23 July 2015
Ken F. miller
Every generation always reaches a point in their existence that they start seeking the answer to life, purpose, and eternity. Some are born into faith or traditions passed along by parents or culture, and many times there are cases that reflect home life to be a source of comfort, a source of identity, and a moral code. To some people though, religious teaching no longer deals with the discovery of truth, but with control, whereas it no longer teaches of knowing God, but of following the commandments of men. Once that occurs then faith has become a form of bondage rather than freedom. Listen to what Jesus said about this;
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:7-9 (KJV)
The journey that leads to the correct, Spirit-guided relationship to God starts with the ability to distinguish between following tradition and the truth. A few people are currently posing some tough questions, Am I a follower of Christ or am I a follower of what I have been told about Christ? This honest reflection is the first step in overcoming religious indoctrination and embracing a faith grounded in Scripture, not systems.
It is this religious/spiritual indoctrination subject that my book and this website will “attack” since it is Satan’s weapon in attacking Christians and the Church.
I have created an up-front, concise lesson plan that mirrors scripture, THIS IS NOT an interpretation of scripture, and I want to remind the reader that no study guide is a good substitute for studying the Bible, chewing over the word with a fellow Christian, and praying to God for discernment. There are no substitutes for a relationship with Jesus Christ; only one Testament exists. Should you (and you will) find yourself disagreeing with something in this study the first place to go is Jesus, in prayer, asking for understanding and guidance from the Holy Spirit. The sole purpose of this study is to (1) remove the disillusion of what current-day man wants the Bible to mean and (2) be as a guide to teach the Doctrine of Christ as God originally intended it according to scripture which will automatically guide us into “being perfect in Christ”.
When Tradition Replaces Truth
There is no way that faith can be based on rituals, rather, it is about a relationship with Christ. And overcoming religious indoctrination means learning to differentiate between what the Bible teaches and what may have been added or slanted by tradition of mankind.
1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7:1-13 (KJV)
Verses 6-9 above says everything there is to be said about this subject. As my great grandmother used to say. “There, that is a fact so there is no discussion.”
This was the problem that Jesus Himself had to address in His ministry. In Mark 7:8, He spoke to the religious leaders as saying: You have abandoned the commands of God, and are clinging onto human that you have made. They had exchanged divine truth with man-made customs in their bid of maintaining religious identity and they lost the heart of God in the process.
There is no way that faith can be based on rituals, rather, it is about a relationship with Christ. And overcoming religious indoctrination means learning to differentiate between what the Bible teaches and what may have been added or slanted by tradition of mankind.
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Proverbs 3:1-12 (KJV)
Signs You Can Be Spiritually Pinned
It’s not always easy to tell when indoctrination has taken root, until it’s too late. Some signs to look for include:
- Fear of questioning spiritual authority
Good faith can receive candid questions. When a question regarding doctrine or church practices is received with guilt or shame then something is not right. It’s time to turn to the Doctrine of Christ. - Rules without relationship
If your religion is more on outward actions than inward transformation it’s time to reevaluate your belief in that doctrine. - Guilt-driven obedience
Following God out of fear of punishment rather than love for Him is a hallmark of spiritually manipulative systems. Biblically speaking, if we “fear God and keep His commandments”, what we are doing is reverently worshiping God. - No room for growth
If your church doesn’t allow for new insight or prevents people from getting access to Scripture, RUN, RUN from that church and never go back.
These caution flags are not reasons to shed faith, instead, it is time to immediately seek out a Christian Church that teaches and lives by the Doctrine of Christ.
Returning to the Word (Transformation not Reformation)
Rebellion and cynicism is not the antidote of indoctrination, it is truth. And that fact lies in Scripture. Exploring the bible on your own, through prayer and humility, is also one of the most effective means of clarity on spiritual matters, provided you look at the “Big Picture” of what the scriptures says and not “cherry pick” what you want it to say. People who are spiritually smothered have often gotten new life in going back to the Word of God free of the narrowed lens of a system or denominational infatuations. I can say this with authority and personal experience, coming from a Southern Baptist background, for twenty-one years I was indoctrinated not only by the Southern Baptist but by my parents as well, during this time not for one minute did I ever question them or the “Baptist Faith and Message”. But when I had to teach God’s Word using only the Bible…that’s when major conflict came into my life!
The bible is definitive, compelling and adequate. As one reads and comes to know God but not just to make an argument, it starts to remake everything; the way we perceive God, ourselves and others. Biggest problem of today’s churches is “cherry picking” God’s Word to satisfy their own belief.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us this fact, that all scripture are God-breathed and is useful to teach, rebuke, correct and train the individual to righteousness. We are not made by church tradition, popular opinion or by the institutional authority but by the living Word of God.
The Shift to Transformation in Place of Indoctrination
When you finally learn the tendencies of unhealthy religious influence, it would not be a matter of throwing your religion away, but it would be the issue of finding Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit. I have quoted Jim Wallis many times in my book and website I want to do it again because what he says nails this “subject closed” once and for all.
“When you start with the wrong question, no matter how good an answer you get, it won’t matter much.
“We need to find where we made our wrong turns and how we got off track; then we need face the truth of what brought on this crisis—even if that truth is uncomfortable and, especially, if some of those answers can be found in the mirror…
“To get out of a destructive cycle, to stop spinning in circles, and to break bad habits, we need a change, a different direction, new habits. When we clear the space of something old, we finally have room for something new. If we clear out the weeds, we can let the new flowers grow.
“The crisis is deep and wide, and to get out, change needs to come from families, communities, and our whole society. These kinds of changes are never quick or easy solutions but, rather, long-term shifts that we must choose and rechoose every day.”
Here are some suggested processes you can follow to get on track.
- Request God to have discernment put into your life
- Pray to see clearly. Pray asking the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts to see what is true, what is man-made, and what must be changed by the Holy Spirit in your belief.
- Study the Scripture, accepting it for exactly what it says, do not generalize or “read between the lines”.
- Do not stick to sermons or commentaries only, most of them are man’s opinion. Use personal time in the Bible, ask questions, cross-reference and use a Bible concordance.
- Earnestly hunt down mature believers
- Stay humble
- Being re-introduced to faith can be disturbing. Stay teachable.
- Embrace grace
- God’s grace is big enough to carry you through the process of reformation and restoration.
Healing Takes Time
Overcoming religious indoctrination is not just about changing your beliefs, it’s about healing your heart. Spiritual manipulation has left the scars on many in the form of guilt and shame or fear, or confusion. For me these scars are deep and wide, sore, touchy, so painful that it makes me cry at times. I’ve learned that God is never caught off guard (since He is always in control of every situation), but more importantly He is never out of arms reach from me.
Jesus did not come with a religion. He has been sent here to draw us into a spiritually rich life, a life of truth, freedom and love and above everything salvation. His harshest rebukes were not for the broken, but for the religious elite who used power to oppress others in God’s name (read the life story of Apostle Paul when his name was Saul). That same Jesus still invites weary souls to come to Him, not to a system, but to a Savior.
Finding Solid Ground Again
If you’re walking through this process, know you are not alone. Many others have questioned, wrestled, and emerged with a faith that is deeper, stronger, and more authentic than anything they had before.
My upcoming book, Understanding the Doctrine of Christ, according to Hebrews 5:12-14 and Hebrews 6:1-20. scheduled for release in August 2025, is designed for believers ready to move past tradition and into Scripture-rooted maturity. Drawing from years of study and practical ministry, the book outlines a clear path for those rebuilding their faith on the foundation of Christ’s teachings.
Stay connected to TheDoctrineOfChrist.net for resources, insights, and tools to help you grow in truth and freedom, one step at a time.
