Unity, Liberty, and Charity

“I could never divide myself from any man upon the difference of an opinion, or be angry with his judgment for not agreeing with me in that from which perhaps within a few days I should dissent myself.” – Sir Thomas Browne

As far as theology is concerned, there are a few non-negotiables for me, doctrines on which I will not bend nor give an inch. Among them are the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible… the virgin birth… salvation by grace through faith alone… that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven… that heaven and hell are real… and that Jesus will be coming back soon to reign, rule, and judge.

The reason I won’t cave or equivocate on these core doctrines is because (1) they are overwhelmingly supported by Scripture, and (2) without them, the Christian faith collapses like a house of cards. Let me give you a few examples…

If the Bible isn’t true from cover to cover, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, then man is free to pick and choose what is inspired and what is not. And so, he could simply keep the parts he agrees with and discard the rest, especially the parts that make him feel uncomfortable. Likewise, if Jesus wasn’t born of a virgin, then He inherited His father’s sin nature and was simply a good man who died a martyr’s death, leaving us lost in our sins and trespasses.

Fortunately, 2 Timothy 3:16 answers that first question and Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1, and Luke 1-2 put to rest the second one. In the same manner, Ephesians 2:8-9 and John 14:6 explain how to get to heaven, a place that Jesus spoke about almost as much as He did hell. Finally, John 14:2-3 (as well as I Thessalonians 5, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation 19-20) describe Christ’s return in great detail.

Are there other areas of doctrine in which I have some firm beliefs? Absolutely! However, they are not as essential to true biblical Christianity as the ones I mentioned earlier. For instance, when it comes to eschatology, I am pre-trib and pre-mill, meaning that I believe that Jesus will rapture His church before the Great Tribulation, after which He will return to rule the earth from Jerusalem for a literal 1,000 years. However, I know many dear Christian brothers and sisters who are mid-trib, post-trib, and even amillennial. Could they be right and me be wrong? Yes, that is possible.

The same goes for the sign gifts of the Spirit such as tongues and healings. My personal belief, based on many years of study, is that those sign gifts were given to the early disciples to authenticate their ministry and then they died out after the Apostolic Age when the full canon of Scripture was completed. However, once again, I could be wrong, and I certainly won’t break fellowship with another believer whose views on these less important matters differ from my own.

As St. Augustine of Hippo said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President