Good people can deceive. Most haven't that intention, but it is the outcome of their own deception. Of course, scripture says only One is "good" - that is God. We must beware of anyone else. When even a preacher says things, question it. That's okay! When I write something, test it. I will be impressed, not upset.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 But test everything; hold fast what is good.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.Different viewpoints are why we have denominations. I believe that there are righteous people in all denominations. Those groups who deny the essential doctrines of the bible are cults. They are heretical. This commentary is to address, not the cults, but denominations of Christian doctrine.
Like money, belief comes in different denominations. Most denominations have something as their highest currency. For all Baptists, their thousand-dollar bill is baptism by immersion. For Southern Baptists, their hundred-dollar bill is eternal security stemming from the essential doctrine sola gratia (by grace alone). For Pentecostals, their one-hundred dollar bill is speaking in tongues. For Presbyterians, it is divine election, also a belief from sola gratia.
For Nazarenes, their one-hundred dollar bill is sanctification by a second work of grace. For Free Will and General Baptists it is conditional security. For Quakers, it is peace, meekness and charity. I hope by now, you see what the higher denominations are for each set of doctrines.
Each doctrinal system also has their dollar bills. For Churches of Christ, it is no instruments in worship. For Christian Churches it is weekly taking of the elements. All these ideas are the values of Christian denominations.
Each also has their fake money - what kids call play money. The social gospel is the counterfeit one-thousand dollar bill for liberal churches. Liberation theology is the stack of fake thousand-dollar bills. Tolerance of sin in the church is the bouncing million-dollar check! Those who allow unrepentant and unreformed sinners equal status as those born-again are WOW - the worst of the worst. Their faith is pretty much all counterfeit because their faith is not strong enough to practice!
All of these denominations - faiths have good things in their doctrine. Some have evil things. Most have wrong things!
Divorce as the unpardonable sin is what's wrong with my own denomination. Actually, they teach that is forgivable but not forgettable since divorced men can't be stewards of God. However, most of what we believe is good.
Southern Baptists oftentimes consider General Baptists schismatic because of the belief in falling away. One denomination is wrong, and the other is right. Both of us should humble ourselves - we just may be wrong! I submit that my belief may be wrong but I cling to it because of scripture. Most Southern, Missionary, American, Landmark, and Independent Baptists cling to the belief that it is impossible for them to be wrong; thus they shun others who believe otherwise. I can't live with that dogmatism while at the same time have a degree of dogmatism myself!
I cringe when preachers say silly things! The one I hate worse is that God loves us without expecting anything in return. That is a very Calvinistic influenced belief, and in my view, is heresy! All scripture is very clear - God expects our love in return, and how we manifest love for God is through obedience. That contradicts "by grace alone" in their viewpoint, but the difference is the willingness to voluntarily obey. In other words, a person is not self-righteous by trying to obey God, but many Calvinists see it that way. That voluntary obedience is what Paul called "liberty in Christ": Christians are free to sin but because they love and revere God, they endeavor to be sin-free.
What I believe is from scripture. Truth is not hereditary nor induced. It is perceived from God's Word. Most of what people believe is from their background. Baptists believe Baptist doctrine because that's all they know. Roman Catholics accept the Pope's bull because that's all they know.
The responsibility of the Christian is to seek truth without regard to what their preacher or denomination say or believes. Catholics, historically, avoided that by using Latin in their services, and printing bibles in Latin. That was so that priests could tell people what to believe, and they accepted it unquestionably; except for Martin Luther.
John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”Truth doesn't come from the preacher nor the denomination. It comes from the Word; Jesus said that! In other words, the truth is what Jesus taught, mentored, and said. Because, as scripture says, scripture was divinely inspired, we accept what the apostles wrote as truthful. Not their version of their truth, or their own doctrine, but the gospel truth!
"Good" people understand God's word differently for different reasons. As such dogmatic people entrap God in their little box and denominations endeavor to keep Him there.
Of course, there is a reasonable "box" which are creeds: the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed best conform to scripture, and most orthodox Christians concur. Those creeds are essential beliefs. Beyond those, Christians have some levity. As others may be wrong, the meek person will submit - maybe there is a possibility that I am wrong!
I realize that God will work outside my box. He is Almighty. He showed Simon Magus that there was no secret ritual for being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8). That event should have taught Christians to quit trying to contain God in our own box. It didn't. God, for most people, live in the tiny little box in which we think we have Him contained.
As for Calvinism vs. Arminianism, I have let God out of their box and mine! God is free to elect anyone such as he did for Paul, or allow others to freely choose Him, as he does in the general case.
All of us who spout truth, spout only partial truth. It's truth as we understand it, and most people don't understand very well because they lack study of the word.
Falsehoods can be intentional deception or sincerely believed. Remember those atheists whose belief is stronger that there is no God than yours may be that there is a God! They are sincerely wrong and standup for it. That is highly principled. Do you have like Christian principle?
Some notable person said, "I heard a new version of the truth and did all I could to further it." There is only one truth! Other contentions are falsehoods. Test scripture, and don't rely on mankind. The "joke" will be on you, if you believe the lie!
No comments:
Post a Comment