What is a like-minded faith in the Gospel?
When I say "like-minded faith" I am not referring to Calvinism, Arminianism, or even Spurgeonism. In all of my study and memory of Scripture, I have not found any of those names in there. The names are in the Dictionary, of which I have to look at often when I read some blog posts and comments as some have a more learned vocabulary and are therefore limited in their reach of the general public. (If that sounds like a slam on the intellectually elite, please pray that I am convicted about it as I am overwhelmed sometimes with referring to the Dictionary more than the Bible at times.) But it is true that Calvin is not one of the Apostles who laid the foundation for the Church. Spurgeon had no Holy Ghost inspiration to give us the Scriptures which gives us "the faith once for all handed down to the saints". As for Arminian, I can’t speak so well of him.
By "like-minded" I mean that I sense from some on the blogosphere that we are "of the same mind". And it is my conviction that this is "the mind of Christ" promised to believers through the Apostle Paul. I believe God has faithfully preserved all that He has ever wanted to say to mankind through the 66 books of the Holy Bible. In those books "it is written" that "the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him"(1 John 3). The Holy Spirit does not toss us around, but wills that we as believers in "the Truth of the Gospel" are "GROUNDED and STEADFAST, and are NOT MOVED AWAY from the hope of the gospel which you heard" (Col 1).
If you are unsettled in your faith, how can you lead others to a saving faith in Christ? When I see clarification with balance as one ministers the Truth of the Gospel, I see Jesus there. If they are in ignorance in their own flesh, not rightly dividing God's Word, then I do not see Jesus in them at that time. Christ does not change, we do. He is "the same yesterday, today, and forever". The great Apostle Peter, after being discipled by Christ for 3 years, filled with the Holy Spirit's Power and was instrumental in bringing thousands to faith in Christ, after this he found failure in his faith and played the hypocrite for a season.
We do not (or should not) follow good men who are changeable but rather Christ Who NEVER changes. And we simply follow, honor and respect men when they follow Christ without diverting. For Paul said "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ"(1 Cor 11:1). It seems the qualifier here is that we imitate him only when he imitates Christ. For he also warned us through the letter to the Galatians saying: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed".
What are your thoughts on this matter?
Scripture from -nkjv
1 Comments:
I agree and say, "amen" to those words. We are to search the word of God for our strength and be diligent to prove ourselves worthy to God (II Tim. 2:15). We can also read in the next chapter that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Tim. 3:16, 17). I find that we are to have authority from the scriptures to know what it is that we are to do in our daily lives and in worship to Him. If we don't, where do we stand?
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