My daughter will be going off to college soon. My hope is that as she is finding herself, growing into a mature woman, making her own daily decisions, that she still brushes her teeth. I know, I know, the deconstruction argument (as I am using the term) may say that she should find out how to live on her own. Perhaps teeth-brushing is one of those unnecessary rules or traditions that parents use to try to control kids. Perhaps dental care and gum health is code for “Western patriarchal colonialism.” Having healthy teeth isn’t necessarily good; it is simply what the reigning cultural hegemonic powers preferred, and so they declared it “good” as they dominated others with their oppressive belief in oral hygiene. On the other hand, maybe as my daughter goes into the world, she will believe — as a presupposition — that her parents love her and trained her with knowledge and wisdom to keep her safe, to help her thrive, and to choose things that bring life and not death.
Perhaps she will continue to brush her teeth, realizing that wisdom passed down from generations is—wait for it—actually a good thing. To ensure that her dental health is good, details like invisalign vs braces might be worth knowing.
My sincere plea to those reading this is: No matter what you call it or how you define the term, beware of the second group’s approach, which I describe as true “deconstruction.”
As I explain in my book, “Awake and Alive To Truth,” the person who reads the Bible in faith will accept the things that are from the Spirit of God. On the other hand, the Word of God seems foolish to those without the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11-16, ESV). In other words, it’s possible some who once believed the Bible was true, and have been blessed by reading it and implementing it, now approach the Bible with faithlessness; that same life-giving book can seem like foolishness! “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12, ESV).
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There is no other foundation to build your life upon that leads to life, other than Jesus Christ. His Word is forever, and His Word never fails. Beware of those who teach another Gospel, especially if they tell you everything you want to hear, and lead you toward ways of living and thinking that earn applause from the world. They are like the direct-message dudes. Just because they are subtle instead of aggressive does not mean it’s not a brazen attempt to lead you out of the faith.
If anyone reading this chooses to deconstruct without holding onto faith in the authority of Scripture as a conviction, I will still love and accept you just as I would love my daughter if she stopped brushing her teeth. Nevertheless, I would fear her teeth would fall out, just as I fear your faith will fizzle out.
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11, ESV).
This article originally appeared on John Cooper’s Facebook page.
