Question Everything

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. --1st John 4:1

In the movie I.Q., garage mechanic, Ed Walters (portrayed by Tim Robbins) falls in love with Albert Einstein's niece, Katherine (Meg Ryan). In order to convince Katherine to date him, Ed must make her believe that he is an intellectual, every bit as knowledgeable about the field of physics as Albert Einstein (Walter Matthau) himself. To this end, Ed and Dr. Einstein manage to con the local college community into believing that they have developed a cold fusion rocket. Katherine, a brilliant mathematician, gets her hands on their cold fusion notes and proceeds to "question everything" by applying mathematical proofs and theorems so that she might understand the intricacies of the equations and how the process that fuels the stars can be put into a bottle.

As Christians we also must "question everything". This is not because of disbelief or even necessarily skepticism. Most often the process of testing things is so that we can gain a better understanding of the character of God, and develop a solid foundation about why we believe what we do. Throughout the church's history, God's word and the people who have presented it to the masses, have been scrutinized. By this process, different denominations and their doctrines have been formed, different credos canonized, and bodies of believers strengthened.

For anyone to blindly accept one man's teaching over another's is a foolish practice. At times, heretics and their unorthodox teachings have been exposed. Perpetrators of lies and non-biblical teachings have been rebuked and admonished, and false prophets revealed for what they truly are--the enemy. Without discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit, many of us would fall to the temptation to believe something delivered from the mouth of man rather from the heart of God.

Whether we search the scriptures on our own or whether we receive formal instruction in our churches or schools, we must remember that God's word is the final authority. Questioning everything is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, we are blessed if we hunger and thirst for righteousness. By feasting on scripture and asking the Holy Spirit to give us a measure of wisdom and discernment, we can identify those things that are truly of God, and which are contrary to Him.