I write about my personal experiences as a Christian; I quote what other people smarter than me have said or written; but I always tie my blog posts to the infallible word of God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit within me. I very seldom write about doctrine except when I run across one that is so enticing, dangerous and wrong that I am prompted to warn Christians not to fall for it (as I did last Sunday). I was reminded why I normally avoid doctrine when a dear friend sent a very detailed response fully explaining the doctrine of eternal security. I apologize if any other of the millions of people who accept that doctrine (including my wife who is in heaven as I write this) feels slighted in any way. That certainly was not my intent.
My friend felt my brief description of the doctrine of eternal security left a lot to be desired. Doctrine is a particular understanding of scripture by a group of Christians She and I agree about forgiveness of future sins not being a part of that doctrine, but we see that subject from a little different angle. She concluded her response with an old adage that is worth sharing with you. “In essentials unity; in non-essentials freedom; in everything charity.” I had never seen it worded like that before, but I have always felt that it is so sad that doctrine separates us into denominations and factions, when our Father in heaven, Jesus Christ our Savior and the Holy Spirit within us should unite us with love (charity) instead.
Even the non-denominational church to which I belong is more “charismatic” than the Baptist churches I grew up in. When I went through the four step program to become a member over six years ago, one of the questions I was asked was, “Have you been baptized by the Holy Spirit?” I went to our senior pastor and told him the Holy Spirit has been dwelling in me for more than sixty years, so I wanted to answer yes, but I know that is not what charismatic Christians mean by that. He explained to me that receiving the gift of a prayer language has nothing to do with salvation. I could then answer that question no, without any doubt about my relationship with God through Jesus Christ, or my interaction with God’s Holy Spirit within me since I accepted God’s grace, mercy and love at the age of eleven
.One author likens doctrine to the lines on a highway. Some are like solid lines that keep everyone from crossing them under any conditions, while others are like dotted lines that permit some people to cross when they can do so safely. The Holy Spirit will determine for each of us whether it is a solid line or if it is unsafe for us to cross a dotted line. One example; the Bible doesn’t say that everyone should abstain from wine or alcoholic beverages, but the Holy Spirit will caution a person who is prone to alcohol addiction to avoid drinking them. That doesn’t make it a sin for others to do so as long as they don’t become drunk.
My Christian brother or sister, seek out others who display the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their life and unite with them. Don’t let non-essential doctrine separate you from other Christians. However, run everything past the Holy Spirit whether you read it in this blog or hear it in a sermon to make sure it is based on the truth of God’s word. Love your pastor or religious leader, but don’t idolize them above God by failing to keep them accountable.