AMBIGUITY
The Paralysis of Disbelief
Ambiguity is the number one cultural issue of our day.
When I was asked to include this topic in my Substack, honestly, my mind went blank. However, after giving it some thought, I realized ambiguity is behind all our cultural issues.
The ideology buried deep within the sin of ambiguity reminds me of a counseling case I had a few years back. A youth pastor of a megachurch approached me for discipleship. He is the father of three lovely children and was the husband of a Godly wife. He held one of the most coveted church positions within their denomination. After six months of quality Christ-as-Life discipleship, he stops me mid-sentence, saying, “You probably should know I am joining the gay community.” Not knowing his motive, I asked what he was confessing. He explained that he believed he was born gay and would be leaving his wife and church to lead a gay church in the inner city. No matter what angle I approached the subject or the Scriptures I presented, he remained loyal to his self-proclaimed philosophy of being open to more than one interpretation of the Word of God. He decided to discontinue the discipleship and divorce his wife. A few weeks later, his story hit front-page news in our city’s paper. This story is a perfect example of ambiguity.
Ambivalence is the greatest enemy of counseling/discipleship and is now the greatest threat to the Church. This pastor’s equivocation disrupted his family and church and provoked a youth movement within the church community.
If you are unfamiliar with equivocation, it means “concealing the truth” or “avoiding committing oneself to absolute Truth.” In other words, doublespeak - is a nasty habit our Millennial generation popularized.
Ambiguity is a meaning in which a phrase, statement, or resolution is not explicitly defined, making several interpretations plausible. A common aspect of ambiguity is uncertainty, but passion and feelings dominate logic when uncertainty is fronted. Thus, it is an attribute of any idea or statement whose intended meaning cannot be resolved according to the governing mandates stated in documented absolute Truth. Logic becomes flawed, while passions take the forefront of reasoning. When ambiguity becomes habitual, a spiritual stronghold is established. Therefore, I believe ambiguity is the gateway to demonic spiritual strongholds. As per the norm, the world captures words and phrases to define age-old issues in the Bible. Ambiguity versus spiritual strongholds is one of them.
A stronghold is an area of darkness within our mind, will, and emotions that causes ongoing spiritual, emotional, or behavioral problems. We can be genuinely born-again, indwelt by Jesus, and sincere in our faith, but constantly struggle with thoughts, emotions, and habits that wage war against our relationship with the indwelling Christ. We pray, study, and attempt to discipline ourselves, but we often find our problem is resistance to allowing the Life of Christ to manage our lives.
A stronghold is the fruit of death, resulting from believing a lie for an extended period. While it is true that authentic believers have the mind of Christ, the human mind allows a distorted or confused view of the views contained within the mind of Christ. The lie begins to dominate unless the believer has a healthy perspective of this passage.
“For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:7-8)
People who believe and live lies might pray, but when they don’t get the answers that support their lies, they adjust all of life to manipulate the Truth, ultimately forming their view of answered prayers – stamping God’s approval on their sin, which is how they justify sinful behavior while proclaiming Christianity. Unfortunately, the inward lie will ultimately affect their faith, often renouncing their faith in Jesus Christ.
People of ambiguity must face the facts. The Word of God tells us that Satan is the father of lies. Realistically speaking, this reveals the deepest problem. Since full-on Truth is from Jesus’s Heavenly Father, we should understand that every lie is rooted in spiritual darkness and, more importantly, from the father of lies. A stronghold is formed as soon as the lie appears to overpower the Truth regularly, and then the nature of darkness becomes the individual's identity.
When stuck with an identity of darkness, a question must be asked: does Truth truly overcome lies? The quick answer is, of course, it does. Those trapped in a lifestyle of lies find Truth as the enemy that blocks their wants. Worse, they use the Truth to confirm their lies. As a counselor, I have learned the only way to combat this trap is by reinforcing this passage:
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
You can learn what the full Armor of God practically looks like by reviewing Ephesians 6:11-20. But honestly, this passage is for willing, indwelt believers who have proper respect for authority. People of ambiguity rarely respect authority. Therefore, they are unwilling to be told what to do – via the Bible or leaders. In such cases, we must wait for that person to come to the end of their self-life, which is nothing short of a willingness to be instructed, corrected, and told what to do. However, in my experience, few allow the Lord to bring them to the end of themselves.
The reason
Lies seek control over self, others, and even God. Lies produce momentary pleasure. Lies are typically rooted in emotional trauma. Lies produce false-memory syndrome (FMS). FMS is when the lie creates false memories to justify present behavior. Once the new memory dominates the human mind, restoring the individual without a miracle from God is impossible. You can prove to them that the memory is false, but it is to no avail in most CASES. It is important to assist the person of ambiguity in determining if they are authentically filled with the Holy Spirit. If they are not born-again, their mind is darkened and controlled by their unregenerate nature. Always remember, fake Christianity is Satan’s greatest tool.
People who suffer from this demise typically have a damaged conscience. Not only that, but their lies confess they are harkening to the voice of demons - paying more attention to deceitful spirits rather than the Spirit of the Lord.
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3)
This passage reveals the “why” it is difficult to reach an ambivalent mind.
Here are a few pointers that can renew your mind and bring it back to clarity if you suffer from ambiguity but DO have a conscience.
ü Study Ephesians passage on the Armor of God. Apply Biblical Truth to your life daily. Set your mind on resisting the Devil right when you wake up.
Apply all the Armor pieces as actions of Jesus who lives within you. In other words, He does the living out of the Armor through you.
Claim the Truth that Jesus has given you a sound mind.
Maintain the reality that the power of your sins from the past has been broken.
Decide to stop recycling memories – false or real.
Just as sin produces dark fruit, allowing Jesus to live through you produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit lived out is what renews the mind.
When you learn Truth, give it away immediately.
If you suffer from an abusive past, turn it into a testimony. Tell others of the redeeming value of how Jesus delivered you from ambiguity.
On the days when Satan tempts you with your past, call him a liar and move on.
Get involved in a ministry that speaks Truth to lost souls. Particularly one that focuses on indwelling Life.
Find a high-quality discipler who can speak Truth into your life. Make sure they live His Life from within.
Most importantly, fight anti-authority by being willing to be guided by an authority figure you love and respect.
I agree that ambiguity is the leading problem in our culture today, without a doubt. I believe this degenerate cultural disease is destroying the Church and the societies where we live.
The lie of ambiguity is generally contrasted with vagueness.
A person of ambiguity, particularly our youth, thrives on specific and distinct interpretations that defend their sinful habits, permitting them to be vague with Jesus Himself. Since Jesus doesn’t “do” vague, it would even be difficult for Him to form an acute interpretation of Biblical accuracy. Therefore, this puts the Lord in a position to act.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.” (Romans 1:18-24)
We need to reach the minds of those who suffer from ambiguity – before it is too late. The “too late” is not when they die; it happens long before that; before their minds harden and enact the Romans' passage. I am all about Grace, but I am also realistic about the warnings stated in the Holy Scriptures. I believe every verse is for correction, reproof, and warning. Since this is the case, who has an ear to hear?
I really appreciate what you have written and thank you. May grace peace & increase of the knowledge in our Lord Jesus Christ be with all those reading your spirit filled articles & with all those that call on the name of the Lord with a pure conscience, Amen.
There certainly needs to be Godly wisdom and with it understanding when allowing ourselves to be Holy spirit led and prayerful when it comes to putting ourselves under another's authority, testing the spirits, examine the fruits, being good bereans testing and proving whom we are allowing into our eargates. We can't just blindly willingly submit to anyone just because they are self-proclaimed leaders of God, or because we simply like them let alone love them, we ultimately surely are to submit to Heavenly father and Jesus as our head, our good great shepherd, Leader, Master Lord Authority and the Holy spirit. Only He is infallible, men are not, they are prone to make mistakes and obviously they are not Almigjty God, Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." Romans 3:4 If He asks of us to submit to a truly holy spirit led and infilled indwelt brother whom does not in any way deviate from everything & all the things Jesus Christ taught because there is truly only one pure doctrine and that is of Christ illuminated revealed and understood by His spirit.
Jesus' sheep hear His voice & recognise such through a humble vessel of a fellow servant & brother or sister that is in Christ that is walking alongside Jesus as his disciples. Interestingly we would not have the English translation of the Bible without William Tyndale boldly standing up by the power of the holy spirit and Jesus Christ as his strength because of His love for the truth against the only acceptable authority of the Catholic church at the time, stating the Pope's doctrine is not of God which he insisted instead is so agreeable with the world and the pleasures of it, seeking nothing but the possession of the world and their desiring authority in the world and to bear a rule in the world whom only persecute the true word Of God driving so many away from it with false knowledge making many afraid of it, cursing and excommunicating them then making them believe they are damned if they look to it or to Jesus as their authority as their chief Shepherd other then them, Tyndale exclaimed it is but a doctrine to deceive men.
For the world loves that which belongs to it & all it's ways of being and doing and hate all those which is chosen out of the world to serve God in the spirit. The carnal have always tried to kill those of God's spirit since the first murder of Cain against his brother Abel whom offered the acceptable pleasing sacrifice up to father abba in Heaven.
As Jesus Christ said to his disciples "if you were of the world, the world would love it's own. But I have chosen you out of the world and therefore the world hates you." The official authoritative church that wielded it's autocratic power hated not only Tyndales but God's truth workers alongside him whom helped in translating printing and distributing the Bible the New Testament from the original Greek into English, but was forced to print it in Lutheran Germany, yet managed to sneak it in to many European countries and back to England. Sadly brother Tyndale was labeled a heretic betrayed martyred and burnt alive at the stake by his so called brothers.
As we know many others have been martyred throughout the history of those opposing any other authority that usurped God's truths and His ultimate authority.
The example you gave of that deceived man whom God gave over to his chosen delusions is indeed the blind leading the blind only into the pit but those that are putting themselves under his authority because they do NOT have a love for the truth or for Jesus Christ nor do they have any sort of intimate relationship with God, nor abiding in His word. So is it not true then that we must be very careful in this present age whom we allow to submit ourselves to? When we submit and are obedient to Jesus as the head, the word made flesh and allow his will over any self will we won't far go wrong, or if we do veer off Heavenly father will lovingly help us back onto His narrow path of righteousness, his rod and his staff comforting us in the process. Would you agree with that brother Stephen Phinney?