Where To Go With Doubts

A New Name for an Age-Old Problem: Deconstruction: Abandoning the Faith

About ten years ago, a new term slipped into everyday Christian vocabulary: deconstruction. As we know, construction means to build something; and so, understandably, deconstruction refers to tearing something down. In our social media age, the word is frequently used for those who are abandoning the Christian faith. Those of us who are older remember when we called it “backsliding,” which meant leaving your Christian beliefs and lifestyle and choosing to be absorbed into the world. The word backsliding is used multiple times in the Old Testament when the nation of Israel abandoned the LORD God to pursue their own idols and sensual lusts.

The statistics on deconstruction in our day are staggering. Millions of people, who at one time saw themselves as Christians, now see themselves as either “progressive Christians” or even more ominously as “nones”; that is, those who identify with no religion in particular. Social media has spawned or spread powerful anti-Christian tidal waves that many simply cannot resist.

Many former “Christians” deconstruct because they advocate for cultural values that are in vogue, but their church or families steadfastly refuse to endorse such values. For example, if you do not embrace the full range of LGBTQ+ agendas, you are called unloving, homophobic, transphobic, hateful, etc. Perhaps no other issue has caused so many to deconstruct. Furthermore, Christians are “unsafe” to be around, or even causing harm. Progressive Christianity’s answer is simple: Discard any Christian teachings disagreeable to you, accepting only those that appear consistent with your preferences.

Many Christian parents are dismayed because one or more of their children are not only having doubts about Christianity, but also, in some cases, leaving the Christian faith entirely. My observation has been that those who deconstruct today usually do so for emotional reasons. As already mentioned, they may have been hurt by the church or view Christians as harsh and uncaring. For whatever reason, a child who has grown up in a Christian home comes to say, “I hate my parents and I hate their God.”

My concern about this spiritual drift led me to preach a message at The Moody Church titled, “Rebuilding Broken Trust.” Asaph was a priest and worship leader about to abandon his faith in God. He was kept from “deconstructing” when he went into the temple of God and looked at life from a long-range point of view. There in the presence of God, he realized he had made three mistakes, and those three mistakes form the heart of my message.

But before we talk about solutions for deconstructing, we must ask: “Is there something we can learn from this heartbreaking trend?” The answer is yes. We must consider how many people don’t make up their mind about Christianity until they’ve made up their mind about Christians. The way we live, and the relationships we build, either make Christ more appealing or drive people away. Like it or not, how people feel in today’s world seems to carry more weight than objective truth.

That’s why we are making my sermon, Rebuilding Broken Trust available to you. I believe it will help you engage with the people in your life who no longer see the Christian faith as worth believing.

Meanwhile, let us ask God to help us rescue those who are making a shipwreck of their faith and their lives. The Bible predicted days like this will come, and we are called to warn, to instruct, and to pray.

Introducing Pastor Philip Miller of The Moody Church: A Special Interview with Pastor Lutzer

Pastor Lutzer: I am delighted to announce we are expanding the Moody Church Media team by introducing you to the senior pastor of The Moody Church, Philip Miller. He will be the new voice on The Moody Church Hour radio program. Pastor Philip’s messages are biblical, expository, and relevant. I’m so glad The Moody Church chose Pastor Philip because he loves the Gospel. I also want to let you know that I will continue to be the teacher on Running To Win. As you are introduced to his teaching, I know he will be a tremendous blessing to you.

Q&A with Pastor Lutzer

Lutzer: Pastor Philip, tell us a little bit about your background.

Miller: I’m the oldest of six children and was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin. When I was about four years old, my mother knelt with me beside my bed as I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I don’t know how much of the Gospel I really knew at that moment, but I knew that Jesus loved me and I knew that I wanted to be with Him.

Not too long after, my family moved to Cleveland, where I grew up. When I was about 12 or 13, I came to a deep realization of my sinfulness, and I cried out to God to save me, not just from the sins I did, but from me. At that moment, I experienced grace in a really deep and powerful way. So I would say that’s the moment I met Jesus.

I felt a call to ministry, but at first I thought it was a call to misery! I wanted to make money, have a big house, enjoy long weekends—the so-called American dream. Being in ministry seemed to be opposite of all of that. But God’s call prevailed and I went to a Christian college to begin preparing.

It was there that I met my wife, Krista. We have four wonderful children: Claire, Violet, Cora, and Jude.

Lutzer: Tell us more about your calling to the ministry.

Miller: I had a growing sense of calling building over the years, but God actually used Christian radio to help me formulate my calling! With six children, my parents wanted a little alone time at night, so they would put us to bed early. I couldn’t fall asleep right away, so my mom would say, “Well, you can either read a book or listen to Christian radio.” So I would turn on my radio and listen to great preachers. I’m more of an auditory learner anyway, so this was great for me. I fell in love with the proclamation of the Gospel, never dreaming that someday I would be preaching on Christian radio!

After college, I attended Dallas Theological Seminary, something you and I have in common, Pastor Lutzer.

Lutzer: Yes, we have several unique connections, don’t we?

Miller: Yes! My mother’s father also attended Dallas Theological Seminary. I always had a lot of affection for the seminary because of him, and that was a large part of how we ended up there. I also attended a Pastor’s conference you spoke at, and you signed one of your books for me. It’s still on my shelf.

Lutzer: How did God call you to The Moody Church?

Miller: It’s a long story, but you played an important part in it. When I interviewed for the pastorate, you said later that you felt a real connection and that I was the right candidate. That meant the world to me and served as confirmation of God’s call. I came to Chicago in 2020, and I’m glad you and Rebecca are faithful members here.

Lutzer: We’re glad too. And I look forward to ministering alongside you at Moody Church Media.

Learn more and watch a longer interview at moodymedia.org/PastorPhilip.