My Faith Renovation Journey

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My Faith Renovation Journey

14 October 2025 Hits:322

In my last blog, The Bible is not a House of Cards, I shared, “About twenty years ago, I began exploring and reshaping my faith—more on that in the next week or two.” Now, the time has come, and I’m excited to share some personal testimony about how my faith has matured, changed, and developed over the past couple of decades. I hope my journey can inspire and encourage you in your own spiritual growth.

As I mentioned in my last blog, “The Bible is a developing story, a progression of truth.” “The Bible is not a static book. It’s alive, changing, and full of energy, much like a flowing stream. Its message is constantly evolving, shifting.” If Scripture behaves like this, why would we be surprised that our beliefs also develop and change over time? This evolution of faith is not a cause for concern but a sign of freedom and growth in our spiritual journey.

Introduced to Jesus

I think back to the first time I encountered Jesus. I’d met a truckie named Malcolm while hitchhiking around Australia. Malcolm offered me a lift to Sydney from Northern NSW. About two hours into our trip, we were involved in a head-on crash with another truck. The two blokes in the other truck died. Malcolm and I were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. After six days, his wife, Lynne, drove up to take us home, with me lying on a mattress in the back of their ute.

I stayed with Malcolm, Lynne, and their boys for a few weeks, during which I had many intriguing chats about the nature of God. I was introduced to healing, speaking in tongues, and miracles. I called myself an atheist, but I was fascinated by the supernatural. It wasn’t long before I asked to go to their church. I heard the gospel and responded. I was all in for Jesus for a few weeks, but then drifted away for the next two years.

Coming Back to Jesus

When I was 21, one of my best mates became a Christian, and that gave me the push to return to my faith. It was the late seventies, and Christians were really into Revelation, the anti-Christ, the mark of the beast, and the rapture. I devoured books like The Late Great Planet Earth that made Revelation feel as real as today’s newspaper. It drew me in. I joined a church, consumed the Bible, and led many of my friends to Jesus.

I was called into ministry, studied at Bible College for three years, and started my pastoral work—something I still feel very called to. Back then, I was quite strict in my beliefs. I, along with my Pentecostal church (and broader denomination), believed we were right. In my view, Christians of other persuasions were not quite as correct as we were. There was quite a bit of pride involved!

What got me in the Room

As I’ve grown older, I have continued to read and study Scripture passionately. As I did, I started to notice some things that didn’t quite match my early beliefs. For example, I discovered that my view of Revelation was actually based on teachings from a false teacher. That’s right, all the predictions about the antichrist, the great tribulation, and everything it involves are a relatively modern invention, developed in 1827 by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren.

Darby went on to establish the Exclusive Brethren sect after George Mueller and other Brethren challenged him about some of his unbiblical doctrines. Charles Spurgeon also asserted that these teachings were false. As a result, much of modern understanding of Bible prophecy originated from a heretical cult leader and was popularised through books and films such as the Left Behind series.

What got me in the room no longer keeps me there. I am no longer a Christian because I fear the rapture, hell, or the antichrist. Those things attracted me when I was young. Now, I stay in the room as a Jesus follower because I love Jesus. He is my friend and Saviour. I resonate with His teachings of kindness, justice, and mercy—especially for marginalised people. I live by the Royal Law and the Golden Rule. His love is the warm hearth that keeps me in the room. More on that in a moment.

What Never Changes

I refer to the process of changing and developing beliefs as a faith renovation. I used to describe it as deconstructing and reconstructing, but I saw some people who had torn down their faith and walked away from Jesus. I prefer the renovation analogy. When people renovate a house, they don’t touch the foundation, and they usually keep the framework. Then they work on the house room by room. The process can take quite some time.

That’s what I’ve done with my faith over the past twenty years. The foundation remains solid and unchanged—no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. (see 1 Corinthians 3:9-14). My belief in the core doctrines of the Christian faith stays the same. I strongly connect with the ancient creeds, such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.

What has Changed?

When I reflect on my beliefs as a young Christian, one word that would come to mind is fear. In some ways, I was driven into the faith by worries about being “left behind” when the rapture occurs. I was anxious about not being good enough and ending up in eternal hellfire. I was also terrified of the great tribulation, the antichrist, and the mark of the beast.

Much of the preaching was fear-based, and while things have changed, if you look beneath the surface of today’s positive message churches, you’ll still find they strongly believe in the things I just mentioned.

Fear got me in the room, but it doesn’t keep me there. Fear is a lousy motivator, and it is opposed to the love of God. John put it this way: God is love. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. John says that because of God’s love, we will have confidence on the day of judgment.

My fear-based faith has been renovated. Today, it remains steadfast in the assurance of God’s love. But the work is not complete. I am confident that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6).

Jesus said, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.” If you haven’t already, I encourage you to start a similar journey to the one I’ve described in this blog. Hold onto the old treasures that never change, but also seek new things that renovate your faith.

Rob Buckingham

Senior Minister

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2 replies on “My Faith Renovation Journey”

Philip Huntsays:

Well said. And personally familiar.

Brian Coogansays:

Great commentary that resonates deeply with my own walk. Thank you Rob!

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