My story is similar to Pastor Keith's.
I am in somewhat of a no man's land, theologically, and the past year has been a year of major transition.
After spending the better part of two decades in the UPCI as an assistant pastor, youth pastor, church planter and senior pastor, I recently turned in my license. I did so because I could no longer stomach the extra-biblical standards, and because my view of what constitutes the plan of salvation has changed.
I now believe we are justified at faith. My view was formed from this passage.
Romans 3:19-28 NLT
"Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."
If we are justified at the moment we believe, all else is secondary and proceeds from that saving faith. Of course, this new (to me) theology does not kosher with that of the majority of Apostolics so I suppose I am no longer Apostolic.
Like Keith, I recently disengaged from all of the minister's forums I had previously posted on.
It's cold out here.
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