I figure this blog is about to stir up some debate. But I think defending your faith is good for the soul, as iron sharpens iron. Plus it might motivate you to dig deeper to challenge your beliefs and why you believe them. 2 Timothy 2:15 (21st Century King James Version) 15Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
What is God’s name? What do you Call God? Lord, Saviour, Jesus, Master, Father, all of these names are perfectly applicable to God. What I like best about God is that He customizes his relationship with each one of us individually. My walk is probably going to be different than your walk. If we are indeed created in His image, and we are all distinct from each other doesn’t it stand to reason that we would worship and follow in slightly different ways? There are some distinct absolutes in the Bible of course that all believers must adhere to. But the details sometimes become murky. For example how many Christians do you know that drink alcohol and how many do you know that think it’s a sin? Remember it was just a few decades ago that make-up and card playing were considered sins. What about the scandals that were created when a woman wore slacks in church. In my day it was the evils of dancing (which never affected me because I can’t dance anyway). Besides true theologians who can accurately explain the differences between the denominations. What is the difference between the Baptists and Methodists? What about Presbyterian and Lutheran. I just did a google search and there are exactly 100 different Baptist organizations listed on Wikipedia. There are 74 different Pentecostal churches and other 30 or so Charismatic churches. What about the Catholic churches or the orthodox churches. Then there are the Jews and the Messianic Jews. I could spend a lot of time covering all the different faiths that are out there. Just Google church denominations and you will get nearly a 1000 different types of structured Christian organizations all believing generally the same thing that there is One God and Jesus is his Son and we must confess our sins and believe in Christ to be saved. That is the basic tenet to which most of those 1000 adhere. But there are so many details. Now who out of those 1000 are right, and who are wrong. Who are mostly right and who are mostly wrong? Is it possible they could all be right. Everyone likes to think that their way is the perfect way and every other way is a bit second rate. That is why each city has First Baptist, First Methodist, First Assembly, First Presbyterian. They all believe they are the first. How many Second Methodist, and Second Assembly, and Second Presbyterian can you come up with? I think that is why God doesn’t want us Judge each other.
Then there are dozens of Bible Translations. Which one is the right one? I like the New King James, because I like Shakespeare? You might like the New International Version, of the New American Standard. My parents read “The Message” but I don’t prefer that version. We have our preferences but does that mean my preference is the best, or just the best for me? It is God’s word, it is infallible. It is inspired. It is living, there are just different interpretations of God. God is different to each of us. We could read the same scripture passage and pick up two entirely different meanings. The Bible and God is a living breathing entity.
My point is that we all believe just slightly different from each other. What is important is that you work out your salvation with God on an individual basis. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, but God alone. 2 Phillippians 12 says this from The Message translation: Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
14-16Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.
What I pick up from that is not to argue about the details or our petty disagreements with our faith. Its counter-productive. We can talk about the basic black and white fundamental details, like the 10 commandments for example, but not argue about whether talking in tongues is edifying or not. Our faiths are deeply internal and personal. I think God customized each of our faiths and our relationships with him to be as unique as we are.
I think that is the beauty of God. Part 2 comes tomorrow.
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