AMBIGUITY OF CHRISTIANITY
By Dr. Stephen Phinney
This month, “ambiguity” is the number one cultural issue of our day.
 
When I was asked to write on this topic, honestly, my mind went blank. However, after giving it some thought, I realized ambiguity is behind all of our cultural issues.
 
The ideology buried deep within the sin of ambiguity reminded 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 3 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 in 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 he will be leaving his wife and church to lead a gay church in the inner city. After six more months of discipleship, no matter what angle I approached the subject or 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 & 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. It is now the greatest threat to the Church as a whole. This “pastor’s” equivocation not only disrupted his family & church but provoked a movement within the church community’s youth. If you are not familiar with the term equivocation, it means concealing the Truth or avoiding committing oneself to absolute Truth. In other words, it is doublespeak. A nasty habit our Millennial generation popularized. 
Ambiguity is a type of 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 their logic when the uncertainty is fronted. Thus, it is an attribute of any idea or statement whose intended meaning cannot, in their minds, be definitively resolved according to the governing mandates stated in documented absolute Truth. Logic becomes flawed, while their passions take the forefront of reasoning. When ambiguity becomes habitual, a spiritual stronghold is established. Thus, 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 vs. spiritual strongholds is one of them. A stronghold is an area of darkness within our mind, will, and emotions that causes ongoing spiritual, emotional and\or behavioral problems. We can be genuinely born-again & indwelt by Jesus and sincere in our faith, but have an ongoing 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 resistant to allowing the Life of Christ to manage our lives. 
Honestly stated, a stronghold is the fruit of death, resulting from believing a lie for an extended period. While it is Truth 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 form of “answered prayers” – stamping God’s approval on their sin. This is how they justify sinful behavior while proclaiming Christianity. Unfortunately, in due time, the inward lie will ultimately affect their faith in Christ. Many times resulting in 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 then understand that every lie is in some way rooted in spiritual darkness and, more importantly, is from the father of lies. As soon as the lie appears to overpower the Truth regularly, a stronghold is formed. 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 an enemy that blocks their wants. Worse yet, 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. Thus, they are not willing to be told what to do. In such cases, we have to wait for the person to come to the end of their self-life, which is nothing short of being willing to be instructed, corrected, and told what to do. Although, my experience is few return to brokenness.
 
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 is when the lie creates false memories to justify present behavior. Once the new memory dominates the human mind, it is next to impossible to restore the individual without a miracle from God. You can prove to them that the memory is false but, in most cases, to no avail. It is absolutely important to assist the person of ambiguity in determining if they are authentically filled with the Holy Spirit. Because, 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, 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)
 
In this passage, we discover the “why” it is difficult to reach an ambivalent mind.
 
Now for those who suffer ambiguity who do have a conscience.
 
Here are a few pointers that can renew your mind and bring it back to a state of clarity.

  1. Study Ephesians passage on the Armor of God. Apply Biblical Truth to your life daily. Set your mind on resisting the Devil when you wake up.
  2. Apply all the pieces of the Armor as actions of Jesus who lives within you. In other words, He does the living out of the Armor through you.
  3. Claim the Truth that Jesus has given you a sound mind.
  4. Maintain the reality that the power of our past has been broken.
  5. Decide to stop recycling memories – false or real.
  6. Just as sin produces dark fruit, letting Jesus live through you produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit lived is what renews the mind.
  7. When you learn Truth, give it away immediately.
  8. If you suffer from an abusive past, turn it into a testimony. Tell other of the redeeming value of how Jesus delivered you from ambiguity.
  9. On the days when Satan tempts you with your past, call him a liar. Move on.
  10. Get involved in a ministry that speaks Truth to lost souls.
  11. Find a high-quality discipler who can speak Truth into your life.
  12. Most importantly, fight anti-authority by being willing to be guided by an authority figure you love and respect.
 
Yes. I agree that ambiguity is our leading problem in our culture today, without a doubt. I believe this degenerate cultural disease is destroying the Church & the societies they live. The lie of ambiguity is generally contrasted with vagueness. Ambiguity, particularly with 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 is difficult for even Jesus to form an acute interpretation of Biblical accuracy. Thus, putting the Lord in a position to take action on this. 

“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. It is 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?