THE DECEPTION OF EXPERIENTIAL CHRISTIANITY


By Akin Ojumu

When personal spiritual experience, which cannot be substantiated in any way, is elevated above Scripture, the written Word of God, doctrinal error is always the end result. What you find in this video is a classic example of how a supposed “jim jim” Christian magnifies her own experiences over and above the Word of God.

Here is a young lady – supposedly a serious Christian – who says she is bothered not only by the fact that some Christians choose to put on makeup and wear jewelry, but that they do so using Scripture to justify their behavior. Now, you would expect Miss Holiness, who believes that makeup and jewelry are incompatible with authentic Christian living, to make a convincing and persuasive argument to these wayward Christians by quoting chapters and verses from the Holy Book to make these rebellious Christians see the error of their way.

Predictably, she did no such thing. Instead, she resorted to pseudo-spirituality and turned to overblown sense of self-importance. Rather than relying on Scripture to support her position, she did what most people like her always do, which is to brag, in a not-so-subtle pious pomposity way, about her superiority in spiritual matters. She cited a “vision” she had many years ago. In the said vision, Jesus allegedly appeared and spoke to her – who else will Jesus come and dialogue with if not someone like her who is high up there on the spiritual totem pole – and Jesus told her that people who put on makeup and wear jewelry are traveling fast on the highway that leads straight to Gehenna.

To prove she is right, she had to let the little people know that her convictions come from communing with the Divine. While the carnal-minded jewelry and makeup wearing Christians may use the written Word of God to support their choice of accessorizing, the holy roller let it be known she receives her own instructions directly from the Horse’s mouth in a vision.

And since she is absolutely convinced she is right in her beliefs, her visions must certainly be superior to Scripture and her experiences most definitely outweigh the written Word.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Sadly, the Christian faith is full of people like the confused young lady. There are many in the Church who live by their dreams and visions instead of living on the Word of God. It’s the reason the miracle houses are packed and the Holy Ghost nights are full to overflowing; the faith of many Christians rests on the loose footing of spectacular occurrences and not on the solid foundation of Scripture.

This is exactly how false doctrines and erroneous beliefs spread widely within the Church today. In an era where Christians are enamored by exoticism, enchanted by esotericism, smitten by mysticism, and mesmerized by mythism, the people of God put  premium on personal experiences and relegate the Word of God to an afterthought.

Alarmingly, even when those experiences contradict Scripture, the experience always has its way; they always find a way to explain it all away. Tragically, it is this form of Christianity – spooky Christianity, pseudo-spiritual Christianity, experiential Christianity – that is, perhaps, the greatest danger facing the Body of Christ today.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

True Christian faith does not come from, and does not grow on, personal experiences. It is by the diligent consumption of the Bread of Life, the written Word of God, that a child of God grows from grace to grace in the knowledge of Him who has called him by His own glory and goodness. So, enough of the pseudo-spirituality, false piety, and pretend holiness already.

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