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| Mature Christianity -- the Next Step |
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 I herewith make a proposal to my fellow Christians.
Immature Christianity rests in denominationalism. Denominationalism is merely an introduction to Christianity. Exclusive franchise "one true church" mentality, hair-splitting one-upmanship, badges of superiority and theological half-truths are all signs of spiritual immaturity.
When we place denominational traditionalism, faddism, fathers, mothers, reformers, televangelists, theologians, Magisteria, and other gurus in their rightful place (a distant second) and Christ in his rightful place (first) then we are on our way to Christian maturity.
Too often we take Luther or Loyola over our Lord, Calvin or Chrysostom over Christ, a Patriarch or Pontiff over the Prince of Peace. I would rather read one sentence that Jesus said than a hundred Billy Graham books or a thousand expensive Bible commentaries, and I love them both. There is infinitely more depth in the logia (the sayings of Christ) than Table Talk, the book of Common Prayer, the Catholic Encyclopedia or the Westminster Confession.
When we make a religion of feeling superior by being supposedly "spirit-filled", transubstantiation, iconography, dispensationalism, Sabbatarianism, not dancing, Easter eggs, purgatory, religious titles, infallibility, sacred names, rhema versus logos "words", spiritual warfare and a host of other traditions or fads, then we are focusing on things that Jesus did not focus upon.
If we are interested in the religion of Christianity's founder, Jesus, REAL Christianity, then maybe a good place to start is with the teachings of the ONE who founded it, Jesus. Then, maybe we'll grow beyond the introductory level of Christianity, beyond our narrow denominationalism into TRUE Christianity.
There is a step of maturity beyond studying Jesus' teachings as well, actually following them and getting to know him. But first, we must get our minds off the fads and traditions and learn from Jesus, the REAL Head of the Church. Just a thought... |
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Grant, great blog!! I actually wrote a blog recently which praised Christian denominations. Interestingly, I saw no major areas of disagreement between that one and this. I even wrote the following:
"Where do denominations go wrong? I would say when folks start to see their own denomination as the body of truth rather than just another subset of truth. When people start to esteem and worship their denominational traditions rather than the Lord, major problems arise. When people see their denomination as their identity, the unity of the universal church begins to fragment." |
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Gene |
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April 01, 2008 at 8:41pm |
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uh. . You mean you're asking people to read their Bibles???? What a novel and noble idea!
I love this blog! You're so right, Grant. It is the Body of Christ - and Him crucified - of which we are a part. That first and foremost. Ear scratching groups later. |
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Kathy |
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April 01, 2008 at 10:02pm |
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| Grant, you are a wise man! |
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Rob |
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April 03, 2008 at 6:07pm |
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Grant,
My grandmother used to say, "God is good", and leave it at that. I had a brother-in-law who told me, "Your grandmother says, 'God is good'. You can't argue with that".
Lately, I am surprised to find that all kinds of people will argue with the theology "God is good". These people are nominal Christians too. I think my grandmother is rolling over in her grave.
Your blog about sectarianism is good and no one can argue with it. But we all have preconceived definitions about bible terms. Jehovah's Witnesses believe in being "born again" but when you ask them how you "get born again", they say, "Knocking doors". When you ask a person from the church of Christ how you get born again, they he says, "getting baptized". When you ask any one of a thousand evangelicals that question, they say, "praying the sinner's prayer".
All sects use bible terms but each one means something different by them. Most can back it up with scripture. As your post points out, though, most of us get bogged down in the definitions instead of just walking with God.
So, when I say, "walking with God...", what exactly does that mean? Oops! There I go again...
God is (arguably) good,
Rob |
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Grant |
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April 03, 2008 at 8:37pm |
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 LOL. You are quite right. But those definitions don't come from the plain words of Jesus, just our own little minds. That's why I constantly point people to Christ and his teachings. Of couse some will even redefine what he said, but at least it's a better start.
I attend a Church of Christ. I used to attend a Pentecostal and before that various Baptist and Methodist churches. I am constantly asking people things like, where did Christ ban alcohol, where did he say that only immersion is the right baptism, where did Jesus talk about tongues being so all-fired important, where did Jesus tell us to pray to his mother, where did Jesus ban gambling, etc.? Isn't what he actually taught far more important than any of these theories? |
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Rob |
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April 03, 2008 at 11:25pm |
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Church of Christ folks are some of the worst. Trust me, if I'd have died believing that junk theology, I'd be burning in the hell of my own making. Their crippling legalism is only exceeded by their unbelievable self-righteousness.
Most of the preaching in the church of Christ centers around what you and I have to do to stay saved. Much of the preaching is about how hard it is to be a Christian. There is none of the "easy and light" good news that Jesus presented. It's all "fear and trembling". AND IT'S ALL BACKED UP WITH SCRIPTURE! That's what makes it so deceitful. All these strange laws can be backed up with scripture.
It all comes down to righteousness, Grant. It's what we believe about righteousness that makes us or breaks us.
If my righteousness depends on what I have to do to "get right with God" then my religion will be full of fear and "trying real hard". If, on the other hand, my righteousness depends the free gift of God then I'm free to believe Him for many more good things.
Both religions can be backed up with scripture. One religion kills with law, duty, and obligation, the other gives freedom, joy, and rest.
The next time you're at the Church of Christ, take a poll. Ask people if they believe that law helps us get closer to God. I predict most will answer "yes". Church of Christ folks aren't taught the fundamental principle that law gives power to sin (see 1 Cor. 15:56). Four years ago, when I read that passage again, as if for the very first time, my jaw dropped.
15:55 O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:
That is one fundamental almost no fundamentalist knows and it is exactly why most fundamentalists confess that they are still sinners. They are still sinners because they are still under law. They are still under law because nobody has taught them the truth. They would not be dominated by sin if they were instead under grace and not under law.
And it all comes down to what we believe about our righteousness. If it's all up to me then by golly, I'd better get to work. But if it's all up to God then by golly, I'd better get to rest.
And that brings us to the question of the Sabbath. But we've already had that discussion, haven't we?
Rob |
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Grant |
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April 04, 2008 at 12:28am |
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Churches of Christ in Australia are more like Disciples of Christ in the USA, rather liberal, not like the Church of Christ you are referring to -- we are closer to Baptists, but with communion weekly. However, that said, I do agree with you regarding the whole restoration movement, it is misnamed. They claim to restore Christ, but in reality perpetuate 19th century legalism.
That said, each church in our denomination is independent, and that would vary from local church to local church. Ours is very much like an evangelical Presbyterian church, but then again, it has not only the evangelical strength, a Bible focus, but also the evangelical disease -- judgmental legalism. So, I am fully aware of our local church's limitations, and they are fully aware of my disagreements over their legalism. But, for now, that is where we are. We simply have no place else to go, yet. |
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The church at Corinth had the same problem you are talking about..."I am of Paul, I am of Appolos, I am of Cephas/Peter...Paul said in so many words: Is any one of Christ?" Like it or not we are all one in the body. You bring up an important point that rather than hearing what a man has said, (which is good and by God's design), God wants us to hear what He is saying through the man. The Apostle John said in so many words: "You don't need any one to teach you for you have the Holy Spirit to guide you in all truth." The problem is, we don't listen to the Holy Spirit all the time. Denominations aren't bad, and I would not even go as far as to say that immature Christians are caught up in Denominations, but I would certainly agree that the King and the Kingdom of God should come before any loyalty that we have for man or a denomination for that matter. It is very easy to get caught up in the "I am right and they are wrong attitude" and we become like Saul of Tarsus persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ all the while we think we are doing God a favor by cleaning up the mess and straightening everybody out. I think the Lord has revealed to you His very heart building His church and not our church.
By the way, I was very impressed with the play on words, that was absolutely awesome! Very talented! More importantly though, very annointed.
God Bless |
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Grant |
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April 04, 2008 at 8:58pm |
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     I would certainly agree that denominations are not bad. The problem with too many of us is that's where we stop our Christian growth at our denominational glass ceilings. We begin to define Christianity with narrow, denominational bigotry instead of the unifying teachings of Christ. We Christians do well to learn from the founder of Christianity first. Others may often have interesting things to say, but many are outright heretics and wackos. Only Jesus is 100% reliable. |
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| Yes you are right. I agree. Let's start our own denomination then! LOL! Maybe we'll get it right. |
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Grant |
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April 05, 2008 at 2:29am |
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 LOL |
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Rob |
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April 05, 2008 at 12:40pm |
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There are potentially as many interpretations of scripture as there are people who read it.
For example, I know for certain that my understanding / interpretation of the word of God is WAY different now than what it was back in my twenties (30-years ago). The church / denomination I was part of then is a complete abomination to me today. Why?
I had to die and go to hell before I started REALLY understanding what God was trying to teach me in my late teens and into my twenties. Timing is everything.
My life was NOT working under "the law of sin and death" (which should have been the name of the denomination I belonged to) when I got tangled up with that God forsaken cult. I talk to the people who are still "faithful" members of that thing and they're every bit as miserable as I was. The only difference between them and myself is that I walked away from it (praise God) and turned my life over to Satan.
Naturally, sin COMPLETELY ruined my life and so, in tears, I dropped to my knees and begged God to take me back. Heck the church of Christ was better than the puke that I'd turned my life into (which tells you how messed up I really was). Thanks be to God, Jesus was good to me and He showed be everywhere I'd made a mis-step those years before.
No wonder my life wasn't working, I was a good member of the church of Christ (to a point) but I was not a good Christian. I knew about taking the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week (and ONLY on the first day of the week - otherwise I was sinning). I learned that unless one is baptized in water for the remission of sin, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he was going to go to hell. I made it my job to tell everyone they would go to hell unless they obeyed God in that way. The church of Christ taught me about something called "strange fire" and that if I diverted in the slightest from the formula of our Sunday morning worship, I was sinning - and going to hell.
In the meantime, I was being eaten up inside and outside with sexual sin. Victory over evil was far from me because I had made evil my religion.
Now, today, I'm absolutely convinced that I was wrong then and I am right now. I know what legalism and religion does to young men. I was in hell back then and thought I was in the kingdom of God. Religion is the most deceitful thing known to man. Thank God for Jesus, though.
Rob |
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Grant, when you said your church is more like an "evangelical Presbyterian church", that caught my eye. That is where I grew up, and my theological "preferences" still seem to lie in that vein. I knew there was a reason I find myself nodding in agreement to almost everything you write.
And Rob, you said "There are potentially as many interpretations of scripture as there are people who read it." This reminded me of something I said in my own denomination blog, "I say the more denominations the better! Give us one for every believer, in fact. Then the diversity of believers will truly be represented!" |
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Grant |
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April 06, 2008 at 3:35am |
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 Mike and Rob, you guys are right on there! If there are 30,000 different denominations with as many interpretations of Holy Scripture, then in each of those denominations are dozens to millions of believers, each with their own individual faith.
I know of Catholic theologians who do not agree with the infallibility doctrine, Baptists who drink wine, Pentecostals who do not believe in mandatory tongues, Presbyterians who are not Calvinists, and on I could go. I think that it is a grave mistake when churches go from teaching Christ to meddling in people's faith, from nurturing faith to abusing it. In the midst of all that kafuffle is Christ, loving his people, showing grace and forgiving us our denoninational folly. |
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