It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements… Acts 15:28
Burdens!
The first apostles declared that they didn’t want new converts to Christ to be unduly “burdened” when they joined the church.
Yes, burdens are bad. But they come in many shapes and sizes, even within the Christian community. Last time I suggested that there are two main types.
First, there are burdens of behaviour, where we are expected to act in certain ways which may or may not be part of God’s will (over and above obvious things like murder, lying, adultery and the rest).
Second, there are burdens of belief, where we are expected to toe a particular “party line”, depending on what denomination or movement we are attached to.
I wrote last time about burdens of behaviour; today let’s think about the second type: burdens of belief.
Just as there are certain types of behaviour which are simply wrong, and which every Christian would agree are wrong, likewise there are certain beliefs which every Christian accepts, beliefs without which you can’t in fact be a “Christian” at all.
All Christians believe there is a God; that Jesus Christ is his Son; that Jesus suffered, died and rose again to bring us forgiveness and salvation; that he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live within us and make us new people; that one day he will return to this earth to wind up history, to usher in God’s final judgment, and to take his people to be eternally with him. There is more, of course; but that’s the heart of it.
But there are also beliefs which, like the “grey areas” in behaviour, are open to differing interpretations. And the problem is that people who hold strong views on these beliefs often try to squeeze the rest of us into their particular mould, as if to say, “You’re not a real, or ‘sound’, Christian if you don’t believe the way we do.” They try to strap us into a strait-jacket.
Baptism is an obvious example. Most Christian denominations believe in baptising – or “christening” – babies. But others insist that only those old enough to believe in Christ on their own account should be baptised. An honest difference of opinion: but if one group suggests that the other isn’t really Christian, that is something to worry about – a burden.
All Christians believe in the “atonement” – that is, that when Jesus died on the cross he was dealing with the sins of the human race, and thus making us “at one” (get it?) with God. But once you start asking how the atonement actually “works”, the Bible suggests various answers which all need to be blended to give a full picture. Christians who insist on only one understanding are putting a burden on the rest of us.
All Christians believe in the Holy Spirit. But who exactly is the Holy Spirit? When exactly do we receive the Holy Spirit? Is “speaking in tongues” a sign of having received the Holy Spirit? What is “the baptism of the Holy Spirit”? Beware those who give over-dogmatic answers to such questions!
All Christians believe that one day Jesus is going to come back. But how will his return fit into the history of this world? At what point will it happen?
(If you like theological jargon, the question is: Are you a pre-millennialist, a post-millennialist, or an a-millenialist? If you haven’t got a clue what those terms mean I suggest you don’t worry! – but one day you may meet an earnest Christian who will try to convince you that you really should know. (Actually, I heard somebody once say that he was a “pan-millennialist” on the grounds that “everything will pan out (get it?) in the end”. A wise man, I think.))
I could go on. But you get the point.
All Christians believe that the Bible is, in some sense, the “word of God”. But it is a massively varied book. And the fact is that nobody – no, nobody at all, either living or dead – has got it all perfectly figured out. People who think they have are in danger of morphing into sects or cults.
A basic principle emerges: Christian, hold fast to the basics – and sit light to the rest. Our calling is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ; it is not to toe a particular party-line.
Anyone you meet who claims to love, trust and follow Jesus – and whose life backs up that claim – should be welcomed as a brother or sister. But anyone who is over-dogmatic on the non-essentials is to be treated – well, with love, of course. But also, I suggest, with considerable caution…
Lord God, thank you for the teaching of your word, the Bible. Please help me, by your Spirit, to grow in understanding day by day. But give me too the humility to recognise that others could be right and I wrong. Amen.
Burdens!
The first apostles declared that they didn’t want new converts to Christ to be unduly “burdened” when they joined the church.
Yes, burdens are bad. But they come in many shapes and sizes, even within the Christian community. Last time I suggested that there are two main types.
First, there are burdens of behaviour, where we are expected to act in certain ways which may or may not be part of God’s will (over and above obvious things like murder, lying, adultery and the rest).
Second, there are burdens of belief, where we are expected to toe a particular “party line”, depending on what denomination or movement we are attached to.
I wrote last time about burdens of behaviour; today let’s think about the second type: burdens of belief.
Just as there are certain types of behaviour which are simply wrong, and which every Christian would agree are wrong, likewise there are certain beliefs which every Christian accepts, beliefs without which you can’t in fact be a “Christian” at all.
All Christians believe there is a God; that Jesus Christ is his Son; that Jesus suffered, died and rose again to bring us forgiveness and salvation; that he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live within us and make us new people; that one day he will return to this earth to wind up history, to usher in God’s final judgment, and to take his people to be eternally with him. There is more, of course; but that’s the heart of it.
But there are also beliefs which, like the “grey areas” in behaviour, are open to differing interpretations. And the problem is that people who hold strong views on these beliefs often try to squeeze the rest of us into their particular mould, as if to say, “You’re not a real, or ‘sound’, Christian if you don’t believe the way we do.” They try to strap us into a strait-jacket.
Baptism is an obvious example. Most Christian denominations believe in baptising – or “christening” – babies. But others insist that only those old enough to believe in Christ on their own account should be baptised. An honest difference of opinion: but if one group suggests that the other isn’t really Christian, that is something to worry about – a burden.
All Christians believe in the “atonement” – that is, that when Jesus died on the cross he was dealing with the sins of the human race, and thus making us “at one” (get it?) with God. But once you start asking how the atonement actually “works”, the Bible suggests various answers which all need to be blended to give a full picture. Christians who insist on only one understanding are putting a burden on the rest of us.
All Christians believe in the Holy Spirit. But who exactly is the Holy Spirit? When exactly do we receive the Holy Spirit? Is “speaking in tongues” a sign of having received the Holy Spirit? What is “the baptism of the Holy Spirit”? Beware those who give over-dogmatic answers to such questions!
All Christians believe that one day Jesus is going to come back. But how will his return fit into the history of this world? At what point will it happen?
(If you like theological jargon, the question is: Are you a pre-millennialist, a post-millennialist, or an a-millenialist? If you haven’t got a clue what those terms mean I suggest you don’t worry! – but one day you may meet an earnest Christian who will try to convince you that you really should know. (Actually, I heard somebody once say that he was a “pan-millennialist” on the grounds that “everything will pan out (get it?) in the end”. A wise man, I think.))
I could go on. But you get the point.
All Christians believe that the Bible is, in some sense, the “word of God”. But it is a massively varied book. And the fact is that nobody – no, nobody at all, either living or dead – has got it all perfectly figured out. People who think they have are in danger of morphing into sects or cults.
A basic principle emerges: Christian, hold fast to the basics – and sit light to the rest. Our calling is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ; it is not to toe a particular party-line.
Anyone you meet who claims to love, trust and follow Jesus – and whose life backs up that claim – should be welcomed as a brother or sister. But anyone who is over-dogmatic on the non-essentials is to be treated – well, with love, of course. But also, I suggest, with considerable caution…
Lord God, thank you for the teaching of your word, the Bible. Please help me, by your Spirit, to grow in understanding day by day. But give me too the humility to recognise that others could be right and I wrong. Amen.
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