Faith is the most sacred connection between man and God, yet it is often distorted in church practices by human rituals and psychological needs. These blind spots are corroding the core of faith, weakening the depth of the direct relationship between man and God. Drawing from my personal experiences, I share these reflections as a reference, a reminder, and a warning.  

 I. Manifestations of Blind Spots: Formalism Replacing the Essence of Faith  

1.In many churches and religious institutions, public testimonies, baptism ceremonies, and collective behaviors are overly emphasized, even becoming the standards for assessing the authenticity of one’s faith. This practice conceals serious issues:  

2. Form Over Substance
  Churches often focus more on visible actions rather than genuine inner belief. For example, public baptisms and testimonies are seen as necessary milestones, disregarding biblical teachings that God values the heart over outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7).  

3. Driven by Group Psychology
  - Seeking Security: Many seek group validation in public testimonies to alleviate their own uncertainties about faith.  
  - Bolstering Confidence: Collective actions often become a way for believers to find "companions" rather than fully relying on God.  
  - Vanity at Play*: Some believers and institutions prioritize showing “piety” to outsiders, neglecting true repentance and authenticity in faith.  

II. Dangers of Blind Spots: Distorting the Essence of Faith  

1. Performative Faith
  When faith is defined by public testimonies and outward expressions, believers risk falling into the trap of formalism, where true faith is replaced by performance. Some may act to meet group expectations without genuine repentance or trust in God, leading to a gradual erosion of spiritual depth within the church.  

2. Loss of Privacy and Sanctity
  Faith should be the most profound relationship between man and God, yet when public expressions dominate, its sanctity is diluted by secular rituals. Matthew 6:6 reminds us, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Sacred relationships do not require external validation.  

3. Alienation from Group Pressure
  When public testimonies are deemed essential, those who prefer to keep their faith private may be marginalized or misunderstood as “less devout.” Faith, which should be free, becomes burdened by unnecessary demands, deviating from the core of the gospel.  

 III. Roots of Public Testimonies: Psychological Needs Masking Spiritual Truths  

The prevalence of public testimonies is deeply tied to human psychological tendencies:  

1. Social Instincts  
  - Believers long for a sense of belonging, and public testimonies become a way to seek recognition.  
  - This behavior satisfies social needs but overlooks God’s unique requirements for personal faith.  

2. Incomplete Confidence in God’s Faithfulness
  - If faith relies on external actions and validation, it often reflects incomplete confidence in God’s realness.  
  - This insecurity turns public testimonies into a “spiritual crutch” rather than genuine reliance.  

3. **Misguidance from Churches**  
  - Some churches and institutions, perhaps aiming to expand their influence, may unintentionally encourage this over-publicized expression of faith. While it might increase membership, it diminishes spiritual depth.  

 IV. The Way Forward: Returning to the Core of Faith  

To address these blind spots, both churches and believers must return to the essence of faith: the direct relationship between man and God.  

1. Emphasizing Genuine Inner Trust
  The primary mission of the church is to help believers establish profound trust in God, rather than depending on outward forms to validate their faith. Believers must understand that the value of faith lies in God’s grace, not human approval.  

2. Reducing Reliance on Public Actions**  
  - Baptisms and public testimonies can be outward expressions of faith but should not be mandatory.  
  - Testimonies can be demonstrated through acts of love in daily life rather than one-time public ceremonies.  

3. Reshaping the Spiritual Direction of Churches
  - Churches must beware of the lure of formalism and avoid controlling believers through prescribed behaviors.  
  - They should encourage believers to cultivate personal relationships with God in private rather than excessively relying on group support.  

A Wake-Up Call for Our Faith  

The formalism and publicization of faith prevalent in many churches not only obscure the essence of faith but also risk leading believers away from their direct relationship with God. At its core, this phenomenon reflects humanity's psychological needs overshadowing complete trust in God.  

True faith is genuine repentance and authenticity from the heart. It does not rely on external performances or group validation but stands as an eternal and sacred relationship between man and God. Churches must recognize this and strive to guide believers from formalism toward deeper trust in God. This is not only a necessary reflection for churches and institutions but also an essential journey for all believers to return to the origin of their faith.  

Faith is not a performance but a transformation of life; not a formality, but the belonging of the soul.  

Finally, I pray that churches, institutions, and all Christians sincerely seeking God will return to the purity of faith God desires, bearing witness to His reality and greatness from the depths of their hearts.  

Observer-Smith

06/09/2024

中文版：

教會中普遍存在的可怕盲點

信仰是人與神之間最神聖的聯繫，卻常常在教會的實踐中因人為的形式和心理需求而被扭曲。這種盲點，正在侵蝕信仰的核心，削弱人與神之間直接關係的深度。我以親身經歷和感受寫下自己的思考，希望可以做為一個參考、鞭策和警示。

一、盲點的表現：形式主義取代信仰的本質

在許多教會和宗教機構中，公開見證、洗禮儀式以及集體行為被過分強調，甚至成為衡量信仰真假的標準。這種做法背後隱藏著嚴重的問題：

1. 形式大於實質：教會往往更關注可見的行為而非內在的真實信靠。例如，公開的洗禮和見證被視為信徒的必經之路，忽略了聖經中明確的教導——神關注的是人的內心而非外表（撒母耳記上16:7）。
2. 群體心理的驅使，尋找安全感：許多人在公開見證中尋求群體的認可，以減輕自己對信仰的不確定感，自我壯膽。集體行為常常成為信徒為自己尋找“同伙”的方式，而不是對神完全的信靠。
3. 虛榮心的作祟：某些信徒和機構更關注在外人面前展示“虔誠”，而忽略了信仰內在的悔改與真實。

二、盲點的危險：對信仰的本質造成扭曲

1. 表演化的信仰
   當信仰被定義為“公開見證”和外在表現時，信徒容易陷入形式化的陷阱，導致真正的信仰被表演所取代。一些人可能只是為了迎合群體的期待而進行公開行為，內心卻毫無悔改和信靠。這種表面化的信仰最終會導致教會的屬靈深度逐漸流失。
2. 隱私與神聖性的喪失
   信仰本應是人與神之間最深刻的關係，但當公開表達成為主流時，信仰的神聖性往往被世俗化的形式所稀釋。《馬太福音》6:6提醒我們：“你禱告的時候，要進你的內屋，關上門，禱告你在暗中的父。” 神聖的關係無需依賴外人的見證。
3. 群體壓力的異化
   公開見證被視為必要時，那些希望保持信仰私密性的人可能被邊緣化或誤解為“不夠虔誠”。信仰原本是自由的，卻因人為的形式增加了不必要的負擔，背離了福音的核心。

三、公開見證的根源：心理需求掩蓋屬靈真理

公開見證的現象之所以普遍存在，與人類的心理特質有著深刻的聯繫：

1. 人類的社交本能

信徒渴望群體歸屬，公開見證成為一種尋找認同的方式。

這種行為滿足了人類的社交需求，但卻忽視了神對個人信仰的獨特要求。

      2.對神信實的不完全確信

如果信仰需要通過外在行為和他人的認可來維持，往往反映出對神是否真實存在的不完全確信。

這種不自信使得公開見證成為一種“精神壯膽”，而非真正的信靠。

      3.教會的錯誤導向
一些教會和機構可能出於擴展影響力的需要，有意無意地鼓勵這種為公開而公開的“公開化”信仰表達。這種做法雖然可能增加教會的人數，卻削弱了信徒的屬靈深度。

 四、解決之道：回歸信仰的核心

要解決這些盲點，教會和信徒需要回歸信仰的根本，即人與神之間的直接關係。

1. 強調內在的真實信靠，教會的首要任務是幫助信徒建立對神的深刻信靠，而非依賴外在形式來證明自己的信仰。信徒需要明白，信仰的價值在於神的恩典，而不是人的認可。
2. 弱化對公開行為的依賴，洗禮和公開見證可以作為信仰的外在表現，但它們不應成為信仰的必然條件。見證可以通過生活中的愛與行動體現，而不僅僅是一次性、公開的儀式。

      3.重塑教會的屬靈方向，教會需要警惕形式主義的誘惑，避免用人為的行為控制信徒。應更多地鼓勵信徒在私密環境中與神建立關            係，而不是過度依賴群體的支持。

這一切，都在為我們的信仰敲響警鐘

教會中普遍存在的形式主義和公開化的盲點，不僅掩蓋了信仰的本質，還可能誤導信徒偏離與神的直接關係。這種現象的本質，是人類對心理需求的滿足超過了對神的全然信靠。

真正的信仰是內心的悔改與真實，不依賴外在的表現或群體的認同，而是人與神之間永恆而神聖的關係。教會需要認識到這一點，並努力引導信徒從形式中解脫，走向對神更深刻的信靠。這不僅是教會和機構需要面對的反思，更是所有信徒回歸信仰本源的必經之路。

信仰不是表演，而是生命的改變；不是形式，而是靈魂的歸屬。

最後，我祈禱教會、機構和所有真心向神的基督徒，都能回歸神所期待的信仰純潔性，從內心深處見證祂的真實與偉大。

史密斯

Observer-Smith

06/09/2024