Detecting spiritual imbalance in Christian groups

 By Nell Jeanne Hedrick

INTRODUCTION

Many people in the body of Christ have come into contact, at one time or another, with an unbalanced Christian group. We might call such groups by other names too: “ultra sectarian,” “toxic,” or “cultish.” They aren’t cults in the traditional sense of the word, but some of their characteristics make them similar in how they impact their adherents. In order to minimize misunderstanding, however, I’m going to use the term unbalanced in this discussion. This is an apt description, because in all cases something has gone wrong in the group’s dynamic, making them focus too heavily on some things to the detriment of their overall Christian health.

The spiritual damage that can be done by unbalanced groups is enormous, both to individuals and to the larger body of Christ. So it’s important that we become aware of some of the danger signs associated with imbalance and take action to make sure such excesses don’t take root in us.

Recognizing imbalance can be difficult. With the cults, we can pick out definite differences in dress, manner of life, and most importantly, what they teach as doctrine. The frustrating thing about unbalanced Christian groups is they seem to do everything pretty much like every other evangelical church group. Even what they teach from the Bible is usually orthodox; we could find no fault with their major doctrine concerning Christ. What has gone wrong is so subtle that Christians can participate in the group for years with nothing more than a vague feeling that “something is wrong here.”

Among these groups the problems come from such intangibles as wrong attitudes, unhealthy relationships, and too much of a good thing. Such assessments are necessarily subjective and individual, and because of that we might not consider them reliable means of judgment. But the truth is, there’s no way to make the distinction between something balanced and something unbalanced entirely objective. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, giving us moral clarity and biblical understanding, we’d find the task impossible. But with His help, we can make these assessments. Then we must be willing to act in accordance with His leading, no matter what others in the group might say to try to dissuade us.

I hope this attempt to discuss imbalance in Christian groups won’t be perceived as a tool to further divide the already hurting body of Christ. I’m not trying to create an artificial sense of alarm or paranoia for practices or views that may be different from our ideas about what is “normal” Christianity. Under the umbrella of orthodox Christian doctrine, there’s room for various expressions of diversity in minor doctrinal ideas and worship practices.

The goal of this book is not to create division. Rather, I want to to bring unity to the various expressions of Christ’s body by helping those who are struggling in a truly unbalanced group to break away from its bondages and enjoy  the freedom of the Larger Place—the place of mutual acceptance and fellowship around the person of Christ.

Light is never at risk of exposure, only darkness. That’s why Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). We shouldn’t be afraid of healthy self-examination, either as individuals or as groups. We need to test all things in the light of Scripture, with the discernment and wisdom available to us through the Holy Spirit.

As we take a closer look at some of the characteristics of unbalanced Christian faith, may we come to the place where we can experience what Paul prayed for his fellow believers in Philippians 1:9-11. “This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”