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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: Tolerance

Resolving Doctrinal Differences

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

The secret to Christian unity is twofold: one must be a Christian; and one must be willing to study the Word of God in the face of disagreement in order to resolve the conflict by coming to understand God's point of view on the matter.

In another article (193) we saw that there are three issues which define whether a person is a Christian or not. First, there is the issue of whether Jesus is God, the Son of God. No one is a Christian who denies that Jesus is God, the Son of God the Father. Second, there is the issue of salvation in Christ. Jesus said that no one can come to the Father except through Him. No one is a Christian who seeks to come to the Father through another, be he prophet, apostle, or savior. And third, there is the issue of how one comes to the Father through the Son. Jesus said that only those who come by faith can come. Those who try to add their works, goodness, admirable attributes, or other impressive displays of why they deserve God's favor are rejected out of hand by the Father. No one is a Christian who thinks that he comes to the Father by way of his good behavior.

In this article I want to return to the issue of the willingness to study the Word of God in the face of disagreements in order to resolve the conflicts between those in disunity. Most people do not study the Word of God to get their religious persuasions. Most people get their understanding of what God says from their religious teachers, who themselves got it from theirs, who got theirs from the teachers who taught them. The level of conflict after several of these generations of misled teachers is enormous. Only an earnest interest in resolving conflicts through the study of God's Word together can result in unity. But, few want to invest that kind of time and effort, so the goal of unity is only a lip-service illusion (hypocrisy) and the appearance of unity between religious groups who cooperate but do not worship together in common doctrinal agreement continues to be an deliberate deception foisted upon an unsuspecting population.

Unity without agreement is a deception designed to hide the underlying agenda of dishonest people. Most religious leaders are heavily into a hidden agenda. For some, it is material prosperity. Few would honestly proclaim "I am in the ministry for the money", but all who leave it because the money is not there in the kind of abundance they seek prove what their hidden agenda was. And, all those who continue to seek more and more remuneration for their level of education and experience also prove that the ministry is a way to gain materially.

For others, it is the pride of power. Being a religious leader means control over others. Some even say that people cannot come to God except through them.

And others do the work for approval by men as if what men think is important and what God thinks is not.

Some few seek to please God, but they seek Him in His Word.No one ought to have a hidden agenda in doing the work of God.


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This is article #194.
If you wish, you may contact Darrel as darrelcline at this site.