Anything More Important Than the HMH Debate?

[A.W. Bowman]

Mercy! I guess I need to post something on the other side of the religious coin. LOLOL

Take a good look around the Internet and even your own church. We can find many individuals who are willing to both 'live' in the Spirit as well as 'walk' in the Spirit. And, who are willing to -

Stop making themselves 'look good' by comparing themselves to others and judging those others harshly. I am not talking about forsaking the required identification of sin and those who engage in it, rather it is the attempt at making one's self appear to be more holy, righteous, or spiritual at the expense of someone else's lack of knowledge or having a different experience of God than 'I' have.

There are many who now question the teaching they receive, and like the men of Berea. They are no longer content to receive the 'party line', they want to search out the scriptures to see if what they are being taught is true. Can one make the scriptures say anything one desires for it to say? Absolutely. As an exercise I presented a short teaching (doctrine) using only the scriptures, to 'prove' that it was God's intent that each man was to leave his mother and father, take his new wife, along with his inlaws to another planet, and start a nudest colony.

What we have before us today are a number of doctrines that are established on a few, very selective passages, that many are starting to question. For example, what about all of those scriptures the 'suggest' that God is not monolithic in structure or composition (A sampling: John 20:17, 1 Corinthians 15:21-29 & Revelation 5:6-10? Why are all of the scriptures that impact our understand of who and what Jesus is not presented? What are our leaders afraid of? Yet, we see folks who actually studying their Bibles and seeking after the face of God (Philippians 2:12 & 2 Timothy 2:15), for the man of God is that man who seeks after Him, not just some one one who stands on a platform.

Now, like my original posting this is just a sampling of my thoughts, and in spite of the first list, why I have hope for the future of the body of Christ. There is much more that gives reason for hope, as people start to see that storing up treasures in heaven means sowing one's own life into the lives of others. This is the treasure that shall survive the trial by fire, not money, not buildings, nor religious positions or titles, etc. One hint: Matthew 25:31-46.

When the entire church of Christ does not come together in a unified body, then Christ remains fractured into many different parts. Even so - beware of the one who would bring that body into unity under/by his direction and teaching. Please continue to question everything - take nothing at face value, test yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5), and don't take the judgments of others too seriously. Follow after Jesus alone and keep your conscience clear before Him, and He shall sustain us all (Jude 1:20-24). Amen.