Over the years, a profound realization has dawned upon me – that thirst for truth does not primarily drive many Christians but rather a deep-seated desire to uphold what they believe to be true.
The church teaches people what they are to believe and how to defend their position; however, it doesn’t teach how to investigate and search the scriptures for truth outside of the denominational lens.
In the realm of Christianity, a wide array of theological perspectives exists. Some claim to have God’s whole counsel, while others passionately uphold the full gospel or strictly adhere to Sola Scriptura. These differing viewpoints frequently result in disputes and contrasting opinions, yet they seldom pave the path to mutual comprehension or genuine truth. The terminologies themselves suggest that each perspective assumes its own perfection, often implying that others are, at the very least, less than perfect in their understanding.
A Personal Journey
For most of my life, I identified with the full gospel crowd. Raised in this tradition, I was taught to defend my beliefs vigorously and was often convinced that other groups were in error. Ironically, these groups were engaged in similar efforts. Over the last two decades, I’ve come to acknowledge my limited understanding of God’s ways and the imperfections in my beliefs.
I have come to understand two essential truths: 1, I do not possess comprehensive knowledge about God or His ways, and 2, regardless of the accolades, such as academic degrees, authored books, or television appearances, no one else possesses all-encompassing knowledge either.
Additionally, I have discovered that much of what I thought was important in this world of church business-doctrine-division stuff really isn’t very important at all because God isn’t interested in my theological opinions because He already knows the truth.
God isn’t interested in my theological doctrines
because He already has His own.
The Mind of Christ
As my relationship with Jesus matures, I’ve come to realize that He offers believers His unique perspective – His own way of thinking, the “mind of Christ.” This divine mindset, unlike human common sense, is extraordinary and supernatural. It presents a perspective that goes beyond human comprehension.
Our earthly minds cannot comprehend all that God knows. His ways are beyond us. His thoughts are beyond us, but He will give us glimpses like pieces of a puzzle to pick up on.
Unfortunately, human religious systems often fragment this divine wisdom into denominations and churches, perpetuating division rather than fostering unity among the Body of Christ. I firmly believe that God intends for His body to unite, combining these diverse perspectives to form a more comprehensive understanding of His Kingdom, Body, and Ekklesia.
Unity In The Body
In John 17 Jesus prayed that the entire Body would be one on earth as He and the Father were One. Unfortunately, from my perspective, that prayer has yet to be fully answered.
A religious spirit often exerts control, leading some to choose to engage in contentious debates and vocalize dissent against opposing viewpoints rather than working to build His Kingdom. Consequently, the Body of Christ remains divided and fragmented, growing to a greater degree with each passing day.
Consider this perspective: What if, instead of each person firmly believing they have all the answers, we collectively paused to let go of the notion that we are unequivocally right and everyone else is unequivocally wrong? What if, for a genuine moment, we sincerely examined the Word without the presumption of having it all figured out? What if we entertained the possibility that not everyone else is entirely mistaken? Perhaps, in this grand tapestry, we each hold a distinct piece, and our differences are meant to harmonize into a beautiful and unified whole called the Kingdom of God.
Conclusion
Personally, I once aligned myself with the belief that my theological stance was the correct one. I was raised in a tradition that encouraged us to defend our doctrinal positions vigorously, often in opposition to other groups doing the same. It became clear that we were all engaged in a cycle of division, with each group convinced of its own righteousness.
Today, God desires His Body to collect these fragments, these puzzle pieces, and create a larger picture of His Kingdom, Body, and Ekklesia.
What if we each hold a unique piece of the divine puzzle, but instead of being entirely right or wrong, perhaps God intends us to come together, set aside our divisions, and collaboratively assemble a more complete understanding of His Kingdom.
In doing so, we might begin to answer the prayer of Jesus, uniting as one Body by assembling God’s Kingdom puzzle.
