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Matthew 15:1-20
Avoid side doctrines that divide.
I had a conversation with a friend last night. This friend went on and on about church practices, and one issue for a long period of time. To my friend these things are important. I listened and understood her issues on these things. I do not have time in my life to deal with side issues of doctrine that may or may not be true. The fact of the matter is this. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and spirit. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to walk in the newness that Christ gives us each day. We are to use the giftings he has given us to build his kingdom. We are to use the giftings he has given us by his spirit to see the lives of those around us touched, to me if you want to worship in the catholic tradition do it. If you’re led to an assembly church to be used there, praise our Father for where he has placed you. If you’re walking in the Lutheran tradition then be used to see lives touched around you. I stand on these truths. As Christ prayed in John 17 for the church we can be one with our Father through the Son by the spirit. I stand on certain doctrines that are proved absolutely in the scripture in my view. I will not compromise on these. However, that being said, I will not allow those to break fellowship with any other person who believes that our Father in heaven, sent his only begotten Son to die on the cross, shed his blood so we could walk in that newness that Father gives us by the spirit. Here’s the point. We need to spend our time concentrating our time on those things that will change people’s hearts forever. We need to not argue over side points of doctrine which we may or may not be right on. We need to spend our limited time on this earth doing the gospel, not fighting about it. We need to be used as an instrument of the Holy Spirit to touch the lives of those around us.
Go in peace
Michael