The following article is Part 2 of “Without Reconstruction, Deconstruction is Just Devastation.”
We are living in a time when many Christians are navigating what’s being called the “deconstruction movement.” It’s often a response to the painful exposure of corruption, moral failure, and spiritual abuse among church leaders and institutions. For some, this process begins as an honest wrestling with truth, an attempt to dismantle false beliefs shaped by toxic or man-made religion, and disassociate oneself from groups that have them.
The online world is full of deconstructionist influencers on podcasts, highlighting their negative experiences and what is wrong with the church. As I have listened to some of them, I notice there is little thought given to what God wants for His church or how He wants to build it. It is almost as if they feel He is finished with the church, and has no more intention for her.
For many in this place, deconstruction shifts from being a process to becoming an identity of honor to those who detach themselves from anything that resembles building the church, biblical accountability, genuine Christian relationships, or, in some cases, the authority of God’s Word. But without a sincere commitment to reconstruction, what may begin as a search for healing or clarity often ends in spiritual ruin.
The Biblical Pattern: Deconstructing, Exile, Repentance, and Rebuilding
Throughout Scripture and Church history, we see a consistent cycle: God’s people fall into sin and compromise, leading to decline, devastation, and exile. But from the ashes of failure, God raises voices of repentance, and through repentance comes rebuilding.
This is the story of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah. After Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were carried into exile, a remnant began to return. They wept over the ruins. They confessed their sins. And they responded to God’s call to rebuild His house.
Leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah rose, not to defend or deconstruct what had failed, but to reconstruct what God had designed. It was a move of repentance and restoration. But not everyone welcomed it.
Sanballat and Tobiah
While the rebuilding faced obvious enemies, Nehemiah also faced resistance from those within the orbit of God’s people. Sanballat and Tobiah were not outsiders. They were insiders. They intermingled with the disillusioned and intermarried with them. In doing so, they became inside enemies of God’s work.
They had found a place of status and influence among God’s people during exile and ruin (deconstruction). As God began reconstructing His purposes, they ended up opposing it. Their tactics were mockery, accusation, fearmongering, and manipulation.
Many today have rightly walked away from inauthentic leaders, lifeless religion, celebrity church culture, and institutional abuse. But now, God is stirring to rebuild. He is moving to recover things like an authentic relationship with God, following Him as disciples, living a Spirit-empowered lives on mission, and walking together as His relational family in His covenant love (John 13:34-35). This is motivated by John 3:16, which causes us to walk in 1 John 3:16, the foundational love of God that builds His family: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
But as this rebuilding begins, modern Sanballats and Tobiahs emerge, not to heal the Church, but to oppose and dissolve it. They scoff at those rebuilding with Jesus. They question the relevance of the Church, mock her failures, and weaponize criticism under the guise of freedom, “Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish?” (Nehemiah 4:2)
They can become so intertwined with the disillusioned that they cause them not to believe God is still building His Church. If the disillusioned continue to walk with them, they will end up working with enemies of God’s rebuilding process.
This Is a Nehemiah Moment. Now is not the time to be intertwined with Sanballats, Tobiahs, or their opposition to God building His house. It is time to join the Nehemiahs, those who weep over the ruins, pray through the night, and rise up to build with courage. True reformers in Church history were never just critics. They were burdened intercessors and bold builders.
To avoid becoming intertwined with Sanballat and Tobiah, we must become like Nehemiah:
- People of vision, prayer, humility, and covenant loyalty.
- People who build, not just critique.
- People who weep, not just tweet.
- People who stay on the wall when others walk away.
This is a moment for reconstruction. For rebuilding what has been torn down in humility and obedience to Jesus. May we not become part of the resistance, but part of the remnant who rebuild.
How can we come out of any bondage or connection with the spirit of Sanballets and Tobiahs?
1. Stay Rooted in God’s Purpose, Not Personal Offense
Sanballat and Tobiah were not just concerned, they were offended. They were offended that their place and influence was threatened, and that God’s people would rebuild.
- Avoid this by: Seeking God to heal your wounds before forming and expressing opinions about His people.
- Ask: Am I criticizing the Church because I’m hurt, or because I’m truly burdened for its holiness?
2. Be a Builder, Not Just a Critic
Sanballat and Tobiah mocked the builders and tried to get them to quit, but they never worked in any way to help them. It’s easy to point out flaws. It’s much harder to commit to the long-term work of restoration.
- Avoid this by: Serving faithfully in a local church, even if it’s not perfect, offering solutions, not just critiques, and encouraging others who are building.
3. Guard Against Cynicism Masquerading as Wisdom
Sanballat and Tobiah tried to sound strategic and concerned, but what they were actually doing was sowing doubt and fear. They asked questions that paralyzed, not questions that pursued truth.
- Avoid this by: Cultivating faith over suspicion, by measuring our “discernment” by the fruit it produces. Does it produce love, joy, and peace, or division, fear, and pride?
4. Realize God always has leaders He is raising up
Tobiah had ties to the priesthood (Neh. 13:4) through intermarriage, but was not submitted to any leadership among God’s people. He infiltrated rather than submitted, looking for leverage, not accountability.
- Avoid this by: Seek God to raise up God given leaders and honor them. Stay teachable and accountable to others who are mature in Christ.
- Ask: Am I operating as a loyal son/daughter in the house of God, or as a self-appointed critic on the sidelines, joining with Sandballet or Tobiah?
5. Love the Church Like Jesus Does
Sanballat and Tobiah hated God’s people because they didn’t share God’s love for them. It’s one thing to see the Church’s brokenness, and it’s another to carry Jesus’ heart to redeem her.
- Avoid this by: Praying for the Church more than you speak against her. Grieve over sin without losing hope in her calling. Remember that Christ gave His life to the people you’re tempted to criticize.
To avoid becoming intertwined with Sanballat and Tobiah and carrying their opposition to God building His church, we must become like Nehemiah, seeking Jesus and actively building with Him.