For decades, I was an Arminian. Afterward, I became a Calvinist. Also for decades, I was a church goer. Afterward, “going to church” passed away from my life. Another decades-long belief I held was that no consideration should be made as to when the end of time will be. Afterward, I independently began to see an opposing view.
I prefer being wiser by finally putting the lesser matters into perspective. To not do so, hinders the more important things in life from getting accomplished.
As of today, I began to realize how much I’ve been impugning the beliefs of others. After this awareness started, I found the sermon Should Christians Proselytize? and read all of it. Now Luke 18:13 weighs heavily on my mind.
Adherence to the golden rule and the two greatest commandments wouldn’t nurture strife, but rather encourage gentleness and meekness.
It’s not my place (or anyone else’s either) to insist on how certain bible verses should be perceived, but it is my duty to share God’s message of salvation while His mercy and grace for mankind still exist. I trust that He will speak to each individual through His written word (that can be visibly read or audibly heard). I do not have a gift for teaching God’s word, nor do I have one for preaching sermons expounding on verses from scripture. What I do have is the habit of doing those two things, because of being responsible for the spiritual well-being of my children.
There are many proclaiming to follow Jesus who not only hate others that differ from them in lesser theological matters (yet these ‘enemies’ have led countless people to Christ), but also these same people harbor hatred towards those who dare to publically refuse to share that same malicious spirit. The bottom line is, “Does the believer abide in the doctrine of Christ?”
[The next paragraph deals with cult members. Christians should have unbelieving friends, but stay away from ungodly practices and worldviews.]
To not abide in the doctrine of Christ means bringing in some error concerning the person or office of the Lord Jesus. Opposers of the Lord Christ’s name and His dignity undermine God’s glory and His kingdom. Any who do not profess and preach the doctrine of Christ, respecting him as the Son of God, and salvation by him from guilt and sin, are not to be noticed and countenanced.¹ Yet in obeying 2 John 1:9-10, we must show kindness and a good spirit to those who differ from us in lesser matters, but hold firmly the all-important doctrines of Christ’s person, atonement, and holy salvation.
Jesus said, “For he that is not against us is on our part.” It is vital to hold fast to the basics of what Christian faith is, so that we don’t give the devil a foothold to divide the family of God.
For decades, I was an Arminian. Afterward, I became a Calvinist. In my post Devotion to Caution, I said Calvinism and Arminianism are basically opposite. There isn’t much wrong with saying a statement like that, at least from what I can tell. However, I’m beginning to think that my going beyond it may have been an example of what God warns His people against doing. Christians are to edify and strengthen the body of Christ. A healthy body is wholesome.
When it comes to the body of Christ, I like how Charles Spurgeon (a believer of election) wisely replied to the question of how he reconciled predestination and man’s free responsibility. He said, “I do not try to reconcile friends.” Quoting Warren W. Wiersbe’s words from his book What to Wear to the War: Studies from Ephesians 6, “In order to be balanced and able to walk as Christians, we need a thorough understanding of all the Bible’s doctrines, teachings and commands.”
For something to be whole, it has to be complete. No component elements or parts can be missing. God will see to it that all of His children will finally be together again someday. It’s just sad that more of us can’t be together while we’re still here in this world.
Also for decades, I was a church goer. I attended a spectrum of denominations — starting with the charismatic speaking-in-tongues flavor, grazing on the reformed range, and retiring my organized fellowship era inside an easy-going (non-speaking-in-tongues) evangelical pasture. Afterward, “going to church” passed away from my life. I’m now reborn into a world undefined by man’s walls. I sort of feel like how you’d imagine a ghost that’s been left behind, waiting to be reunited with its immortal body. I meet other ‘ghosts’ of this same faith on rare occasions, but I don’t get to ‘hang out’ with them in person (What ghost can without having a ‘validated’ body? Is that why ‘I’ have become ‘invisible’ to others inside any ‘visible’ church?). That’s okay, because all spirit-filled believers abide in the Holy Ghost and can fellowship wherever God’s Spirit is.²
Another decades-long belief I held was that no consideration should be made as to when the end of time will be. Afterward, I independently began to see an opposing view. I won’t say more than that any longer. Hopefully no one will make any assumptions about what position I now hold on that issue.
It takes concentration to change the direction of the way you perceive the silhouette of the spinning dancer turning. It also takes concentration to ‘see’ the opposite side of what you believe, especially if you get mesmerized by the one you’re holding for a long time.
One dancer can’t spin in two opposite directions simultaneously. No one can believe two opposite beliefs at the same time either. However, two opposite beliefs can complement one another if you try to understand the other perspective. Perhaps this is why God has designed the bible to be able to function like an illusion, while simultaneously being the source of all truth and reality. How else would Christian faith be put to the test? It isn’t up to Christians to sort out the wheat from the tares or to get bent out of shape whenever someone else isn’t agreeing with us.
If I never wondered how there could be so many different Christian denominations all worshipping the same bible,³ I never would have become as enlightened in understanding how so many people can be as different as they are, while still being basically alike as human beings.
¹This also applies to Christians who have trespassed against you and refuse to confess the wrong they have done. Either the wrongdoer will confess or deny sinning against you. Denial is usually evident by the lack of pleading for forgiveness. Words like “I’m sorry” might be said, but if they are, most likely there won’t be any reference to what the person is sorry about specifically. Words without actions, in this case, are no different from coming to Christ for salvation without evidence of repentance.
Here’s how Oswald Chambers puts it in his book, He Shall Glorify Me,
“I cannot forgive my enemies and remain just unless they cease to be my enemies and give proof of their sorrow, which must be expressed in repentance. I have to remain steadfastly true to God’s justice. There are times when it would be easier to say ‘Oh well, it does not matter, I forgive you,’ but Jesus insists that the uttermost farthing must be paid. The love of God is based on justice and holiness, and I must forgive on the same basis.”
²The bible says much about how spirit-filled believers are to abide in the Holy Ghost, especially during end times. Regardless of what century or millennium it is, being faithful to God requires being obedient to His will.
³Non-denominational churches are a myth. Every church has its own set of common denominators unique to their congregation, but not all have well-defined labels.
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