To me, therein lies the problem.
There are too many people who listen to false teachers ( and refuse correction from Scripture ), all the while claiming to believe the Gospel and God's words.
I rarely run into a professing believer who even
remotely exhibits any discernment, preferring to defer to their pastor on everything.
Bring up certain passages and one gets a blank stare...
Talk about something in-depth?
Forget it.
For the most part, they're more interested in the next football game, or the who's-who of politics, or some other distraction.
God's word?
Jesus Christ?
"That's for Sundays".
True believers seem to be like water in the desert, at least in my area.
Again, therein lies a problem...try to get any group of professing believers to agree on anything Scripture states, and "let the games begin".
This forum is an excellent example of the back-and-forth that I started to experience some 15 years ago, now.
Case-in-point, try getting anyone, even here, to agree with what Acts of the Apostles 13:48, John 6:29, John 6:44, John 6:64-65, John 10:26, John 17:2, Romans 8:29-30 and a whole host of others actually say, and I'm sure you'll be forced to admit...
Doctrine divides.
Even
Scripture divides.
Most churches don't even bother to go to certain areas of the Bible, because of the risk of controversy.
Over God's word?
Are you kidding me?
It's God's word!
It's pretty much why I shy away from conversations with professing believers in my area anymore.
There are at least 12 of them in the plant where I work...most of them are worldly, none of them read their Bibles to any extent that I'm aware of...
And most of them are doctrinally unsound, from my point of view.
It's like talking to someone who has Jesus Christ on a back burner, and the world at the forefront.
They're all nice people, but their love for Christ seems to be skin-deep.
None of them seem to be going through the trials of faith and tribulations that I am.
Being divided from those who clearly hate Christ so much that they use His name for a curse word is one thing...but trying to initiate a spiritual conversation with someone who values "Christian culture" more than a personal relationship with their Saviour is like cutting teeth.
It's painful, to say the least, and it saddens me greatly.
Apologies for the lament.