Have you ever wondered why there are so many denominations and divisions in the Body of Christ? I have…in fact I have spent considerable time thinking about it over the years and I still don’t have a definitive answer. I’m very much a people person, and over the years have come to a pretty good understanding of how and why our minds function the way they do, at least the Biblical view and alot of wisdom from the Lord. Because I have been involved with inmates and their families for so many years, it is a priority for me to have the wisdom and mind of the Lord, as He promised I could have in His Word. I don’t want to operate on my own understanding, I need His. And, He has graciously shared His understanding with me, at least as much as I can handle. We often wonder why one group pulls away from another, and decide to fellowship separately. At first look it seems like some minor thing, some seemingly silly, fleshy thing, power seeking, control, . Many times it is over the Scripture…which version, how it is taught, interpreted, viewed…This raises another question, what Biblical principles are so firm and presented in such a definitive way that we really need to be in agreement to truly worship together. But, they are few and I have indeed researched and read to come to the conclusion of these few points that believers need to consider with no compromise:
1. God is a tri-unity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. All are equal in position and power, but each has a different function in regard to humanity and salvation. All three are eternal beings. The best illustration of this is at Jesus baptism in Matthew 3.
2. All Scripture is God-breathed. It is the infallible, inerrant Word of the Living God. The Scripture we have today in the KJV, the NKJV, the NIV and a very few others, are accurate translations, reliable for us to use for reading and study. There are some versions that are called “paraphrases,” are clearly noted in the preface by the authors as such. A good illustration of this is The Living Bible. OK for just casual reading but not for study. Many paraphrases are very scholarly works, the Phillips NT is beautiful for reading but it is a paraphrase, a work interpreted and put in everyday language by the author. It is also clearly stated that this is truly a paraphrase.
3. Jesus Christ was virgin born. It is considered culturally correct these days to believe otherwise. We do so at our peril, since Scripture clearly states He was virgin born. Why is this important? Leviticus 17 says, “the life is in the blood.” I don’t know why God said that, but He did and that makes it so. Medically we know most diseases are transmitted through the blood, we can rightly believe that based on what God said and did concerning the blood makes it the conduit for sin. All through Scripture it is stated blood must be shed to remit sin. Look at all the OT sacrifices and the elaborate instruction God gave concerning the offering of those sacrifices. Another interesting fact is this, the flesh is not inherently sinful but it is fed by the blood. Ponder this: a baby “in-utero” has it’s blood supplied and recirculated by the mother, being enclosed in a sac and separate. This is the plan made by God in eternity past, and carried out in the birth of His Son. Beautiful isn’t it!!!
4. Jesus lived a sinless life, gave Himself willingly as the payment to the Father for the sin of mankind, fully and completely. The debt is paid. After His death and burial, He was resurrected bodily on the third day, by the power of God. He was taken bodily into Heaven, in view of His disciples and He promised to return for His church.
5. Heaven, Hell, Satan, and judgment are all very real, whether one believes it or not.
6. Possibly the most important point is this…salvation is by faith in Christ’s atoning work, and by faith in Him alone, nothing added and nothing subtracted. We are secure in our salvation when it is transacted according to the Word in John 3, are to live a separated life, one that is according to the Scripture and pleases God.
These are not difficult concepts to understand, why we cannot agree on them I do not know, or at the very least, agree to disagree and worship together the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with our whole hearts as children of God.
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