What’s All This Talk About Deconstruction?
Have you ever felt like the pressures of life are just too much? Has that feeling impacted your faith and caused you to question it? Has your faith ever wavered in the light of circumstance?
If this is you, you aren’t alone. I think I’m safe in saying that most Christians have come to that kind of crisis of faith at some point. Moments like these can either make or break us.
In recent years, the word deconstruction has gained popularity among Christians wrestling with their faith. For some, it’s a sincere attempt to peel away the onion skin of “dead religion” and rediscover Jesus. For others, it becomes a pathway to doubt, detachment, and eventually departure from biblical truth.
What I have to say next may surprise you. Not every season of questioning leads to collapse. In fact, the Savior of our souls cried in anguish from the cross, “My God, my God, why…” (Matthew 27:46; c.f. Psalm 22:1). Questioning isn’t sin. It’s beneficial when done correctly with the right attitude.
Scripture invites us to test everything (1 Thessalonians 5:21), to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5), and to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). That’s not deconstruction. It’s discernment.
If you’re discouraged with your faith and feel like you’re sinking in deep mud, this advice is for you. If you feel as if you are being pulled between conviction and culture, between truth and emotion, I beg of you to read what follows.
This is a call to reaffirm what’s true, not abandon it. Biblical reassessment isn’t demolition. It’s renovation. And when done in humility and submission to God’s Word, it leads to deeper roots, rather than spiritual ruin.
If this sounds like what you need, please read on.
Clarifying Convictions in Light of Scripture
Did you ever play tug of war as a kid? One rope. Two groups. One winner. The stronger or more savvy would win, and the other would end up face down in the mud.
Even now, we still play tug of war. It doesn’t involve ropes or teams. It’s what the culture does to us, and too often we feel like we’ve ended up in the mud. On the worst of days, we might even feel like the rope!
Many believers today feel pulled between biblical truth and cultural sentiment. We don’t know how to sort out our feelings when someone tells us that “religion is inferior to science” or “religion is just a crutch.” In moments like these, it’s very easy to question what we believe.
How do we assess these statements?
We can approach this from a logical standpoint. Why would anyone say things like this? What is their proof? Do they have any evidence to back up their viewpoint? Do they have another agenda that leads them to deny what Christianity teaches? These are questions with important answers that we must search for.
If pressed, most people who make claims like those above have no hard evidence. They believe science is better simply because they have firmly placed their faith in it. They don’t believe science is better because they have facts. They believe it because they have faith in it.
This says something to us as Christians if we are reevaluating our faith. It’s not a matter of science vs. religion. That’s what the world would like to convince us of. It’s a matter of faith vs. faith.
True faith is filled with facts. We’ll get into that in a moment. What people embrace as science doesn’t fit that profile. Evolution has many different theories surrounding it that scientists can’t even agree on. During COVID we were told to “trust the science” only to find out that science had nothing to do with what many claimed. The world is filled with false science that is really faith in nothing.
It’s our job to determine what is fact and what is fiction. But this is exactly where logic fails. It can’t step beyond the confines of established fact. If science doesn’t have the answer, and Christianity is a matter of faith, where do we go to prove that that faith is real rather than a fairy tale?
The answer is simple. For Christians, reaffirming our convictions begins with returning to the authority of Scripture. Christianity isn’t a religion of blind faith. It doesn’t demand that we take a leap with our eyes closed and hope for the best.
God has spoken to us, and it’s so clear that we can see for miles. The truth isn’t so distant. It’s as close as God’s revelation.
Look at the unique essence of Scripture:
“All Scripture is inspired [or breathed out] by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NASB 95 Clarification mine)
Scripture is “inspired” or “breathed out” (a better translation) by God Himself. What does this mean?
If you put your hand in front of your mouth when you breathe, what do you feel? You’ll feel the gentle breath that each word produces. Sometimes that air movement feels stronger than other times, but there’s always breath behind those words.
That’s what God did. He spoke to us. He breathed out those inspired words so that we didn’t have to wonder what He was thinking.
He communicated with us through words, and we are the audience for His message.
What does this mean? It tells us that we have the truth of God at our fingertips if we simply crack open that Book and read it.
But how do we know it comes from God? Good question. Let’s consider a few things.
First, the men who God used to write the Bible did so at great peril. Many even died while clinging to the message they received and wrote down. These men didn’t believe they were dying in vain. They had heard and some even experienced the truth of what was written. They saw Jesus, the fulfillment of Scripture, and were willing to die to get that message out.
Another fact to consider is the accuracy of the Bible. We can point at many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled to the letter. The greatest of these, of course, was Jesus. Since then, many New Testament prophecies have found fulfillment, like Jesus’ prediction that Jerusalem would fall and the Temple would be completely destroyed. That happened in A.D. 70, and you can still see the stones that were tossed off the Temple platform even today.
The greatest proof of the truth of Christianity is the impact it’s had on societies throughout history. Granted, church history hasn’t always been perfect. Sometimes it’s been downright ugly! But overall, Christianity has had a positive impact on the cultures it has touched. It’s one of the reasons why the Western world enjoys so much prosperity.
The point is that the Bible gives us what we need to live life as it should be lived. Is there anything better than the Christian faith? Is there anything more reliable? The Scriptures and history prove the answer is no.
Nothing beats God’s way. That’s why David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NASB 95)
If your faith falters, go to God’s Word and find refreshment.
Identifying Cultural Drift and Emotional Influence
The modern world prizes authenticity and emotion. Who can argue with that? No one likes to befriend a phony. You never know which friend will show up!
I personally gravitate toward blunt honesty. I’d rather know what someone is thinking, even if it’s offensive and incorrect. At least I know what’s going through their heads.
Yet, there’s a downside to this kind of so-called authenticity. For one, it prizes transparency over truth. Although this sounds good at first blush, it can subtly reshape the truth if left unchecked.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong. I’ll defend your right to say it!” Generally speaking, I agree. I fully support the right to free speech. I believe, generally speaking, active debate is healthy.
Here’s the problem. Entertaining every single idea that strides in the door can lead some to believe lies. Tell a lie to someone enough times, and they start to accept it as truth.
In most situations, this is unsustainable. Accepting every person’s perspective as valid smacks of emotion and fervor but lacks credibility. In fact, there are very few scenarios where this actually works in real life.
Let me illustrate.
Let’s say we’re in a courtroom. A witness gets up and agrees to tell the truth. Yet, when he’s examined, he tells the court what he wishes happened, or what makes him happy to tell them, or what he feels is important.
“But that’s not the truth!” the attorney cries. “You said you would tell the truth!”
“Don’t forget. I have the right to say what I want, and you should defend me for that.”
That’s not going to work in a court of law. It also won’t work when everyone stands before God to give an account. This is what the Bible tells us:
“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:35–36, NASB 95)
Uh, oh. I’m sure we’ve all let a careless word or two escape our lips. Everyone will give an account of those and much more. God’s not going to accept excuses of how we felt or what we’re allowed to say. He wants us to understand there’s right and wrong, and He’s the one who determines them.
The point is that authenticity and emotion are good so long as they cling to the truth. An honest person who doesn’t hold to the truth is that opinionated jerk who gets along with no one because he listens to no one but himself. An emotional person who shows his authenticity is that guy we hear about on the news who explodes in a mindboggling bout of road rage.
You get the picture. The world doesn’t have the answer when it demands authenticity. Common sense instructs us to search for what is true. After that, we can pursue whatever authenticity we can find.
Until then, let’s find satisfaction in God’s truth.
Reaffirming Truth Rather Than Abandoning It
This brings us to an obvious conclusion if we follow Christ. Reevaluation doesn’t have to lead to total abandonment of our faith. We don’t have to deconstruct and destroy our faith. As we’ve seen, that only leads us to other options that won’t bring us the answers we’re looking for.
But reevaluating our faith can have some startling effects. For one, it can lead to deeper roots and renewed confidence in God’s Word.
If we peered earnestly and honestly into the deep recesses of our souls, we would find things that must change. We’d be surprised at how many ideas we cling to that we think are biblical but are actually tradition. Reassessing our faith can help us root out the inconsistencies in what we believe.
To truly have confidence in the power of God’s Word in our lives, we must rip out those things planted by culture, education and our own upbringing that don’t square with Scripture. This will help reaffirm the faith we already hold.
Paul explained it this way: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Colossians 2:6–7, NASB 95)
Confidence and growth come with learning and living the truth of God’s Word. Everything else is negotiable.
It will also do wonders for our relationship with our God. We have a better chance of feeling the presence of God if we are actually obeying Him. Jesus Himself said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10, NASB 95)
There’s no substitute for a white-hot desire to grow closer to God through obedience. In that context, reexamining faith becomes a stone that sharpens the blade of our faith even more. As we do this, we find our faith reaffirmed.
So What?
It isn’t wrong to reevaluate our faith. As we’ve seen, even the flawless Son of God begged God with “why.” It’s the way we do it that’s important.
But if we approach reevaluating faith with the desire to call it into question so that we can doubt it, we’ve already failed. That’s not faith. That’s simply making excuses for faithlessness.
Deconstructing faith isn’t a valuable tool for believers. Reevaluation so that we can reaffirm our faith is. Searching the Scriptures and begging God daily for wisdom are the first steps to reaffirming our faith.
At the end of it all, our faith will grow stronger as we pursue the knowledge of God with all our heart, desiring to serve Him better.
Do you know Jesus? If not, find Him here.
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