I Want to Be Grounded in God, Not in Me


Christian faith must rest on God’s objective, revealed truth rather than on personal preference, cultural trends, or the autonomous self. When the church loses confidence in biblical truth, it loses its center, its moral clarity, and its power to form Christlike disciples.

Key spiritual truths

  • Truth is grounded in God, not in me. Modern culture tends to make the individual self the final judge of what is true. Spiritually, this reverses the Christian order: God is not a resource for my self-defined life; he is the holy Creator who defines reality, sin, salvation, and human purpose.

  • Truth corresponds to reality. Biblical truth stands in stark contrast with the idea that something can be “true for you but not for me.” Christian truth is not merely a private feeling or perspective; it claims to describe what is actually real before God.

  • Scripture is the church’s binding authority. The urgent call is for me to back off from sola cultura—allowing culture to set the church’s agenda—to sola Scriptura, receiving Scripture as God’s authoritative address. The church’s beliefs and mission should come from God’s Word, not from what is current, marketable, or culturally comfortable.

  • Doctrine is spiritually necessary, not optional.  Doctrine is the means by which I learn God’s character, works, and will. A church without doctrinal depth may offer experiences or services, but it cannot sustain obedience, discernment, or mature faith.

  • Truth exposes sin and makes the cross necessary. If God is merely an “inside God” who affirms my desires, sin loses its seriousness. But the God who stands outside me, holy and transcendent, confronts human rebellion; this is why Christ’s death and resurrection matter.

  • The self cannot bear the weight of ultimate meaning. The modern autonomous self is cut off from external authority and left to create its own morality and meaning. Spiritually, this produces pride, isolation, and emptiness; human flourishing comes from turning from self toward God.

  • Truth forms a community of learners. The church is not simply a collection of spiritual consumers. It is a learning community that passes on the knowledge of God and trains me for a life of obedience in the world.

  • Truth requires courage. Because God’s Word often conflicts with cultural assumptions, faithfulness may be unpopular. The “courage to be Protestant” is the courage to remain anchored in enduring biblical truth rather than reshape Christianity to fit contemporary tastes.

My takeaway

The spiritual message is: return to the God who is objectively there, revealed in Scripture, and let his truth reorder my loves, beliefs, and life. A church that trades truth for relevance may gain attention, but only truth-centered faith can produce repentance, humility, hope, and durable Christian character.

My Notes from David F. Wells' Chapter 2 "Truth" in his book The Courage to Be Protestant

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