Every Day Doctrine Blog

Before I begin the following blog, It is of great importance that you either read the following in its entirety or please, stop reading now.

The following sections some will read and not understand and therefore take my words out of context and create something that I have not said.

This is not a shock as this happens all the time with people who read the scriptures - it would not surprise me if it happens to my writings either.

I want to make the following as plain as day concerning my beliefs:

• I believe homosexulity, transgenderism, and abortions are all sin in accordance to the scriptures. (There are other sins not listed here. This blog is in regards to these three I have specified this is why I listed them specifically).

• I believe that Jesus Christ came to save sinners and there is no pit so deep that the blood of Christ is not deeper still.

• I believe that we Christians have not always been good at ministering to the Pride Community and those who have had abortions or are considering abortions. Gospel centered ministry to sinners of all sorts offers both Truth and Grace.

• I believe that Christians are still sinful, make no mistake of this (1 John) but we no longer identify with our sin, rather we are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7)

My desire is simple: acknowledge sin for what it is and acknowledge the savior Christ for what He has done on the cross and continues to do through us His people by the Holy Spirit in sanctification to all who have faith in His name; Jesus Christ.

Let's begin…

Several months ago I had a conversation with a lifelong friend of mine, who recently came out as lesbian with “pronouns”. For several months I kept silent, I knew that eventually I would speak to her about this but I needed to develop grace and wisdom. I prayed for her, I still do - often. The opportunity arose when recently, I posted that “Homosexuality, Transgenderism”, were sins. A statement I am unwavering in. She messaged me clearly upset with my stance, and the conversation began. (Here is a very small piece of that conversation)

“I'm a good person and God doesn't care, so long as I don't hurt anyone”. She said,

Once again I went to the scriptures to show her - Only God is good. Mark 10:18, You are not good, you are a sinner who has broken the laws of God and the penalty for your sin is death and hell, but God wants to save sinners, so He died on the cross for sin.

“So you think I'm going to hell because I want to be in a consensual relationship with a woman?” She inquired.

No, you're going to hell because you are a sinner who refuses to acknowledge their sin and therefore cannot acknowledge the savior Jesus, in order to place your faith in him. I responded.

Towards the end of our conversation and many attempts to excuse her sin and the sins of the Pride community, she said,

“If I’m happiest with a woman, and God sends me to hell for having a kind, supportive, loving relationship with a woman, then He is not a God I want anyways”.

There it was, the truth, she wants her sin and happiness more than the God of the Bible who wants to save her. She wants her sickness and not the doctor who can heal her.

She said, “He is not a God I want anyways”, shocked at her statement, I responded for clarity,

“So, If what I’m saying is true. If what church doctrine has said for 2,000 years, if the Gospel that Paul taught and Jesus died for is true - you still would not want that truth of God because you prefer your sin? Rather you would prefer a God created in your own image, one that affirms sin and has no righteous standard or justice. This is Idolatry and you, my friend, are lost in your sin”.

She never answered the question. She attempted to justify her sin once again and ended the conversation. A few days later she blocked me on social media - the standard response amongst people who are being confronted with their sin is to extinguish any light that confronts their sin.

Now, you may be wondering, “Why did you even bother to engage in that conversation”. Because as much as anyone needs the truth of the Gospel - so does she.

I want to make myself clear, I do not care what type of sin a person is in, I minister the same Gospel to all people - regardless of sin. I believe the Gospel is true and wonderful and I will preach it to any person regardless of sin types. She wanted to make it a “Homosexual” issue, I was clear that the issue was sin in general, even if you were not a homosexual - you are still a sinner who needs a saviour, all ground is equal at the foot of the cross. All sin equally separates us from God.

Truth does not cease to be true because of people's reactions to it. The Bible speaks plainly on these issues, if there were a month where we celebrated “Adultry Pride”, or “Pornography Pride” I would stand against that equally, as a bible believing Christian - I am unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus.

Calling Homosexuality/ Transgenderism anything less than sin robs the Pride community of the opportunity of the Gospel as to affirm sin robs anyone from the opportunity of repentance and faith in Christ. Just as calling abortion anything less than murder robs them of the oppurtunity of the Gospel.

When Christ reached his hands to pull the women caught in adultery out of the dirt, he said, “Go and sin no more”. He did not affirm her sin, rather he did acknowledge the woman as a sinner and told her to sin no more.

Likewise, as Christ followers, let us acknowledge sin for what it is and preach that all people need to repent of sin and place their faith in Christ and sin no more.

Like this woman caught in adultery, we are all sinners and only Christ is the sinless one.

We as sinners, are all the women laying in the dirt, caught in our sin and the law of sin and death is ready to stone us - but God being rich in mercy, with the great love by which he loved us - died for us, sinners, the enemies of God that the law had every legal right to stone to death. When Christ saves us he commands us to go and sin no more.

Certainly this is not to say that as christians we are to adhere to the “sinless perfection” doctrine, a heresy the gnostics preached within the first century church. I think a plain reading of 1 John will shed some light in this area. If we say that we have no sin - we lie and God's truth is not in us, yet if we continue in our sin we again lie and the truth is not in us? How are these scriptures not a contradiction?

Well, it’s simple - to whom or what do you identify with or in? Do you Identify with Christ or your sin? Do you strive to please Christ in grace, or please your flesh with your sin? Are you struggling with sin? To struggle with sin is an indication of the genuine work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Sinners do not struggle with sin, sin is their identity.

To sit at a table with Jesus, one must be a sinner

Lets go to the scriptures, a passage where we see our Lord and Savior dining with sinners…

“15And it *It happened, that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?” 17And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2: 15 - 17 NASB

Please note that Christ acknowledged that those who sat with Him were sinners - never did He affirm their sin, and even the writer of this gospel account acknowledged sin as he called all who sat with Jesus, “sinners”. To sit with and follow Jesus one must acknowledge that they are sinners who need a savior, sick people who need a doctor. To neglect, to come to that understanding of our sin is to say that you are healthy and do not need the doctor, you are self righteous and do not need a savior.

When she said, “He is not a God I want”, she revealed the truth of her heart condition. She wouldn't sit at a table with Jesus and sinners, because like the Pharisees she believed herself to be self righteous, a good person not needing a savior.

It shows us exactly what Paul taught in Romans 1: 28 - 32 ESV,

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

What Jesus Taught in John 3:19 - 21 ESV

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Even more recently, My husband posted a bible study invitation on social media - open to anyone who wished to study the bible, we received 125 hate filled comments and insults via facebook, comments and whats app messages telling us to leave and to take our Gospel with us, they called us, “Vampires” and “White colonizers”, over a simple invitation. We posted fliers in the city on all the public boards, they were torn down within the hour and replaced with New age invites for tarot readings, chakras, etc… I told my husband,

“I feel like Jonah living in Nineveh”.

“Not really, Jonah was unwilling and Nineveh repented instantly”. He responded.

He was right. Have people grown more evil and cold toward God and His Gospel? Has it always been there, but I never noticed?

When I was younger I didn't actually believe that people were by nature evil, I genuinely thought that people were “basically good” and that after they heard the good news of the Gospel they too, like me, would repent of their sins. I mean, afterall who could reject such a loving offer from a gracious and merciful king?

Over the last few years, after studying doctrine and consistently reading the bible and allowing the bible to shape my worldview, I no longer believe that people are “basically good”, rath

the bible teaches that humans are evil by nature and that the human heart is deceitfully wicked and when a person does hear the Gospel and repents of their sins and places their faith in Christ alone, that truly is the greatest miracle to have ever been done, as in that moment a person comes out of darkness and into His glorious light.

With the recent overturning of Roe Vs. Wade in the supreme court, I have watched as multiple women have flooded social media - upset because they cannot murder their babies anymore.

I watched as one tik toker said,

“When I had my abortion I did not feel shame, I was empowered as I now possessed the power over life and death…”

The truth about abortion is blatantly obvious, women are not victims, as they would have us believe. Even though some have been victimized, never has our laws or God's law ever allowed for victims to become the perpetrators of those who are innocent and get a “pass”, because of their being victimized. Rather the perpetrators of another person body is deserving of death, even rape according to the laws of God is as murder and the guilty should be put to death, Deuteronomy 22:25.

Of course when asked if a rapist deserves the death penalty, often their response is to not respond to the question. It seems they prefer to punish the baby for the sins of the father, instead of punishing the rapist they punish the innocent.

Pro - Choice women desire to have the power over life and death, a place that Jesus alone has authority in, Revelation 1:18.

Abortion gives women a perceived status of god - likeness in their life.

Abortion is murder, idoltry and blasphemy - The exception would be for those abortive medical procedures deemed necessary for the preservation of the mothers life, in such cases though the medical community uses the term, "Abortion" to describe the necessary procedure, this type of abortive measure do not carry the intention to willfully take another humans life, rather it is a rescue mission to save life, and women who are faced with this choice should not be condemned.

I remember thinking to myself as I watch several influencers and Pro - Choicers weep over their loss of choosing life or death over a baby,

“These are babies after all, rather than rejoicing over lives that will be saved, you are upset because you cannot murder babies?” Make it make sense.

“But it is my body, my choice”, they often reply…

Then why is it that abortion results in your glorification and the death of a child? If it was your body then you would be the one to die at the hands of an abortionist. The logical, scientific response.

“Well, we suffer mentally, it's a hard thing for us to go through emotionally”. They say.

Thats because you are murdering a baby. You are a murderer by definition. Truth.

“My body, my choice!” They scream all the louder when refuted with logic rooted from the biblical worldview.

The Gospel begins with humans acknowledging their sin and Christ faithfulness to pick them up from the dirt and clean them, heal them, restore them. The truth is, some don’t want that

and we rob people from the invitation of the Gospel if we seek to affirm their sin, something Christ never did.

God, be merciful to me, the sinner!

Quite possibly and arguably one of the most beautiful parables of Christ is found in Luke 18:10 - 14 NASB:

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reading these passages always strikes a deep pain in my heart. I remember when I came to the knowledge of my sin - I wept on the floor for 4 hours. Condemned. Exposed. Terrified. When a minister of the Gospel approached me and simply said, “Place your Faith in Christ and be forgiven from your sins”. Through tears and a pounding heartbeat and already on the floor with snot and tears I simply said, “Jesus”. I wept bitterly at my sin - I know first hand what this man must have felt when he beat his chest because he knew he was a sinner, like him

I too had fallen into the hands of a holy God and was found lacking a righteousness that would satisfy Him.

The message here is simple and beautiful: God justifies people who acknowledge their sin in repentance before Him. People who cannot even lift their head due to shame, who beat their chest because of their sin, who cry out for His mercy. God saves such sinners.

To the righteous Pharisees who come before God with their good works and their own definitions of goodness. They do not acknowledge their sin, in fact they only see how good they are, can such people be justified? The scriptures show us, no.

Two men approached God, one acknowledged his sin and cried for the mercy of God and the other did not acknowledge their sin, nor cry out for mercy. One man left justified. The other did not.

Acknowledging sin does not make us Pharisees, It makes us sinners who cry out for the mercy of God and to the ones who refuse to acknowledge their sin - these are Pharisees who will not cry out to God for mercy because they believe themselves to be good.

Christians are the only people who acknowledge that they are sinful and in need of mercy.

The sinful people of the world do not acknowledge their sin, they believe themselves to be good, even better than those christians who are “bigots”, and “judgemental”, because they don't believe they are sinners.

Christians are screwed up people who beat their chest over their sin and cry out for God's mercy. Sinful people of the world are the modern day Pharisees who look at christians and say, “I’m glad I'm not as closed minded as they are”, “I am a good person, I stand for women’s right and marriage equality”, “Its consensual - God won't care”, “Does the bible really say that”...

Can you hear it? The justification of the Pharisee who would not acknowledge his sin? Who looked at the broken person next to him and said, “I'm glad I'm not like you”.

Christians have not been perfect in this either, at times we too have not been as broken over our sinfulness as we ought to be. Our acknowledgement of sin has turned into casting sinners out instead of drawing close to them. Whether it is because we have been afraid of being insulted or misrepresenting Christ - we have cowarded away sinfully.

It is easier to ignore the Pride community than it is to try to minister to them.

Some fundamentalist, have gone so far as to even openly wish disaster upon the Pride community, “We want them to burn in hell ”, or “They are an abomination in the sight of God”.

Oh! How I wish for the opportunity to say to such people, “How dare you blaspheme the Grace of God with your wishes! Remember you are a sinner too! Do not forget that you too are the women caught in adultery, deserving of hell!” If those Pharisees had to put their stones down because only Christ was sinless, then please Westboro Baptist Church - put your signs down! For you too need to seek the mercies of God and repent of your sins!

Shame on them for not seeking to pray for such people, for not ministering in Grace AND Truth and for attacking and insulting the ones that Christ came for, sinners. For they have forgotten their sinfulness.

I write this blog, as a sinful woman who the Grace of God is working on. I am not perfect, I have never claimed to be - only Christ is perfect. I weep over my sin. I weep over the sins I see in the world. I have not been good at ministering to the Pride community - I have either cowarded away or I ministered without Grace. I admit those to you today, and I repent of that.

I am working on becoming a more Christlike minister of His Gospel, someone who can with me, a sinner. I desire to see all men repent of their sins. The power of God is revealed when sinful humans bow their knees in total submission to our Great King Jesus. Salvation is the greatest miracle of God active in the world today.

Jesus is not the affirming God that sinners want, but He is the one true and living God who bids sinners to come and die to self and be healed from sin. The true Gospel of Jesus is offensive, it never affirms sin, rather it exposes sin for what it really is, enmity against God.

Jesus is the God who sits with sinners, He sits with the homosexual and the adulter, the theif and murderer, the transgender and the liar. While sitting with them is not a sign of affirmation rather the opportunity for the Gospel to come forth.

Jesus is the God who sits with sinners and the God who sinners hate.

He is for most, “Not a God I want”.

For Context and Clarity

Can a homosexual/ transgender person go to heaven?

I, personally, cannot write a better response to this question than this article that I highly encourage all to read:

You may say, well this article is specific to the Homosexuality and not Transgenderism. True, however the Gospel never changes based on the sins that people struggle with, therefore I think it appropriate to give all sinners the same response:

https://www.gotquestions.org/do-gay-people-go-to-heaven.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/transsexualism-gender-identity-disorder.html

Are Homosexuality/ Transgenderism/ Abortions impardonable sins?

Let me ask you this question, Was the cross of Jesus enough for sin? Of course it was, By no means are these unforgivable sins - to even suggest that they are indicates that you lack the knowledge of the Gospel of Grace that Christ died for sinners.

How should I respond when I find out a person is homosexual or transgender?

In truth and Grace. Pray for yourself to be an effective truth and grace centered minister of the Gospel. Pray for them, that God brings them into the knowledge of their sin that they may be saved. Perhaps invite them for dinner, establish a relationship with them and minister to them. Treat them as Christ has treated you, For this is the Holy standard of God; that we love our enemies because God loved us - His enemies.

Well, we have officially began our travel season, with a variety of hectic antics - packing, unpacking, storing items, cleaning apartments, and early morning cab rides to the airport - In all this, I am reminded that in many ways this world is not our home, we are vagabonds and sojourners, pilgrims - just passing through and in search of our home. You can feel the eternal weight of sin when fear enters your heart as you turn on the news and witness the horrific acts humans are capable of; mass shootings, violence, murders, politics, corruption. The headlines scream that something is wrong… not right… We notice it certainly as we age and every subsequent doctor's visit is no longer the standard “Wellness exam”, rather you hear words like, “High blood pressure”, “Diabetes’, or even the dreaded, ''Covid - 19 ``...

We get a glimpse of our fallen nature in this world when a marriage of several years abruptly ends in divorce, when we prematurely bury our family and friends, we can't control our spending addictions we have developed in order to mask the anxiety in our hearts, we drink too much alcohol, we abuse our bodies with food, and any form of self discipline is mocked. We are tired, anxious, stressed, depressed, sick, and lonely.

When reading the book of Genesis, particularly before Chapter 3, a sense of a longing to return back to the garden sings to us. Inherently, we know this world is not our home. We have all suffered, some in more significant ways than others, but suffered - we all have. Shortly after the Last supper with Jesus and His disciples, Judas goes to betray Jesus to the Pharisees and Jesus speaks these words to the remaining disciples…

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14: 1-6 How precious is this moment, Jesus is a few minutes away from being tortured and crucified, he is about to purchase redemption through his blood and sacrifice for the sins of God people in the world and He begins His parting salutations with, “Do not be troubled.” Words of comfort, words of peace, words of sovereignty.

When Jesus spoke to the disciples, His words would transcend them and be recorded eternally for all the future saints of God. Jesus is preparing a place for us and He will surely return to bring us to that place, to bring us to the father God. This world is not our home!

Several months ago, I read John Bunyans, “The Pilgrim's Progress”. Using allegory the author tells the story of all Christians in the world who are walking on the narrow road - in search of a heavenly home. The story rings true to the pain we as believers carry in our hearts, when the main protagonist - Christian has to leave his family in search of Christ. He carried nothing but a burden on his back and a book in his hands, as the story progresses - Christian encounters many doubts, fears, different paths to God, and even loss and pain when his friend dies. He is criticized, mocked and scorned by society, all because he was headed to His eternal home - Heaven.

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend;

The difficulty will not me offend.

For I perceive the way to life lies here.

Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor fear.

Better, though difficult, the right way to go,

Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”

― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

“…better, though difficult, the right way to go, than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe”...

We who are in Christ are like pilgrims, traveling on a narrow road - there's the burden we carry, too great for us to hold and a bible in our hands where we find our everlasting hope. Like Christian, all of us Christians endure hardships, loss, suffering and pain, we stand for truth and are mocked, we stand for life and are ridiculed, we reason with logic and science and are treated as less - than, we seek to establish righteousness in a world bankrupt of morality.

Dear reader, I wish to encourage you. Continue steadfast in the Lord and in the power of His might.

The road is hard and not well liked, It is narrow and few find it. Continue with and in Christ.

Do not fear, for Christ has risen from the dead! If He has risen, then he has ascended to heavenly places, If He has ascended - He will descend and bring us to the Father as well! We have a living hope, who before leaving us did not leave us as orphans but sent us His Holy Spirit…

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit oftruth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remainswith you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. John 14: 16 - 18

Jesus Promised that He would not leave us as orphans in the world, but that the Holy Spirit - His Spirit would come andbe a helper to us, a comforter even.

Christians, let every pain we endure and cause that we suffer, every loss of a friend or precious family member push usforward steadfast in Christ - Our great Hope! Let every sickness and untimely disease remind us of the eternal promisefrom the one who conquered death itself and know that, we may be vagabonds, sojourners and Pilgrims, but we are notOrphans with no father or home, in many ways we are the weary traveler roaming through the terminals of this life,patiently waiting with our bags packed at the ready to board our flight and head home…

Shortly after my conversion into christianity, I was “On fire for God and His Gospel”, I foolishly assumed that everyone who heard the Gospel would be just as elated as I was to repent and receive Christ. That was not the case. Going into my junior year of high school was tough, I became the tabooed christian convert that everyone gossiped about, My friend list decreased and the ones that stayed did not seem to understand my new found zeal.

Soon after school began I found myself seeking out christian friends, I met several “Christians”, we had many conversations and I thought I had found my company.

“So what church did you say that you attended”? I asked curiously,

“Jesus Christ, Church of Latter Day Saints”, Uh, I shrugged I never heard of it, internally I promised myself that I would remember the name so I can google it.

Later that night, when the computer was available I set out on my search.

After reading dozens of articles and reviewing many of their beliefs concerning the bible, interpretations, Joseph Smith, etc…

“Christian? How can they claim to be Christian and not adhere to the same tenants of that Historic christian faith? I mean we were both saying the same thing, that we believed in Jesus, that we read the bible, but our definitions of such things were vastly different.

My research took me into studying exactly what the Historic Christian Church taught as doctrine.

This search began a lifelong love of studying Church Doctrine.

What is Doctrine?

In short, Theology and Doctrine are sometimes used interchangeably, as to study Doctrine you inevitably are studying Theology.

Theology is the general or rather, Broad - study of God and the bible. Doctrine is a specific study about God and the different subjects the bible teaches such as, "The Doctrine of Salvation" or "End Times", these doctrines are clumped into different titles - such as The Doctrine of Salvation is often referred to as " Sotierology", or End times would be the study of, " Eschatology", Etc...

Does Doctrine Matter?

Believe it or not, it actually does. I have had countless conversations with people who have attended church for years, and while they can recite a few favorite passages such as John 3:16, or Jeremiah 29:11, rarely can they explain with truth and clarity the Trinity, Church governments, or even how a person can be saved. This is a frightening thought, and it is no wonder we are seeing a record amount of people leaving the Church.

The lack of discipline to study in depth the doctrines of the Church have led to scores of manipulation and false teachings. Inevitably, false teachers have risen in popularity, churches like Bethel are teaching people to “grave suck” in order to receive anointing from the dead and new age tactics have been added to their evangelism strategies all in the name of “Reaching People”. A general study of Church Doctrine reveals the silliness of such teachings propagated by churches like Bethel.

Enough about what I have to say, let's go to the scriptures.

In, Acts 2:42, it reads, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Since its inception the Church adhered to the Doctrine (Teachings) of the Apostles that Christ appointed. The Church today is not exempt from this, we are to be continually devoting ourselves to the Apostles teachings found in the scriptures. In Acts 5:27 - 28 we read how Peter and John were arrested and commanded to no longer teach the doctrines concerning Jesus, of course they responded with the famous, “Who should we serve God or man”? Although they were commanded to stop teaching the Doctrine of Jesus, they simply could not, they were fully convinced of the Gospel and were compelled by its truth to continue even unto death.

Not unlike today, churches, ministers and believers who are continuing to preach the true Doctrines of the Church have come under various forms of persecutions, with the rising “Progressive Christian” movement attempting to silence the evangelical church from preaching the Doctrines of Christ again, we must stand up and say, “ Who should we serve God or man?”

In the age of progressivism, doctrines such as the "atonement", held as the foundation of the christian faith is deduced to nothing more than a degrading doctrine of “Cosmic child abuse”. The Doctrine of original sin, how all people are born into sin because of the inherited sin of Adam is now being touted as "bigotry" and that people are "basically good", or even the asinine teachings that there is no "objective morality".

Progressives study and adhere to doctrine, though faulty and heretical, how much more should the true church of Jesus of Christ be persistent in its study of doctrine and firm to its teachings?

Doctrine matters. It matters to the small local church just trying to make an impact for the glory of God in its community. Doctrine matters to the wives and husbands who are just wanting to raise godly children and still love each other despite all of life's setbacks. Doctrine matters to the youth and children in our church who too often are forgotten or left to watch facing the giants for the umpteenth time. Doctrine matters to the Pastors and church leaders who are just trying to stay faithful to the scriptures despite the increasing pressure from the culture wars. Doctrine matters when we shape our political views and vote. Doctrine Matters.

When I speak to the average layperson in the church about Doctrine, I am often met with glossy eyes filled with confusion.

“What does that mean? What is Doctrine?” is the usual followup question, my response,

“You believe in Jesus, correct? You believe that the bible is the inerrant Word of God, Correct? You Believe that the universal Church is the body of Christ, correct? You believe in the Trinity, correct?” The agreements are unanimous, “Doctrine is the study of why you believe what you believe from the scriptures”. This is often referred to as orthodoxy: what you believe and orthopraxy: how to live because of what you believe.

The study of Doctrine helps to guard ourselves from false teachers, who will deceive many, especially in these last days.

Situation like the famous “Jones town” incident would not have occurred if the individual members of that church had learned proper doctrine, some may say, “ Well it's the Pastor's responsibility to teach Doctrine properly”, this is true yet it does not negate the layperson responsibility to learn doctrine regardless of the pastors teachings. Not just Jonestown, but unorthodox “Christian” sects as well, such as the Mormons and Jehovah witness or even the progressive Christian church. All of these claim to be “Christian”, but a simple study into their doctrines prove otherwise, to the unassuming christian - who does not know any better, they would believe that these sects are in fact "Orthodox Christian" and perhaps they are just a "different denomination", all the the while they are not and due to there lack of knowledge in the Doctrines of Jesus and the Church they leave themselves open to the enemy to enter with false teachings that could lead them astray.

Context or Application? Both.

The study of Doctrine needs to both inform with logic and truth presented from the scriptures and impact daily living. Amongst some of the modern day “Reformed” movements, we are seeing a push back to the historic doctrines of the church, context is king when reading scriptures, and this movement, I believe is good and necessary. However, a problem I have encountered amongst some in the movement has been what I refer to as, “Glory Theology”, now what is "Glory Theology"?

"Glory Theology" is the genuine and sincere study of God and the bible using context as its king and for the most part this is really good and necessary for proper doctrine to be taught, however that is usually where it stops. "Glory Theology" prizes context only and no application to a christians everyday life, in fact some would even say that to “Apply the scriptures to everyday living is to go beyond its context”, a key example of this is found when teaching about David and Goliath, some within the “Glory theology”, would say that that story was only a historical fact of how a soon to be king defeated a giant with Gods help because God was establishing the nation of Israel, and that there is no way it could apply to a christians everyday living.

"Glory Theology" is all context with no application. While this mindset exists amongst some Reformers I must be fair and say that it is not a popular idea for most Reformers and for this I am content to continue to study from the Reformers.

Like most Reformers, I believe that the study of Doctrine should give us context and application, as God is ultimately glorified in his saints. Logically, if our theology is God glorifying then it should be applied to our lives as we are God's saints, in whom He is glorified in.

2 Thessalonians 1:10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed— for our testimony to you was believed.

If you are a christian, I encourage you to begin the process of studying Doctrine and Theology. The study is vital to your spiritual health, it wards against false teachings and protects you against false prophets. When I began to study doctrine I was amazed at how “Strong”, and “Confident” I became when engaging in conversations with Atheist, unbelievers, progressives, etc…

The Study of doctrine does not make you a "Christian Pharisee", it makes you a firm and intelligent Christian that cannot be swayed with every wind of doctrine. I am by no means an intelligent person, I don't know all the terms and vernacular to be considered a theologian today, but I have a strong, well studied foundation for my faith and for that I am grateful for the study of Biblical Doctrine.

For Context and Clarity

Bethel Church teaches, ‘Grave sucking’ and new age tactics for evangelism?!

While the “Grave sucking” is an alleged doctrine, it is a fact that students of bethel and leaders have engaged in practices. Attached are a few links, so that you can research for yourselves concerning the heretical doctrine and practices coming from Bethel, for myself personally, I no longer actively engage in listening to Bethel music. That is my personal conviction, I do listen to some Hillsong and Elevation - though I am selective in songs and do not adhere to much of their doctrine.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-the-bethel-church-movement/

https://www.bethel.com/news/christalignment

You mentioned that you agreed with most Reformers, are you Reformed?

Excellent question, I will answer this with the same response I give when asked what denomination I am, taken from Charles Spurgeon: “There are, in truth, but two denominations upon this earth: The Church and The World".

My Theology can be summed up in Four words, “Jesus died for me”. I am in Christ and He in me.

What are some resources to begin studying Doctrine?

I have a few incredible resources, here are a few of my recommendations:

https://thedailygraceco.com/

- Take a look at the 'Theology Handbook', and, 'The Bible Handbook'.

I also love to study from Wayne Grudems 'Systematic Theology', it is an excellent book available to any person and he explains several Doctrines using Layman's language - anyone can understand his teachings.

- Teachers available on youtube, are Mike Winger, Allen Parr and Jeff Durbin - They have greatly influenced my theological framework and love of Apologetics.

When Christ saved me at 16 years of age, nearly 13 years ago He truly saved me.

I remember having a genuine conversion experience. I came into the knowledge of my sin and

when I did, I was desperate for a savior that I was not looking for, yet he called me into faith by His Gospel. I remember the desires in my heart that once craved sin now longed for holy living.

I remember many sleepless nights wrestling with my desire for purity and sinlessness and constantly returning to my sin habits.

I remember the deep guilt that drove me to my knees in desperation for healing.

The battle was on, Sin vs Holiness.

There would be seasons of deep struggle and intense shame and other seasons of incredible victory but in all seasons I had peace with God, because of Christ's atonement. The point is there was a struggle with sin and holiness, no longer did I lust after sin, rather I craved desperately after holiness.

The Bible, which seemed to be a mere ancient book that everyone owned for decorations but only grandmothers read, became the source of life and truth that I would study daily.

It was like for the first time in my life I was drinking water that could quench my soul.

It was refreshing,delightful and I believed every word of it. I submitted to its teaching even though my sinful desires hated it. I knew exactly what David meant when He said, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God”. Psalm 42:1 NASB

The weekly Church service, once a chore, became my source of delightful fellowship.

Quickly, I began asking deep questions from the scriptures, I attended all services and volunteered at every event, I even began teaching in youth services. Slowly, those sinful desires began to lessen,The Holy Spirit was working in me, removing all that was at war against God in me, and replacing it with peace, holiness, self control, etc…

He is still working in me. He still convicts me of my sin. He strengthens me, encourages me, and guides me.

13 years later, I am 29 now. Living in South Mexico with my Husband as Independent Missionaries, we lead weekly bible studies, preach the Gospel to the lost, and we believe God to begin a church soon.

13 years of walking with Christ, I have quietly watched as many who onced professed faith in Christ have gone the way of the world. People who I learned alongside in church and youth services, people who would go to the parks with me and minister the Gospel alongside on mission trips. People who for all intents and purposes were “Christian”.

Now, they have denounced Christ either in words or continued worldly actions.

Some have deconstructed their faith to a point of atheism, others didn't need to deconstruct; they simply and unashamedly preferred their sin over Christ.

As I reflect on this,I ask myself:

How can the same Gospel seed that was given to me be the same seed given to them yet, two different crops have grown?

How can a person profess to believe in Christ and yet they are not permanently changed?

Decisional Regeneration

I was foolish enough to simply believe that every professing “Christian” was a genuine Christian. But, aren’t they? After all, Paul tells us in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. NASB

Doesn't that scripture point to the validity of “Decisional Regeneration”? That a person must simply say a prayer, often called the "sinner's prayer" and boom! Saved! Isn't that how modern churches and evangelism efforts have calculated salvation totals?

These questions haunted my mind and led me to a study of the scriptures once again…

First off, we must acknowledge that nowhere in the bible is there a prayer pattern given to us for regeneration. That is to say, there is no “sinner's prayer'' either recited, given or taught in the scriptures by Christ or the Apostles.

The coined and familiar version of the “sinners prayer,” where one would “Ask Jesus to come into your heart”, was made popular sometime in the 1970’s in the midst of growing evangelical crusades and Missional explosions.

Prior to then, the more theologically accurate phrase coined in the 17th and 18th century amongst Anglo- American Puritans was, “Receive Christ in your heart” or for those who refused to Repent and Believe the Gospel the Puritans would say, “(They) Received not Christ into their hearts”.

The implication of, “ Asking vs Receiving” are vastly different.

Another such method I have seen used frequently, is - "You need to make Jesus your Lord and personal savior", the implications of such an idea is even worse that the standard "ask christ into your heart". Christ is Lord and Savior regardless of a persons submission to Jesus. No man can establish Christ as a personal Lord and Saviour, to even think such a thing is pure arrogance and or ignorance. Jesus is the Lord of glory, He is the savior of sinful humans and we either submit by faith to that or we rebel against God who has established Him from before the foundations of the world.

Regardless of what a person confesses Jesus to be - His truth is not subject to mere human opinions.

Instead, we ought better to say, "Jesus Christ is Lord and savior, receive Him or perish".

So what was Paul teaching in Romans 10:9?

As always, let's dive into historical and biblical context.

The Book of Romans was written by Paul while he was in Corinth in the year 56 - 57 AD, Approximately, 22 years after His conversion in Damascus.

In the year 49 AD Claudius expels all Jews from Rome and the Church of Rome becomes divided and faces many hardships. The Jewish members of the Roman Church leave and about 5 years later or so, they are allowed to return as Claudius had been poisoned by His wife and Nero becomes the new emperor of Rome in 54 AD.

Nero was a savage, blood thirsty Emperor who hated the Christians and viewed them as a problem for the state of Rome. The problem was that Christians were exceptionally good at proselytizing and converting citizens of Rome. With Christianity being a relatively new religion, the fear of the unknown consequences of the Christian worldview only fueled Nero's hatred.

When Paul is writing to the Roman church He is writing to a people on the precipice of severe persecution. Ones who, by confessing faith in Christ would have their heads chopped off, tied to a stake and lit on fire as a consequence of their confession. Paul writes to encourage them, If you confess Christ with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart… you will be saved. It would be only 7 years after the writing of the letters to the Romans, that Nero would accuse the christians of burning Rome down. Church History records several different tortures that our siblings in Christ faced from being burned alive, beheaded, fed to lions, etc…

Christians were given the opportunity to confess either Nero or Jesus as Lord, for their confession of Christ they were martyred.

Paul was certainly not teaching that a mere prayer could save a person, that would be a works based salvation. Rather the biblical context of Romans 10 was that Faith in Christ is what saves a person. Pauls audience knew that the expression of their faith by eventual public confession would result in their death.

The last time I was in a crusade meeting, there was no threat of death upon us if we repeated the sinner's prayer. (This does not negate nor diminish the experiences of some Christians in hostile areas of the world towards the Gospel).

So How is a Person Saved?

We understand now that a person is not saved merely by reciting a prayer, rather by Faith alone in Christ Alone.

Understand that God has done all the work needed for salvation, and all we must do is receive it by faith. Acts 16:31: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”.

In John 3, Jesus has an amazing encounter with a Pharisee named Nicodemus.

Jesus tells Nicodemus in verse 3 that unless a person is born again he cannot see the kingdom God. Of course Nicodemus is confused, “How is this possible? Can a man return to his mothers womb?” Jesus replies, “Unless a person is born of spirit and water they will not enter the kingdom of heaven”, Again Nicodemus is confused and this conversation continues back and forth with him and Jesus, until finally in verses 14 -18 Jesus gives him the key that unlocks this mystery of how a person can be born again:

“14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God”.

How can a person be saved? Well, they must be born again. How is a person born again? By Faith Alone in Christ Alone. Mere confession does not save, nor validate salvation.

Assurance of Salvation

Now that we have analyzed the Historical and Biblical Context of Romans 10 and established how a person is saved. The question remains: How can the Gospel seed be sown to two different people and produce vastly different crops?

As you probably guessed by this point, let's look at what the scriptures say…

In Matthew 13:3 - 9 NASB

“3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seedsfell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9 The one who has ears,let him hear.”

So, what does this parable mean, Christ actually gives us the meaning a few verses down in verse 18…

18 “Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

Jesus teaches that the first seed sown by the road and snatched away by the birds was because upon having heard the Gospel they did not understand it, that seed was snatched away.

The second seed was sown by the sower and it landed on rocky soil quickly. It faded away because it had no depth. Jesus explains this as a person who having received the Gospel they were happy and rejoiced in it, but once trials and hardships occurred, they fell away. The third seed was sown by the sower and it landed amongst the thorns and when anxieties came and wealth seemed more desirable it choked out the word given to them, and it became unfruitful. The fourth seed sown fell onto good soil, the person heard and understood the Gospel and it bore fruit. The parable shows us that never once was there a problem with the seed. Jesus doesn't even teach that there was a problem with the sower who sowed the seed. Rather, the problem was the soil that the seed fell onto.

Today, Scores of people are leaving the church and some have good reasons to leave: abuse, scandals, manipulations or a lack of theological consistency and truth.

Recently, The SBC announced the investigations into sex abuse cover ups endorsed by their leadership. Many people have left the local church because of its theological lapse in affirming LGBTQ+ into leadership and no longer upholding the biblical worldview of marriage and family. For such people and purposes I am clearly not against.

Rather, for those who claim to be in Christ and yet, they do not produce the fruit that shows and testifies to their salvation. It is a scriptural truth that a person is saved by faith alone, and that faith proves to be genuine when fruit is present.

How can you be assured of your salvation? How do you know that the faith you profess to have is genuine and living faith and you are not merely deceiving yourself by professing faith in Christ yet you are dead in sin? Jesus teaches us that good soil will have good fruit.

Examine the fruit you are producing and is it righteous or sinful according to the bible's definition, objectively?

There have been seasons of my life where I can honestly say, "I don't feel saved", and when I took an honest inventory of my life and the fruit that I bore, It was the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is why it is important to have an assurance of your salvation, seasons of hardships, anxieties and worries can come in and attempt to rob us of the Gospel. If you find yourself in these seasons, where you profess Christ as Lord, you have fruit that can attest to your salvation but your emotions are speaking loudly, just know that steadfast faith is developed in the valleys of defeat, fear, depression, etc... and continue pressing forward to the high call of Christ, for Christ is in you and you have hope of glory. understand that works are not the root of your salvation, they are the fruit of your salvation.

Paul urges Christians in 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

Unless you fail the test…

How do you know that the faith you profess to have is living and genuine and will save you?

Remember that even the demons believe in Jesus and profess him, yet they are damned eternally.

Examine yourselves in light of scripture to see if you are in the faith genuinely.

Living faith saves and living faith will produce fruits of righteous living in accordance with scripture.

If you find yourself reading the scriptures and attempting to rectify its teachings of sin to that of a cultural construct for them back then, but not relevant for us, today, and teaching others, you are a false teacher condemned already.

The scriptures never apologize for its teachings. True teachers of the bible will never apologize for the teachings of the scriptures.

If you find yourself professing to have faith in Christ and yet you do not produce righteous fruit, like Paul, I urge you to repent and believe in the Gospel of Jesus as it is very likely you are not born again because living faith that saves and professing faith are not always mutually exclusive.

For clarity and context

1. In regards to the “Sinners Prayer”, are you saying that we should discontinue the usage of the sinners prayer?

Actually no, I never think it inappropriate to pray for someone or to have them pray for salvation or even to have them repeat such prayers. Rather, as ministers of the Gospel we need to be very clear about the Gospel message, as much as it depends on us we should give a clear, simple explanation of the Gospel, so that a person knows the implications of the Gospel. Upon ministering the Gospel should the recipient pray and cry out to God, allow it, do not prohibit such childlike faith to come unto God. Matthew 19:14, Matthew 18:3. However, It is my personal theological conviction that we should return to the sayings of the Puritans, instead of “Asking Christ into our hearts,” we should rather say, “ Receive Christ into your heart”. Words matter and have theological implications.

2. So, what about deathbed confessions? If a person professes faith in Christ on their deathbed, and has no time to produce righteous fruit, are they genuinely saved?

Excellent question, I will remind you of the thief on the cross, who in so many words professed faith in Christ and Jesus' response validated the genuinity of the thief's confession. I will say this, in regard to such persons, while fruit is the primary long term indicator of genuine faith and conversion, it is not the arbiter of genuinity as ultimately God alone truly knows a person's heart. While we are here on this earth we look at fruit while God searches the heart. This does not diminish the necessity of fruit, nor does it indicate that only fruit matters as faith alone saves us.

5 years ago, My husband and I were invited to a ministry event where there would inevitably be many churches from a variety of different denominations in attendance. I arrived 30 minutes prior to my husband and set up our station.

While I was waiting for him, a curious gentleman approached our booth, he inquired, “Vessels of Honor church, Hey I know the Youth Pastor there, Andrew!” I looked at the man and replied, “ Yes, that is my husband”.

We spoke for a while and he told me that he had been inspired by my husband's faith in God and that he left his job to pursue the ministry. I was thrilled to hear this of course. When he returned to his booth I watched to see which “denomination” he was a part of…he was a part of a denomination that did not believe in spiritual gifts or women ministers, instantly and internally a smug proudness entered my heart and I rolled my eyes.

When my husband arrived he checked in with me and I mentioned the man and pointed him to the booth. Andrew walked straight over to the man, hugged him and spoke to him for several minutes, when he returned to my side he said, “That is Mike from Monji landscaping I told you about,” Without a blink, I looked at my husband and said, “ You know they don't believe in speaking in tongues right?” Without hesitation Andrew replied, “ I know, it doesn't matter”. And that was the end of that.

Instantly the conviction hit and this began a season of reflection and analyzing the scriptures again. I had been lifted up in a sort of weird spiritual pride to the point where I genuinely thought that if a “Christian” did not speak in tongues they were somehow “less spiritual” than me.

Apart from the sinful pride I was in, what was the source of the division I felt? I had never been taught from the pulpit or from any bible study I attended that I was supposed to; “Not associate with other denominations because they don't believe exactly what I believed”. Certainly no one ever taught me that. So how did I learn this? How did I come to a place of division in my heart?

In John 4, Jesus has an interesting encounter with a woman at a well in Samaria, have you ever wondered why the Jewish people hated the Samaritans? I mean, after all at one point they were both Israel, until the separation of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel.

Why the division between Jews and Samaritans?

When the Isralites escaped captivity from Egypt and entered the Promised land the nation eventually divided into the North called Israel and the South called Judah. While the Southern Kingdom of Judah maintained the holy standards of God's law for a while, the Northern Kingdom of Israel did not. Because of the North's rebellion against God, God sent the Assyrians in to take them into captivity, now Assyria did not take all of the habitats of the North into captivity and eventually several Gentile foreigners came into the northern land and began to have children with the Israelites as a result the Northern Kingdom was now Half - Jew and Half - Gentile.

Now we have the Southern Kingdom of Judah that did not intermingle with other Gentile nations and the Northern Kingdom of Israel that did and they became known as the Samaritans.

Of course, there was severe tension between the two groups for hundreds of years. There were several reasons for the tension between the two however perhaps the greatest of these was what I refer to as, “ The Temple Tension”.

The Temple Tension

When the North intermingled with other nations, they inevitably began to worship foreign gods, now the South did attempt to lead them back to worshiping Yawheh alone, however their efforts were to no effect.

Eventually the Southern Kingdom was taken into captivity by Babylon for 70 years, and when they returned to their Southern Kingdom, they had to rebuild everything, including the temple. In order to rebuild the Jews needed a lot of resources, finances, and manual labor, the Samaritans of the North offered to help the South to rebuild, ultimately the South rejected their offer, causing massive tensions between the two kingdoms.

It is important to remember at this time that there was only one temple that both the North and South went to in order to worship God and make sacrifices, and that temple was in the South needing to be rebuilt, Judah’s rejection of the Samaritans offer to help to rebuild the temple was a sort of ultimate rejection of the people to even worship in the temple.

Eventually, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizim modeled after the Southern Temple, they set up their own priesthood and began to worship different gods as they saw fit, solidifying the tensions.

Hundreds of years later the Samaritans allied with the Seleucid Empire who hated the Southern kingdom of Judah to only further deepen the divide between the two kingdoms.

110 years before the birth of Christ, The South ransacked and destroyed the Northern temple along with their land led by their military leader John Hyrcanus. The records of Jewish historian Josephus detail that in 9 AD, A few Samaritans snuck into the temple of Judah and spread out human bones completely defiling the temple. You can see that for hundreds of years the two kingdoms have been at odds with one another, when Jesus came into the earth - the argument being had between the two groups was,“Which temple is the true temple to worship at”?

Perhaps now, we can better understand the tensions between the Jews and samaritans. As we read about Christ's encounter with the Samaritan women we see several amazing teaching points but the one I want to highlight is what I believe was the main purpose of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan Women, in verse 21…

Jesus is responding to the question the women is asking him, “Where are we supposed to worship God, which temple?” Jesus responds to her,

“Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”

Jesus *said to her, “I am He, the One speaking to you.”

Jesus' teachings in this passage was significant in that: His sacrifice on the cross reconciled the tension of Jew vs Gentile, because salvation (Jesus) came from the Jews of the tribe of Judah - the southern kingdom, but would be extended to all gentile nations! No land or ethnic borders on earth can separate humans from their Creator!

Worship of God is no longer contained to a physical temple or limited to one people group, rather God has sought out true worshippers who worship in Spirit and Truth!

Currently, there is an estimated 2 billion professing Christians in the world today, that is to say, there is an estimated 2 billion temples of God around the world today, all who look and sound different, some worship in song and dance, others worship by a fereverent study of the scriptures, but all worship in Spirit and Truth! Jesus' blood has made all who profess faith in Him a temple of God! Paul affirms and expounds this teaching of Jesus, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “ Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? And, again in, 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you”?

John 4, is a powerful picture of how God, stepped into humanity, stepped into racial division, and even religious division and made a way, one way for humans to be reconciled to God, Jesus is that way!

Unity and Disagreement

Globally, there are 45,000 different “Christian” denominations. I have had the privilege in my life to have been raised in a “Full Gospel Non- Denominational Church” with Pentecostal roots, some of my best friends are Reformed, Baptist, Charismatic. I have worked alongside Presbyterians and Mennonites. I have friends who speak in tongues and others who do not.

I have friends who affirm women ministers and others who do not and despite all of our differences on secondary issues, we have found a way to have dinner with each other, to celebrate one another's accomplishments, to grow and learn together, to challenge and change, to love and be gentle to one another. We attend different churches, some of us are a little more “Charismatic” and some refuse to listen to Hillsong music, but all of us are siblings in Christ who has unified us by His Gospel and sealed us by the Holy Spirit and what Christ has unified let no one divide.

Unity is not the absence of disagreement, rather unity is the acknowledgement of Christ’s truths that binds our love for one another together despite our many disagreements.

I watched my husband break through denominational barriers and establish meaningful relationships with christians from a variety of “camps” while I was stuck on my side of beliefs and refusing to accept others. Can you see it? North or south? This one or that one? Tongues or no tongues? This denomination or that denomination?

I made a way to divide up the body that Christ died and rose again to establish.

Now, I know that the temples in the North and South Kingdoms were historic and literal temples and I believe that on some level, we can look at John 4 and see that what Christ was building was no longer a physical building rather he was establishing His kingdom in the hearts of those who were his disciples then and those who would believe eventually; us. Eventually, I repented of my pride and divisiveness, I sought wisdom, peace and understanding from the scriptures and that has blessed my life in ways I could have never imagined.

I was able to develop wonderful Christ centered friendships with a variety of denominational backgrounds and some of my stances on secondary issues have changed as I grew more and more in the scriptures and walked alongside others despite our differences.

For Clarity and Context

Are you saying that anyone who claims to be “Christian” we should walk in unity with?

Actually, no. I am not. For the “True Christians” in which our core doctrine is in agreement with, absolutely! However, not all “Christians” adhere to the Historic core doctrines of the Church and thus cannot be considered a “True Christian”.

Because we are not unified under the Truths of Christ Gospel we cannot be bound together in love, therefore we are separated. Divided.

What are “Core Doctrines?” that you mentioned? The Association of Evangelicals have summarized the Core doctrines into 6 categories, though this list is short it is by no means insignificant:

Core Doctrines of the Christian Church

• The Trinity: There is one God in three persons, with each person possessing all the attributes of deity and personality.

• The Person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is the unique God-man, possessing full humanity with undiminished deity.

• The Second Coming: Jesus will one day personally return to the earth to rule and judge.

• Salvation: Man is saved by faith alone in Christ alone.

• The Scripture: The Bible is the inerrant Word of God and therefore sufficient for all Christian life.

• The Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ bodily from the dead.