SHALL WE CONTINUE TO LEARN?

Isn't it amazing how exciting it is to be a learner in the kingdom. I don't know about your denomination but ours fed us a diet of "we are the only ones who know the real truth". I believed it. Many believed it. Many still do.

But our fruit from such teaching betrays us. While claiming to be of the Real Truth we are some of the most argumentative, cynical, and fearful people of any religion. The Truth is we have had many things wrong for a long time. When I (or others) point this out, fire-storms erupt.

There is nothing wrong with admitting we don't know everything. Really, it is rather a simple and noble confession. Yes, we do many things right as do other religious groups. No, not anything goes. But that statement needs to land in our own laps...and not toss it to those not like us.

We are guilty of something Jesus pointed out in John 5:39-42. We think we know our Bibles but our fruit announces we don't know the Christ of the Bible. What shall we do? Humble ourselves, apologize for our arrogance, and join in with the rest of the Christian world in trying to discover the intricacies of the amazing Son of God.

I received this note recently. It supports my claims. We are guilty of a narrow and legalistic kind of doctrine; the very kind that sent Jesus to the cross. The good news is there is a better way. The Bible is still the Truth....but we have not cornered that Truth.....there is also room for us in the kingdom if we will humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord.



"You ARE the best!! Thank you so very much!! I do not ever want to be negative about anything (a noble endeavor, huh, but impossible) so I do not "bash" the Church of Christ but I do think some of my "issues" in life come from trying so hard to follow the rules and measure up, unsuccessfully, of course. I think the way I was raised in a little narrow minded, legalistic, judgmental Church of Christ made me hypercritical most of my life. I mean, after all, if I could point out someone else's faults, and they were worse than mine, maybe it would make me look better and feel better since following the rules was impossible and the guilt was overwhelming. It was not until I retired and moved here and had an unbelievable Bible study on the gospel of John with a Baptist girl much younger than me did I figure things out better.
I was free, free indeed!! And born again....again!!

Thanks for your efforts in finding the article and sending it to me. I like it!"