Jesus and His disciples were straightforward about the need for a pure and undiluted faith – a faith in Jesus alone. They did not pull punches or dance around the truth about Jesus. John wrote that Jesus alone was the only way, the only truth, and the only way to eternal life. John also wrote that no one can come to God apart from Jesus. 

Abandoning or diluting that truth was anathema to the Lord’s followers. It should be the same for us. A faith that has allowed itself to become infested by other belief systems is not a faith in Jesus. Today, for some believers, the truth about Jesus has been infested with a host of other possibilities for salvation. 

At the core of that infestation is a fear of not being accepted when we speak the truth about the Lord.  It reveals a tolerance of what needs to be confronted as a counterfeit gospel. Toleration has caused people to move away from the distinctives of Jesus and open the door to allow deceptions of all kinds to enter their faith, creating a spiritual infestation.

Paul addressed this issue in his letter to the Corinthians, “I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted” (Corinthians 11:2-3). 

In the next verse, Paul reveals how our faith becomes infested by deceiving spirits, “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed” (vs.4).

The meaning of the word “infest” means to torment or harass those who have been infested. Toleration is an infesting presence within the Church. When we allow toleration to have its way and not be challenged, we will join in with the deceivers who have abandoned a pure and simple faith in Christ alone. 

As the impact of that infestation gains ground, it will eventually lead to a place where we will believe “whatever anyone tells you.” Scripture will be abandoned in the process, along with the history of the Church, allowing human speculation to take the reins, leading people away from the Lord. 

Easter is coming. It’s a time when we gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. People from all walks of life and from diverse ways of believing will be present. It’s an opportunity to present a clear and distinct message about Jesus.

The people gathering with us on Easter need to hear that kind of message and what it means to be saved from the delusions people brought with them into our meeting. Only those who truly believe in the Gospel will have the courage to speak that truth in love.