I'd like to clarify some of my thoughts. I think allowing people who have false doctrine (what the speaker was actually talking about)into our homes is a no-no only depending on the potential influence they may have on our kids (I know I don't have kids.) Most of all depending on the particular individuals approach honestly I avoid people with "sound doctrine" if their approach is cold, arrogant, and hard.
If someone is set in their ways and has an agenda to instill their "false doctrine" in you, sure, avoid them.
it was interesting, something the speaker said, "the question 'is Jesus God or not?' will make all other questions unnecesary." I can totally understand someone who is not convinced that jesus is God. We all should struggle with this at times anyway. The scripture segments that are most often used to argue the deity of Jesus are not saying anything about Deity. The "Son of God" verses and the "I and my Father are one" verses are messianic passages not Godhood passages. So to me I could have a completely normal spiritual relationship with someone who doesn't think Jesus is God (even though I myself am convinced of that).
approach is everything.
If ideas are shared sincerely and with understanding i have no problem being hospitibal. Don't avoid anybody just cause they disagree with you or have false doctrine. If they hold "false doctrine" work it out together with them and don't allow dogma to get in the way of a much more important concept, relationship.
5 comments:
Great post Wes. I think you have all the right things going on. As sad as it is, I agree with you in what you said in your first paragraph. I think that it is so true that it seems as though thoes with "sound doctrine" are more harsh, cold, etc. than thoes we say have "false doctrine"
whereas I could, and indeed have good relationships with people who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus, I wouldn't call them "normal spiritual" relationships .
I am currently dealing with some of those "harsh, cold..." people that Ashley is talking about, who are basically saying (according to their alleged "sound doctrine") I am not really saved because I do not believe in predestination or divine election. The speaker you heard was obviously talking about the door to door "missionaries" of the two major religions which do not believe that Jesus is part of the triune godhead.
That issue, although primary, is not the only places that they differ with most mainline Christian beliefs. Pastor Art loves when they come to our door. They come in for coffee and I go out to the mall. Ofcourse, our children are grown, and very apt at discussing and defending their beliefs for themselves.
Wes,
I agree that we can have relationships and should have relationships with anyone we come in contact with. We shouldn't decide to not have a relationship with someone because they don't see exactly eye to eye with what we believe. How boring would life be if we only surrounded ourselves with people who saw the world with the same lenses we saw the world?
Maryellen,
I may have communicated the speakers ideas unclearly but he was not talking about missionaries. He was talking about the people we actually invite to our homes.
gotta ya...it made me think of LDS and JW that's what I meant by "missionaries"
My home is open to anyone who wants to drop in, and here on the rez, I have quite a few unusual drop ins.
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