while preserving and keeping my faith in Jesus intact. He wants to do it for you today.
First let’s identify some contaminants. A lot of people don’t even realize that they’re cooperating with contaminated faith. Have you been taught or heard these statements? More importantly have you believed them?
Healing is not for today
Speaking in tongues stopped with the disciples
Money is the root of all evil
God helps those who helps themselves
Jesus was poor and an immigrant orphan
Poverty is humility
God took your loved one because He needed a rose in His garden
God put you in that car wreck to get your attention
Don’t ask God for money that’s greed
Sometimes He says yes, no, or maybe
Makeup is of the devil and makes you a Jezebel and wearing jewelry is ungodly
I was born homosexual/God made me that way There are many paths to God
We all believe in the same God anyway
Diabetes, alcoholism, heart disease and cancer runs in my family so..
I was born poor so I’ll die poor
No one in my family lived past...so
I can’t do anything right
I never get any breaks woe is me
I was born on the wrong side of the tracks
That’s a short list. You’d be amazed at the contaminants that are preached from the pulpit on a Sunday mornings or the lies we feed ourselves. Most times the preacher doesn’t even open the Bible. And ignorant people are shouting amen, so be it! Then they wonder why at sixty plus years of age, their lives haven’t changed from the day they said the salvation prayer. They’ve been contaminated by tolerating doubt. I heard a song the other day with these words. “If you’re not dead, then God’s not done.” You have time to make a fresh start.
Open your Bible and allow the Light to come in and remove the darkness. For everything I just listed there’s a scripture to refute it. I’m not going to encourage laziness and list them for you. That’s your assignment. The Holy Spirit stands ready to assist you. Maybe you have your own list of the things that have created stagnation in your faith. Find the scriptures that speaks life into your situation. That’s what the Beroean Christians did in Paul’s day. As great a teacher as he was, the Bible said, they double checked to be sure what they were being taught was true.
“Now the brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they arrived, they entered the synagogue of the Jews. Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
Acts 17:10-11 AMPC
When was the last time you double checked your pastor/teacher? Opinions without the scriptures to back them up is just that, opinions. Opinions won’t heal you, feed you, clothe you nor save you. But sound biblically based truths will. So how about it? Will you go through the decontamination process today? Will you open your Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to detox your mind? There’s no Truth like the Truth, Jesus Christ..THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. He’s the LIGHT of life, shining through every darkness in your life. But this is only possible through abiding in Him. Make a decision for life, your life. Stop tolerating doubt and unbelief by renewing your mind. In Jesus Name 🙏
“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
Romans 12:2 AMPC
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit W. Tennant
March 18, 2021
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