All these different denoms, sometimes all in the same town.
All with varying degrees of differences.
All these groups with their ideas of truth.
All these groups with their ideas of what should be believed.
I’m not a conversionist. Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans don’t need to be Baptists but I do have a set of beliefs and I have them because, of course, I think they’re right.
I’ve gotten into some heated, nasty, not very Godly arguments about how decent, upright Godly people should think about these beliefs.
Once in a while I even have a respectful conversation about them.
Over time, through study and reasoning together with my community, some of these beliefs have changed while others have grown more solid.
What I would hope though is that whatever beliefs I choose to cling to or dismiss, I do so because I believe they line up with what Christ believed.
While far from an exhaustive list, I think Jesus believed…
-That all truth was God’s truth
-In God
-That he was the Son of God
-In the Holy Spirit
-In the Law
-That it wasn’t his job to decide matters of political governance or judicial law
-That sin is important
-In an upside down world
-In heaven and hell
-In God’s forgiveness
-In being born again
-In the Kingdom of God, both here and there
-In doing the will of his father
-That doing the will of the Father superseded even earthly family designations
-That God holds a special place in his heart for children, orphans, widows and the poor
-That God’s way isn’t always the popular way
-In our ability to forgive
-In prayer
-That what you say is important
-That just because you claim him, that doesn’t mean that you’re “in”
As I struggle with issues in the church such as baptism and communion and atonement,
As I struggle with issues outside the church like separation of church and state, how to react at the death of another..
I would hope that my beliefs fall in line with my example and his idea of what is true.
All with varying degrees of differences.
All these groups with their ideas of truth.
All these groups with their ideas of what should be believed.
I’m not a conversionist. Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans don’t need to be Baptists but I do have a set of beliefs and I have them because, of course, I think they’re right.
I’ve gotten into some heated, nasty, not very Godly arguments about how decent, upright Godly people should think about these beliefs.
Once in a while I even have a respectful conversation about them.
Over time, through study and reasoning together with my community, some of these beliefs have changed while others have grown more solid.
What I would hope though is that whatever beliefs I choose to cling to or dismiss, I do so because I believe they line up with what Christ believed.
While far from an exhaustive list, I think Jesus believed…
-That all truth was God’s truth
-In God
-That he was the Son of God
-In the Holy Spirit
-In the Law
-That it wasn’t his job to decide matters of political governance or judicial law
-That sin is important
-In an upside down world
-In heaven and hell
-In God’s forgiveness
-In being born again
-In the Kingdom of God, both here and there
-In doing the will of his father
-That doing the will of the Father superseded even earthly family designations
-That God holds a special place in his heart for children, orphans, widows and the poor
-That God’s way isn’t always the popular way
-In our ability to forgive
-In prayer
-That what you say is important
-That just because you claim him, that doesn’t mean that you’re “in”
As I struggle with issues in the church such as baptism and communion and atonement,
As I struggle with issues outside the church like separation of church and state, how to react at the death of another..
I would hope that my beliefs fall in line with my example and his idea of what is true.