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Cynicism: the deadly enemy of Christian love and service

Cynicism, an insidious attitude that can subtly take root within the human heart, poses a profound and dangerous threat to anyone devoted to Christian faith, service, and the advancement of God’s kingdom. Far from a mere personality quirk, cynicism harbors a “deadly element” that necessitates its avoidance “at all costs”. It stands as a formidable adversary to developing a genuine passion for the kingdom and serving the church in any truly meaningful capacity. Indeed, it is considered as pernicious an attitude as “lust,” “envy,” or “bitterness,” and must be actively prevented from taking hold in one’s spirit.

Defining Cynicism: A Deep-Rooted Unbelief

To understand cynicism, it is crucial to distinguish it from skepticism. A skeptic is someone who is “somewhat open and needs to be persuaded,” displaying a reluctance to believe. In contrast, a cynic is someone who is “actively and bitingly sour” in their disbelief. A cynic has already “made up their mind” to be negative about something. An official definition describes the adjective “cynical” as “believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest,” leading to a profound “distrust of human sincerity or integrity”.

The core danger of cynicism lies in its very essence: unbelief. Cynics fundamentally “don’t believe anything” and often assume that others are driven solely by “their own self-interest,” perceiving everyone else as selfish and lacking good motivation. They are, at their core, faultfinders and non-believers. This inherent distrust and lack of faith make cynicism utterly dangerous, as it “has at its root unbelief”.

The Biblical Counterpart: Scoffers

While the words “cynic” or “cynical” do not appear explicitly in the Bible, the concept is powerfully conveyed through the term “scoffers”. This biblical word precisely captures what we today refer to as cynics. The very first Psalm opens with a powerful admonition that directly addresses this attitude: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1).

This verse presents a “summons or a promise” that a person will be happier by committing their life to “reject the counsel of the wicked” and “oppose the admonitions of sinners”. Crucially, it warns against “sitting in the seat of scoffers,” which implies “hanging around and tolerating this attitude of unbelief,” a mindset where one believes “everything is a fake,” “everything is false,” and “everyone’s a hypocrite”. This is a “very powerful admonition”.

Prototypical Scoffers: The Pharisees

The New Testament provides vivid examples of this scoffing, cynical spirit, most notably personified by the Pharisees. While some Pharisees may have been pure of heart, many were characterized by a pervasive “legalism and an egoism” coupled with significant “cynicism” and “scoffing”. They were quick to ridicule anything that did not align with their rigid beliefs or perceived motivations. Their biting cynicism was consistently directed at Jesus and His followers – their actions, teachings, associations, and even where they chose to eat.

Consider Jesus’s description of this generation in Matthew 11:16-19:

  • “We played the flute for you and you did not dance.”
  • “We sang a dirge and you did not mourn.”
  • They found fault regardless of the situation. When John the Baptist lived an ascetic life, they accused him of having a demon. When Jesus came “eating and drinking,” they labeled Him a “glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners”.

This demonstrates their nature as “faultfinders,” always searching for reasons not to believe. They refused to be joyful when there was cause for celebration and refused to mourn when there was cause for sorrow, always moving “in the opposite direction of whatever Jesus was”. They were perpetually “holding back” and refusing to engage.

Another striking example of Pharisaic cynicism is found in John chapter nine, concerning Jesus’s healing of the man born blind. Despite witnessing a profound miracle – a man born blind now able to see – the Pharisees’ immediate reaction was not amazement or praise, but accusation. Their first question was not how this miracle occurred, but “He did it on the Sabbath,” qualifying it as “doing work on the Sabbath,” which they deemed “against the law”. Therefore, they “reject the thing because he did it on the Sabbath,” even though it was “a wonderful thing,” an “amazing thing”. When the parents confirmed their son was born blind but couldn’t explain the healing, the Pharisees openly rejected the miracle, claiming, “This is a lie. He couldn’t have been born blind”. The blind man’s simple, direct response – “All I know is a minute ago I couldn’t see and now I can see” – humorously highlighted their “blatant and overt wrongness”. This narrative powerfully illustrates “the spirit and why cynicism is so dangerous to the soul”.

The Grave Consequences of Cynicism

Be warned about the destructive nature of cynicism:

  • “Real destroyer of the faith”: Cynicism directly undermines one’s faith and hinders the ability to serve God meaningfully.
  • Rooted in unbelief: Because its foundation is unbelief, it actively works against the very essence of Christian life.
  • Paralysis of service: It is “impossible for you to want to give to something, to pray for something, to sacrifice your time, your safety, and anything for the kingdom of God” when fueled by a cynical spirit, as “it just takes faith to move forward”.
  • “Undoes the soul”: This attitude has a corrosive effect, threatening one’s spiritual well-being.
  • Leads to ruin: As warned in Acts 13:40-41, scoffing prevents belief and can lead to being “astounded and perish,” failing to recognize the work God is doing. This passage warns against fulfilling prophecies of “utter ruin and destruction” through scoffing.
  • Proliferates in the last days: Second Peter 3:3-4 warns that “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing following their own sinful desires,” questioning the promise of Christ’s return with mocking questions like, “Where is the promise of his coming?”. This highlights a “sourness of heart” that rejects belief and implies ulterior motives in those who proclaim truth.
  • Poison to ministry: For organizations like PassionLife, cynicism can be “such a poison to the things that we’re trying to accomplish as a mission agency”.

Cynicism allows no room for authenticity or belief in anything real, making one unable to be of service to anyone because it is “rooted in unbelief”.

Overcoming the Spirit of Cynicism

Recognizing the pervasive danger of cynicism, it is imperative to “wage war against it” with “all of our energy”. This battle requires a conscious and determined effort, similar to fighting against lust. A crucial step in overcoming cynicism involves a profound commitment to three pillars: the Word of God, the People of God (the Church), and the Gospel of God.

  1. Commitment to the Word of God: This is foundational. We must believe that the Bible is “powerful and accurate”. Even if people preach it “legalistically or wrongly or whatever,” the “word of God is read, it has its own power”. Our commitment is to teach the Bible accurately, but also to trust in its inherent power to convey its message, even when delivered imperfectly.

  2. Commitment to the People of God (the Church): This is often the most challenging pillar to uphold. It is easy to “poke fun at the church” due to its myriad faults, whether minor “silly things” in America or more severe issues observed globally, such as “horrendous teaching, legalism,” cult practices, or the “heinous perversion of the gospel” seen in the prosperity gospel. Examples of such issues include contractual understandings of faith, like promising a $10,000 return on a $1,000 “seed of faith,” or “old wives’ tales” distorting biblical principles related to pregnancy. Despite these flaws, our commitment rests on the conviction that “God has created the church to be his main instrument for transformation in the world today”. We believe that “whatever God is going to do in this world as far as real change for his kingdom, he’s going to do through his people, the church”. The church, though “broken and has faults” and “sinners in the church,” is not ours to ridicule; “she belongs to Jesus”. “God is going to perfect his church,” making her a “spotless bride”. This unwavering belief in God’s ongoing work within His church, understanding that “God’s not done with her yet,” is the “ultimate weapon against a spirit of scoffing or cynicism”. It eliminates the reason to be cynical or a faultfinder, as being a “faultfinder is just too easy” and “doesn’t lead to anything of any value really”. We must be “a fan of the church without being blind to her foibles”.

    A personal anecdote powerfully illustrates this principle: while a missionary in China in 2011, there was widespread alarm over Harold Camping’s prophecy of the world ending on May 21st. Initially, skepticism about his mathematical formula for dating the event was present, but cynicism arose upon realizing his broadcasts were being used for evangelism in China, potentially undermining sincere gospel efforts. However, this cynicism proved “fruitless” when one man, hearing the prophecy, became “scared to death,” began reading the Bible, and put his faith in Jesus Christ, wanting to be ready. Even though the prophecy proved false, God used it to bring someone to faith. This experience aligns with the Apostle Paul’s sentiment that even if the gospel isn’t preached from the “best motives” or “accurately and truly,” the paramount desire is “that the gospel go out”. This perspective is vital in opposing cynicism: while recognizing the church’s weaknesses, the commitment remains to the gospel’s propagation.

  3. Commitment to the Gospel of God: This final pillar affirms the belief that “God is using his people and his word to proclaim his good news in the world and in a way that people will respond. They will be transformed. They will be changed”. This commitment fuels the desire to invite others to engage with ministries like PassionLife, which aims to rescue “the most vulnerable where abortion is most concentrated,” seeing the crisis of abortion as a global missions challenge. Such engagement provides a tangible way to “fight back against the spirit of cynicism”.

In essence, cynicism, with its roots in unbelief and its nature as a faultfinding spirit, stands as a formidable enemy to Christian life and service. It undoes the soul and poisons any effort toward advancing God’s kingdom. However, by steadfastly committing to the powerful Word of God, the imperfect yet divinely appointed People of God (the Church), and the transformative Gospel of God, believers can overcome this destructive attitude. This commitment enables a path of faith, service, and genuine love, confident that God is still at work, perfecting His church and completing the good work He has begun in each individual.

This article is adapted from the episode transcript.