Christians often allow the failures of others to dictate their own thoughts and judgments, as if other people’s defeats could set the standard for sound doctrine. But the Bible says, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?” Only the spirit of a man knows his own thoughts. We may observe someone’s actions, we may hear his words, and witness his outcome, but his deepest beliefs and inner struggles are hidden, perceived only by God and himself. God alone searches hearts and minds. He alone directly knows the genuineness of a person’s faith. We must guard our own faith, and ensure that it rests on the word of God rather than the circumstances of other people.
We do not know what another person truly believes. Perhaps he failed because he doubted and wavered in his faith. Perhaps he followed a historic religious heritage instead of the gospel, and became entangled by human doctrines and traditions. Perhaps he trusted in sacraments instead of the word of God, and in his own suffering instead of grace. Perhaps he harbored secret sins, or was deceived by Satan in some way not known to us. There are many possibilities. We do not know. We can only speculate, and it is useless to speculate. What we know is that his failure should mean nothing to us. Allowing another person’s failure to affect our confidence is to anchor our soul to his private struggles and circumstances.
Suppose a preacher experienced tremendous success in the ministry of healing, but then he himself died from sickness. There are people who, based on something like this, claim that it is not God’s will to heal everyone after all, or that the promise of God is not to heal everyone, even when they have faith. It is almost never suggested that this man probably did not have faith for his own healing. People love to use another person’s failure to shape their doctrine and confirm their unbelief, when they ought to blame the failure on that person himself.
Who knows what the preacher believed? You say, “He prayed for many others, and they received healing.” But perhaps those people believed, and this preacher never did. There have been cases where an evangelist led many people to Christ, only to discover after many years that he had never been saved. Perhaps the preacher had faith for others to receive healing, but for some reason, possibly due to some religious hangup or deception, he never had faith for his own healing. We cannot know the condition of his heart, and his experience cannot guide our beliefs.
God’s word alone must be our authority. The failures of others, even if they are apostles and prophets in the Bible, cannot supplant the facts of redemption and the explicit promises of God. This ought to be obvious, but it appears most Christians are too stupid to realize this. And of course, the Faithless are eager to seize on any excuse to undermine the benefits of the gospel. Rather than speculate about another person’s failure, we should examine our own hearts, and trust only in God’s word. The failures of others can serve as a reminder of our need to remain watchful. However, their failures are theirs alone. We do not have to experience the same failures.
Take Saul as an example. Saul was anointed as the first king of Israel and initially appeared to be a man suited to lead the people. He exhibited humility, and had several spiritual experiences and moments of victory. But beneath the surface, his heart became filled with pride, jealousy, and disobedience. His rebellion against God’s commands and his relentless pursuit of David revealed the true state of his spirit. Saul had turned away from God, but it was not immediately apparent, and his decline led to God’s rejection and a tragic end. His story warns us that spiritual failure often begins with compromises and unchecked pride.
Consider also Judas Iscariot. He portrayed himself as a loyal disciple, but his heart became filled with greed and betrayal. He walked with Jesus, heard his teachings, and witnessed his miracles, but the true condition of Judas was far worse than anyone realized. It seemed only Jesus knew. When he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, it became clear that his appearance of faithfulness was masking his spiritual decay. His tragic end reminds us that a person’s actions can conceal a contrary inner reality. His spiritual decline remained hidden. It was not obvious to the other disciples close to him.
Another example is Ananias and Sapphira in the early church. They appeared to be generous participants in the Christian community, selling a piece of property and bringing a portion of the proceeds to the apostles. However, their attempt to deceive the community and gain recognition revealed the corruption in their hearts. Their immediate judgment reminds us that God is able to see beyond our outward displays of holiness and generosity. Those who are actively involved in the church can still suffer decay beneath a veneer of piety. Their true condition was not obvious until God struck them down. But God does not immediately punish everyone who experiences failure in their faith. Most inner failures are never discovered in this life.
We can discuss these examples because there were signs of deterioration and rebellion, but with most people, including some in the Bible who died in sickness or tragedy, we will never know what truly led to their end, so that we can only speculate. There could be an obvious explanation for each case if we knew what was happening in their private lives, but we do not know. Certainly, we cannot say that because they experienced an undesirable ending, then we will probably experience something like it. We cannot say that since someone who appeared spiritual experienced a failure, then God never promised to deliver us from it, or that God’s promise must be interpreted by that failure. Yet, this is how most people — absolute, total morons — approach Scripture.
However, we can know the word of God, and we can know ourselves. It is possible to explain and prevent our own failures. If Satan can deceive us into thinking that failure is inevitable and unpredictable, then he can neutralize even the most explicit promises of God for our salvation, healing, and success. This is what Satan has done with most Christians, so that this kind of thinking has become universal and uncontested. But if we will focus only on the word of God and become unaffected and even uninterested in the failures of others, then Satan’s strategy cannot work on us.
You cannot know what another man believes, especially if you do not know him in person and have never spoken to him. If a Christian claimed to have faith for healing but died of sickness, you cannot know if he truly believed. You cannot know if he prayed for it at all when he was by himself, and you cannot know what he said when he prayed. Did he pray with confidence in the word of God, or did he resign his fate to some unknown decree, using that as his excuse? Did he express certainty, or did he wallow in false piety and humility? You do not know.
But what is that to you? Why do you care? I don’t care at all. I have the word of God. As Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me!” He said that in a different context, but it remains true that we should follow Jesus and not focus on what happens to other disciples. I have even seen people point to the failures of others in order to anticipate their own possible failure in the future, and in a way that suggests they could believe and perform perfectly, yet end tragically due to the will of God. They wish to appear balanced and humble. The truth is that they are not following Jesus Christ. They are using other people to make excuses.
There have been many Christians who maintained their faith to the end, and they died in peace and prosperity, without sickness and without tragedy. If you are affected by other people’s examples, why not focus on these instead? Do you see the deception? Many Christians experience a crisis of faith whenever they are disappointed in someone. They see a leader fall into sin, and suddenly they question God’s power to keep his people from stumbling. They watch a close friend turn away from the faith, and doubt begins to gnaw at their own convictions. Such reactions reveal a low intelligence and an improper focus. If your faith is that dependent on those around you, it is no faith at all. Your house is built on sand, and it will not stand against a storm. God’s word is the only solid foundation.
Why should I care when that preacher died in sickness and tragedy? Perhaps he did not have faith. You might wish to believe that he had faith, but you cannot know that he did. If we assume what the Bible teaches instead of what appearances suggest, then the preacher did not have faith for his healing. If we have no information to make a more nuanced judgment, then this is the most probable explanation. Why should I waver even when a prophet in the Bible became sick and died? Unless the Bible specifies the reason and wants to teach me a lesson out of it, I don’t care why it happened. If the Bible does not say, then I don’t care. I still have God’s promise. God has not died, and God has not gotten sick. Why should I care about anything else? Satan and Judas are also in the Bible. I do not follow their examples; instead, the Bible teaches me principles to judge and condemn them.
The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart, but he committed murder and adultery. Does that mean I should also commit murder and adultery? The explicit teachings of the Bible forbid these things. Both the teachings and the examples are recorded in Scripture, but I take the explicit commands of God to interpret the actions of David, not the other way around. I do not take the actions of David to redefine the commands of God. The fact that the actions of David are recorded in Scripture means that they really happened, and the commands of God recorded in Scripture show me that David was really wrong in doing those things.
Peter is another example. He was an apostle, but he made a mistake when he avoided the Gentiles, and Paul rebuked him in front of everyone. Regardless of Peter’s action, the truth is clear. Anyone who has faith in Jesus is clean in the sight of God. No one, not even an apostle, should cause us to stumble on this point.
When it comes to sin, Christians know to think this way, but when it comes to the benefits of faith like healing and prosperity, favor and protection, suddenly they interpret the Bible in reverse. Now human failures shackle divine promises. Why? Because faithless religious people are lunatics, and clinically stupid. In fact, David’s failure reminds me to follow God’s commands even more, making me more likely to succeed where he failed. Peter’s error warns me never to compromise the fact that whoever has faith is a child of God, regardless of human categories. Likewise, when a prophet in the Bible died of sickness, it reminds me to believe God’s promises even more, so that I can live a long life and die in peace and health.
Why should I care if another person did not receive healing? Why should I care even if a prophet in the Bible died of sickness? The Bible promises me healing, and more than that, it teaches me that the healing is accomplished. It says, “Himself took our infirmities and carried our sicknesses.” Who knows why that prophet died? Who knows what he believed? But I know why Jesus died. And I know what he believed. So I will take the word of God and interpret other people’s experiences. I will say that they sinned, or wavered, or failed, although I might not know how. But I refuse to deny the promises of God and preach a different gospel in order to accommodate their failures or to excuse my own.
God’s word alone is the authority that shapes our beliefs. Men’s failures are varied and numerous, but they do not nullify the promises of God. When Israel doubted and rebelled in the wilderness, it was not God’s word that failed. The next generation believed, and they experienced his promises. When David sinned grievously, God did not revoke his covenant. God remained faithful, even though David faltered. And when David repented, he continued to live in health and wealth, and the joy of salvation. Do not tether your soul to the fragile faith or unknown condition of another man. Anchor yourself to the word of God, and you will never be moved.