Two Kinds of Believers

In one very simplistic sense, I think you can divide believers into two basic groups or camps, the one being much larger than the other. The first, and by far the most common group, is comprised of those who, every day, live their own life, according to their own will, and yet find that God or religion are in several ways important or advantageous to their own purposes. I mean, their life consists of the things that they pursue, the activities that they enjoy, the people that they like, the things they possess, their own thoughts, interests, opinions, values, desires, and dreams, etc., and yet they have found it to be beneficial (for a variety of personal reasons) to have God or religion be among the many things that constitute their lives. And therefore they have adopted a view of God that serves the same purpose that many other important things do in their life; namely, it helps them get what they want, and keep what they love. This is the religion of the natural man, under whatever name or denomination. It is man at the center, living in himself and for himself, but trying to use God or religion to bless, protect, secure, comfort, lengthen, or adorn his own natural life.

Now, believers of this sort may talk a lot about God’s words and God’s truth, but underneath their doctrines and practices, their view of Him, their beliefs about Him, and their way of following Him all correspond nicely with their own will and perspective. He is the God that protects what they have, affirms what they are, helps them find the best things to strive after, and speaks peace and comfort to their minds when distress, guilt or disappointment arises. He is the God who decrees from heaven what they already believe and agree with, and providentially steers them where they already want to go. And because they love their own will, these sorts of religious people are very quick to tell you that they truly love their God, and can’t imagine their life without Him. And this is true. Religion has a very important place in the lives of such people. It makes their lives feel far more important, more safe, gives them a layer of spiritual relevance and depth, alleviates the recurring feelings of guilt and emptiness, and offers hope for a meaningful future and an afterlife. But nowhere in this first group will you find people talking about what they need to lose, or abandon, or surrender, put off, or even learn to hate and turn from, in order to draw closer to their God. There is little talk of sin, or sinfulness in the heart and mind of man, activities, pursuits, pastimes. They don’t quote Scriptures that say things like “your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Mar 8:35 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” These sorts of Scriptures get little attention in this group, because they quickly take man out from the center of the stage.

This is the first and larger group. That is, those who bring their own version of God into their lives, and who (perhaps unknowingly) define Him and serve Him in a way that corresponds perfectly with their own perspective and will. Consider this Scripture:

And Aaron received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt! So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”—Exodus 32:4-6

The other kind of believer is very much the opposite. Far from trying to bring their own version of God into their lives so that He may be defined and used by them, these humble-hearted believers bring their entire lives to the feet of God in order to be exposed, corrected and defined by Him. These have seen and felt that there is nothing more dangerous than following their own will; there is nothing more spiritually blind than natural sight; there is nothing more deceptive or disappointing than the desires of the flesh, and nothing more to be feared than to be found living a lie. These have a healthy distrust of their own perspective, have learned to fear their own ambition, and know from experience that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Gen. 8:21)

This second and smaller group are the returning prodigals, those who are “weary and heavy-laden” with a sight and sense of this world’s corruption and vanity. These are seeking true rest, and their relationship with God involves a sincere attempt to continually turn to His light, and to submit to the daily work of the cross. They have seen the “plague of their own heart” (1 Kings 8:38) far too clearly to ever want God to affirm, approve, or commend it in its natural course. They have seen that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” And so, rather than adoring the God of their own ideas and imaginations, they rather seek, love and fear the true God who unmasks their imaginations, corrects their ideas, exposes their selfish intentions, and uncovers their pride, ambition, and hidden motivations.

The hearts of these are filled with verses like, “Psal 86:11 "Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” Psal 19:9 "The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression." Psal 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."

These have little to say for themselves, and their hope is not fixed in what they will be, accomplish or possess, but in the power of God that heals the blind and deaf, cleanses the leper, casts out demons, and makes the lame to walk in the way of life.