This is almost a cliché now but it cannot be stressed enough in the body of Christ: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). We don't want to be contentious, disagreeable, nor divisive, that is to say. It has been well said by Chuck Swindoll that if you drink of only one fountain, you will lose your discernment. What that means is to keep an open mind and don't think you or your group have monopolized the truth and get a Bible-club mentality. We all need each other and are all part of the story, as it were--the Spirit of truth will lead us into all truth. The church is to be semper reformanda, which means "always reforming" and we never will complete arriving at truth until Christ perfects His Bride.
In a marriage, it is good to have an agreement, but disagreement can serve a purpose also: It challenges our wits and brings to light issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. If they agree all the time, one of them is unnecessary! In a church body we want to strive for unity in the Spirit, of course, but leave room for disagreement or dissension in the body. Aurelius Augustine of Hippo said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity." There are certain doctrines that we cannot compromise on like the Trinity and salvation by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone. We have to agree to disagree even in the body and not "muzzle the ox that treads out the grain," [hinder or restrain someone from proclaiming the truth] so to speak. We need healthy dialog and debate in the body to grow in the faith--that's why Jude says to "contend for the faith."
The whole idea behind the Protestant Reformation was what Martin Luther proclaimed: "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!" We are not at the mercy of church dogma any longer and realize our God-given right to interpret Scripture on our own and form our own beliefs and convictions; however, we are not free to fabricate our own truths and are responsible for our doctrines. Roman Catholic churches do not allow this liberty and laypeople are at the mercy of the clergy and the Pope to interpret for them.
We need more healthy dialog in our churches and believers who aren't too timid or intimidated to speak up for the truth as they see it. Most churches today have come full circle: "What do you believe, Sir?" "I believe what my church believes." "What does your church believe?" "What I believe!" "What do you both believe?" "We believe the same thing!" We might as well be Catholics as blindly follow a teacher without question, no matter how good he is. No one is apostolic today, despite the Pope claiming apostolic succession, and is inerrant or infallible. To err is human! Augustine said, that he had learned to hold only the Scriptures as inerrant and infallible.
The condition for arriving at the truth is to realize that you don't know all of it yet and have an open mind, that is willing to admit it could be wrong. The truth is not arrived at by vote or majority rule, but by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is called the illuminating ministry and God can convict us of the truth--"If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine..." (John 7:17). Soli Deo Gloria!
In a marriage, it is good to have an agreement, but disagreement can serve a purpose also: It challenges our wits and brings to light issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. If they agree all the time, one of them is unnecessary! In a church body we want to strive for unity in the Spirit, of course, but leave room for disagreement or dissension in the body. Aurelius Augustine of Hippo said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity." There are certain doctrines that we cannot compromise on like the Trinity and salvation by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone. We have to agree to disagree even in the body and not "muzzle the ox that treads out the grain," [hinder or restrain someone from proclaiming the truth] so to speak. We need healthy dialog and debate in the body to grow in the faith--that's why Jude says to "contend for the faith."
The whole idea behind the Protestant Reformation was what Martin Luther proclaimed: "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!" We are not at the mercy of church dogma any longer and realize our God-given right to interpret Scripture on our own and form our own beliefs and convictions; however, we are not free to fabricate our own truths and are responsible for our doctrines. Roman Catholic churches do not allow this liberty and laypeople are at the mercy of the clergy and the Pope to interpret for them.
We need more healthy dialog in our churches and believers who aren't too timid or intimidated to speak up for the truth as they see it. Most churches today have come full circle: "What do you believe, Sir?" "I believe what my church believes." "What does your church believe?" "What I believe!" "What do you both believe?" "We believe the same thing!" We might as well be Catholics as blindly follow a teacher without question, no matter how good he is. No one is apostolic today, despite the Pope claiming apostolic succession, and is inerrant or infallible. To err is human! Augustine said, that he had learned to hold only the Scriptures as inerrant and infallible.
The condition for arriving at the truth is to realize that you don't know all of it yet and have an open mind, that is willing to admit it could be wrong. The truth is not arrived at by vote or majority rule, but by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is called the illuminating ministry and God can convict us of the truth--"If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine..." (John 7:17). Soli Deo Gloria!