Clickbait! You’ve all seen it while browsing the web or scrolling through Facebook. It is a tagline or a picture with just enough sensationalism and credibility to raise your curiosity and make you click. It is a technique used to generate revenue in advertising. Generally with clickbait, the information is not reliable. This kind of advertising has its roots in what is known as yellow journalism. These are publications that have no credible sources or information but rely on scandal and sensationalism to sell their papers. They are not concerned about reporting truth as much as selling a product.
The same is true in the great big world of religiosity. There are some who are more concerned about selling an idea, concept or product without being concerned if it is Biblical. Jesus was tested by many about His knowledge of Scripture during His time on Earth. One of the most notable instances was with a lawyer. “And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Luke 10:25). The way Jesus answered was profound. “And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’” (Luke 10:26). The way Jesus would say that today is, “What does the Bible say, and what does it mean to you?” With all this religious confusion and sensationalism, it is not that we are reading different messages. The reason for the difference is not what we are reading but how we are reading it.
This is not something unique to present day. It happened in the time of Christ (Luke 20:25), and it happened in the early church (2 Tim. 2:18). The only way around this is to compare the sum of what the Bible is saying with the message that is being taught. This is what the Bible has to say on the matter. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:1-2). Testing someone to see if their message is Biblical is as easy as just comparing notes. Like what the Bereans did, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men” (Acts 17:11-12). The trick is not knowing every false doctrine that exists. The trick is knowing the gospel really well.
Don’t be fooled by sensationalism, fad books or dubious Biblical rhetoric. Search and know for yourself. Comparing what you hear with the Bible s is not judging but rather being responsible with the gift of the Gospel.