Romans Chapter 16 cont'd
I urge you to take note of and avoid those people who cause divisions and offenses by embracing or promoting doctrines that are contrary to the ones you have learned. These kinds of people are not concerned with serving the Lord Jesus Christ, but with filling their unsatisfied desires. They employ good-sounding words and manipulative monologues that deceive the hearts of the undiscerning.
Comments:
Errors, schisms, sects, divisions and cults have plagued the Church of Jesus since her earliest days...and what a downer this is. Dealing with these matters is a challenge and a suffering that believers...and especially church leaders...have to face and struggle through. It takes a lot of guts just to read church history and it takes even more to make it in one's own generation. Our wise, great and powerful Father in heaven does not over-control the choices, beliefs, behaviors and practices of human beings...and for this we should be grateful. He doesn't immediately sort out truth from error in this world by his inscrutable judgments that will, one day, forever establish absolute truth and righteousness (justice) in the new heavens and earth.
One important point to note is the vital importance of every Christ-follower and fellowship holding to sound doctrine. Like it or not...acknowledging it or not..."what we believe" ultimately affects and informs "how we live". It's an immutable reality of human psychology. So...believing well is essential to living well. (Sometimes...and too often...people can "claim" they believe well but not actually live well. But we will never truly live well without believing well.)
However, it is overly-idealistic to think that all true Christ-followers will agree on every point of doctrine. All truth is true, but not all truths are equally important. So we are left with the sensitive task of identifying and articulating the truths of Scripture that are essential to embrace for "saving faith" to be "witnessed to" and distinguish them from secondary doctrinal matters that can be righteously debated among those who belong to Christ.
And...I must add...Jesus does have the power to save an untaught person who has yet to be exposed to...or who is even yet confused about..."essential doctrines". We must be very cautious, in our important quest to land on "essential truths", that we do not limit what the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can do for and in a human being apart from their ability to clearly reason! My conviction is that one who has been saved by the power of Jesus Christ will deeply resonate with "essential doctrine" when she/he has the opportunity to hear it taught. It will thrill one's entire being to have "words put to" what they have experientially encountered. Yes...words do matter...they always have and always will.
Fortunately, much great work has already been done throughout the history of the church to identify the "essential truths" of holding genuine faith in Christ...they are few and clear in the New Testament. An example of such follows:
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised(I) on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 1 Cor 15:3-7
It is also my conviction that the many groups of Christ-followers in the earth, large or small...old or new, must grant themselves...and their leaders and teachers...the liberty to state with conviction their personal and corporate positions on "secondary" doctrines that help to create the "spiritual culture" of their spiritual families...this is their divinely assigned realm of responsibility. This kind of freedom and diversity of expression among the various groups of believers in this earth is probably a beautiful thing in the end...and we will all laugh together in the age to come about how limited our views actually were.
Still, "non-essential-to-salvation" doctrines must not automatically be thought of as "unimportant" for the health and growth of a body of Christ followers...though there are some that are certainly unwise to over-emphasize or require adherence to. Choosing wisely and well on how to distinguish and major on "essential truths" balanced with how to steward (and minor on) the teaching and incorporation of "non-essential-to-salvation", yet still important, truths is a spiritual art that teachers, preachers, prophets and leaders must seek to pray into and master. May Christ grant His great and beautiful Body wisdom and discernment in this regard.
