The Absolutes of the Faith

There is a conversation that I often have with friends and acquaintances relating to what I do and do not believe about Christ, His church and organized religion. It has to do with what I distinguish as Absolutes, Convictions and Preferences. These three areas are separate, but, I believe, equally essential to having a healthy walk with Christ. In other words, one must understand where he or she stands in these three areas in order to understand where to focus efforts and in what areas to concentrate as far as spiritual growth is concerned. Let me distinguish the three as I see them:

Some things set forth in the Bible are central to who God is and how He relates to man. These things are clear, though they may be debated on their finer points. They are central points in most churches and are shared from one denomination to another. For example, Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus was born of a virgin through the work of the Holy Spirit, God sent Jesus to the Earth to make right what was wrong. He lived, He was crucified for our sins and He sits now at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. This is not an exclusive list, but it accents the point. These are things that I consider to be Absolute to our Faith.

Other areas fall into the category of strongly held beliefs. They are central to the faith, but are debated largely and may vary from one believer to another, especially between denominations. These beliefs are based on scripture and are held to strongly enough by believers that they often lead to (sometimes bitter) debates and even parting of ways. For example, some believers will hold to the belief that Jesus descended into Hell following the crucifixion and prior to the resurrection. Others will disagree. A lot of these beliefs are based on how one interprets scripture and how it relates to everyday living. For example, I have a few friends that hold to the Saturday Sabbath. They share a conviction that they should exercise their faith in this way, and they will not compromise. These are a few examples of what I consider to be areas of Conviction.

Still other areas fall into the category of personal feelings and how one chooses to relate personally to God. These areas may be based on family traditions, personal emotions or church teachings. For example, one believer may worship in a church with a contemporary service while another may choose to attend a more traditional congregation. I may practice stewardship over the resources entrusted to me differently than others. The point is that these areas are based on Preference.

I think most problems come when people cannot differentiate between these three areas. I have a very good friend who attends a church of a denomination that I consider to be off the mark in many ways. I am convinced, though, that he knows Jesus, and I know where he stands on the Absolutes. It would be easy for us to get caught up on "I believe this, why can’t you see it?" discussions. If we related this way, we would also miss a lot of blessings and, even worse, present a front to the world that Jesus is divisive even among His own people. I have to remind myself often that what is important is that Jesus is presented to those who need Him as a God of love. I sometimes get in the way of His work with my self-righteous thoughts and uncompromising pride. I wonder if you are ever guilty of the same.