There is something called the “Mere Exposure Effect.” It is a psychological, and sadly, a spiritual effort to influence people to believe certain things over time. It is sometimes called the “Familiarity Principle.” This effect/principle has been used by governments to bring change to a resistant population. It is more dangerous in how it is used in our lives in a spiritual context. It is a long effort to create a desired result that will appear over time. The more you expose people to something the more they will tend to accept an error as normal behavior. 

The results of this effort have prepared people to believe and accept things only possible if they allow themselves to become the proverbial frog in a slowly boiling pot of water without an interruption to their thinking. In the end, it will produce the death of what is good. This is why holding onto long-established biblical truth is so important. It offers us an anchor that keeps us from wandering so far from the truth that we will willingly accept the result of our exposure to error.

Scripture, not human opinion, is what keeps us from becoming a victim of this dangerous effect. This is not about bible worship. It is seeking to know the Lord as expressed in both the Old and New Testaments. Without an understanding of God’s truth revealed across time, we will allow ourselves to believe in what is not truth and become what the word of God condemns.

Paul gave us wise advice on this kind of effort. He wrote, “Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:21). The word “test” used here has been defined as to “prove”, “discern”, or “scrutinize” something to see if it is genuine or not. Only God’s word, under the inspiration of the Spirit, can offer this kind of examination. It becomes the dividing line of what honors God and His word.

In this moment of time, it is more important than ever to stay away from every kind of evil being currently being accepted as the norm in a deceived culture. To remain within the truth of Scripture will always bring life, not death. The choice is ours to make.