Dr. Carl Jung once said something that ought to cause every believer to reflect very carefully. What he said was this: "One of the main functions of formalized religion is to protect people against a direct experience of God." That hurts but it can happen. Theological and doctrinal pride can be buffers against a real experience of Christ's grace.

F. Kefa Sempangi, a Ugandan pastor who barely escaped death under Idi Amin's persecution in the early 1970s, beautifully captures this important truth in his wonderful book A Distant Grief. He writes about a hurtful change that came over him shortly after coming to the United States and enrolling in an evangelical seminary:

"In Uganda, [my wife]…