Adaptability. Isn’t that a virtue?
I grew up in a church when by the time I was old enough to begin thinking for myself regarding Christianity, which is probably older than I would have ever imagined, II realized how far off on tangents the church was in regards to teaching the Bible as an authority as a whole.
Denominations, from my viewpoint, rest on certain Biblical doctrines, enough to give them the look at feel of a Christ following organization, and then take from the Bible what they need to justify a social or political position. There isn’t so much emphasis on doctrine although it is often repeated without going in depth into scripture to help congregants understand not only the personal significance, but to also help convey the character of God.
Church going is sometimes like the old Family Circus cartoon strip when Jeffrey asks mom or dad what a “tradition” is. The parents answer, “It’s something you’ve done for such a long time you forgot why.” I would argue that most people in the church never really knew to begin with because the bar was set low and stayed low in regards to Christian discipleship.
Where I came from, a liberal church, our understanding of the Bible was pretty weak because the focus was never on the Bible for the sake of the Bible, and certainly not to learn any objective characteristics of God.
I am musing, now, why can’t a Biblically focused congregant be just as socially engaged as a liberally minded congregant?
When it comes to becoming people centered and accepting of people without the badges of being fallen in nature, no mater if doctrine states it or not, churches fall away from the essential need of the Church and that is of the Gospel as determined by the Consistent themes of the Bible and the teachings of Christ Himself. I am the Way , the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. It should seem really important that people who call themselves Christians ought to understand what Jesus taught and why. It’s all explained in remarkable detail if pastors take the Biblical Gospel (the only Gospel) seriously.
It’s always some accommodation, adaption of Biblical beliefs, to meet people at the level of their sin. Not to help them turn away from sin, but to accept that they identify as one with sinful behaviors and be accepted by the community of a church congregation.
Churches have adapted subjective analysis to Scripture to the point where there is no strong foundational reason why anyone should understand the True and Holy nature of God, why God desires to save us from sin, what is it about human beings that Jesus had to die on the Cross, what our relationship to Christ should be like and how critical it is to learn from the Bible about God’s work through the History of Israel, the Prophets and many characters. What does Jesus being Lord and Master mean?
One common complaint about the Bible is that is appears to condone slavery. First of all, one needs to know the historical contexts of the use of slavery, there are different types, some were very culturally acceptable and not what many Americans are knowledgeable about, the American pre-Civil War brand of slavery.
In the Bible, God teaches us that we are intended to be servants and even “slaves” of Christ. That certainly does not mean that Christ is going to tie us to a post and begin whipping us, how ridiculous is that? If anything, people who become faithful to Christ are free from the bondage, which is essentially a slave to the world they experience from worldly ways of looking at life. Christ believers are provided a hope for the future that is incomparable.
Interestingly, we are all wired to worship, have faith in something, The question is what or whom do you choose. In effect you could be considered a slave to that religion or philosophy, but which one offers the greatest truth, evidence, and wisdom? If a church chooses to drift from the authority and inerrancy of the Bible, it simply becomes a “slave”, not to the laws of God but to the laws of the world.
There’s plenty of Biblical history that illustrates the consequences of wanton rebellion against God, especially by His chosen people. But in these historical examples, God over and over illustrates both his justice and also his mercy and grace. The human propensity to sin is great, its inherent. Among virtually all the main characters in the Bible, their worst sins are documented for posterity’s sake and it gives us reason to come to understand the wisdom of God’s grace through the life, death and Resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ must be the main focus of every Christian church, along with the convicting understanding of the stark necessity of the Gospel for eternal salvation. It’s through the power of the Holy Spirit in a life devoted to worshipping God and serving Him that holds the greatest eternal and spiritual value.
Whereas many church denominations adapt the Bible to support their views of the world without strengthening a relationship with Christ, God offers adaptability to life’s difficulties through the transformed hearts of those who trust Christ.
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel from the late Pastor John MacArthur, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
All quoted excerpts have footnotes removed, usually from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), sometimes from New International Version (NIV), on rare occasion the Amplified Bible (AMP).
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