Replacing False Beliefs with the Truth

At the outset of this blog, let me give credit to Robert McGee’s work provided in his book The Search for Significance (highly recommended reading). Much of what follows has this book’s DNA. 

In February of 1971, Paul McCartney formerly of the Beatles wrote a song titled “Another Day” – the song describes the daily routine of a lady, unhappy and mundane, expressing “it’s just another day.” Is that how you woke up thinking or feeling this morning? I have fallen prey to that mindset all too often.  

Let me ask another question: as you move through these mundane days, do you find yourself seeking meaning in the acceptance and approval of others? Don’t know? Well, let’s check that out. 

Ask yourself these questions: 

1. Do I tend to believe that I must meet certain performance standards to be approvable – to have worth?

2. Do I tend to believe that I must be esteemed by certain others to be acceptable? 

3. Do I tend to believe that those who fail (including myself) are unworthy of love and deserve blame and punishment? 

4. Do I tend to believe frustratingly that I am what I am - I cannot change - I am hopeless and full of shame? 

If you emphatically said “yes” to any of these questions, then you might be mired in the quagmire of “false beliefs.” Based on my tendencies, and based on what I have seen, I suspect you might struggle with at least one of these items. 

As we look left and right in our world, we find ourselves desperately wanting to achieve some notable feat, or be included in various social, academic, athletic, economic, or other circles with high approval and acceptance. Further, we tend to look at the performance, behavior, beliefs of ourselves and others and quietly judge that people that don’t measure up are unlovable, and should suffer punishing consequences. And like the McCartney song above, some of us simply fall into the rut of the mundane, frustrating thought that I am unchangeable and simply “this is my life and I will just live in shame.” 

If you read McGee’s book, you will find his overarching false-belief formula to be: 

My (and others) Worth = My (and others) Performance + Other People’s Opinions about me (them) 

So if this formula is true, approval, acceptance, blame, and shame are tied to our performance plus what others think about us. You may be thinking: “Of course this is the measurement – we live in a performance-based society!” But this thinking is directly opposite to Biblical Truth. 

Even worse, these habitually wrong beliefs can lead to various forms of anxiety or depression that sometimes even reach clinical levels. The associated struggles from false beliefs show up in excessive anger, jealousy, bitterness, frustration, disappointment, sadness, risk-taking, compromising, medicating, nervousness, and other problematic behaviors.  

Unfortunately, if the beliefs stay unnoticed and unreplaced, we become a part in the final verse of McCartney’s song about “just another day”: 

So sad, so sad. Sometimes she (we) feels so sad.  

Oh, but because of God’s great mercy and His Word, we can deal with this! As a biblical counselor, I am tasked, through God’s Word and by God’s power, with helping people dispel the false beliefs that they have adopted, and replace those false beliefs with the Truth of the Scripture.

While our subject lady in the noted song lyric is looking for who-knows-what, we point to Jesus and His finished work to change our outlook in the Search for Significance. 

So, let’s look at the Scriptures to give us the proper spiritual mindset as we begin each day where His mercies are “new” as conveyed in Lamentations (of all books!). The remedy is tied to the finished work of Christ. 

1. Approval (versus failure) – Our quest is to replace the false belief that I must meet certain standards to have worth. (Example: If I could just get that promotion, I would be worthy of approval.)  
   
   We replace this by embracing the Truth with the theological concept we term Justification. This Truth emphatically says that we have been declared 100% righteous based on  Christ’s perfect righteousness that was transferred to us when we embraced Jesus by faith (Ref. Romans 5:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21 e.g.). Thus, being declared “perfect” based on what Christ has done on my behalf, at what higher level do I need to perform to be approved? The answer is obvious. 

2. Acceptance (versus rejection) – Our quest is to replace the false belief that I must be esteemed by certain others to be worthy of acceptance. (Example: If I could just economically measure up to that group, they might accept me into their clique and I would love it!).  
   
   We replace this by embracing the Truth with the theological concept we term Reconciliation. This Truth emphatically says that although at one time (outside of Christ) we were at enmity with God (not in His clique as it were), we have now been reconciled to Him by the finished work of Christ – not only reconciled, but adopted! (Colossians 1:21-22, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 e.g.). Thus being reconciled to and adopted by almighty God Himself, how many more earthly acceptances do I need to be fully accepted? The answer is obvious. 

3. Innocence (versus blame – punishment) – Our quest is to replace the false belief that those who fail (including myself) are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished. (Example: The behavior of my teenage kids drives me mad, makes me angry, and I am going to give them a tongue-lashing they’ll never forget.)   
   
   We replace this by embracing the Truth with the theological concept we term Propitiation. Simply put, God’s wrath against our sins has been satisfied by His unleashing of punishment onto Jesus at the cross where Jesus said, “It is finished” (1 John 4:9-11 e.g.). Thus, if Jesus has appeased God’s wrath on our behalf, how much more punishment does our or someone’s performance deserve? The answer is obvious. (Guidance and discipline to those teenage kids -yes; verbally abusive punishment – no). 

4. Flourishing (versus shamed / stifled) – Our quest is to replace the false belief that frustratingly posits I am what I am - I cannot change - I am hopeless. (Example: My past sin is so grave; this burden will never be lifted – I am hopeless.) 
   
   We replace this by embracing the Truth with the theological concept we term Regeneration (tied to Sanctification - Ephesians 2: 1, 1 Corinthians 5:17e.g.). When we embrace Christ through faith, the Bible is clear that we have become new creations, and that God now does a work in and through our new heart. He does change us as we grow in Christ so that we can look forward and not wallow in shame. Really – is God unable to change you? The answer is obvious. 

The application to dismissing false beliefs is straightforward, but it will take full reliance on the Holy Spirit to undo the habitual patterns of thinking and behavior that have plagued us for so long. We must (by His power) daily renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2) to recall and know that we are fully approved, fully accepted, fully significant to, fully loved by God, and ever-changing in and through the finished work of Christ. If resting in God’s finished work is an application, then that is your and my application. However, it does not mean we rest from being about his Kingdom’s work.  

On the contrary, we stop the folly of seeking approval, acceptance, security, love in worldly desires (things and relationships) all the while dismissing our adopted position through the finished work of Christ. With that change, resulting from our gratitude and love for/from Him, we become immersed in His desires: Worshipping Him, serving others, spreading the Gospel, making disciples. 

Over time, the lyrics can become: 

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee.