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What must we believe if we are Christians? What basics demand our allegiance?
Read 1 Timothy 4:1-16
"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both
yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16).
What Does This Scripture Mean for Us?
"It really doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you believe SOMETHING about God, do good in your life, and love others."
Ever heard that from anyone? I'm sure you have, or at least something like it. It's very popular it seems to be filled with kindness, love for others -- but NEVER very popular to tell folks that CONTENT is crucial to your faith, if you're to be a Christian.
Our community recently got a surprise when a leading pastor came out in a newspaper column and confessed that he had left "Church" altogether, because he found so-called Christianity as expressed in any church to be completely lacking in value and totally off-base for meet peoples' needs. He went so far as to admit he no longer holds to such fundamentals of Christianity as the deity of Christ. He now believes Jesus was a wonderful man and great prophet of God, but not God.
How do we know what we ought to believe? We read Scripture, we "commune" with God through prayer, we get together with other believers in settings like church and Bible study and in all those ways we learn what we must believe. We learn what "Christian" means and how we are to worship God. Do we differ in the details from one denomination, or fellowship, or group to another? Of course we do, because we are individuals with individuals likes and dislikes. That gives Christianity it's "flavor." But we learn and abide by those core beliefs which make up Christian faith, even if we differ on the "minors," we agree on the "majors."
Isn't it exciting to know today that God loves us and that he has sent his Son, the "living Word of God," and given us the Scriptures to help us learn about Him?
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