Christians Must "Draw the Line"

We live in a world of misunderstanding and contradiction involving so many factors in life. Nowhere is this seen more than in the field of religion. Even Christianity itself is divided into hundreds of denominations with each one professing its teachings as representing the essential doctrines of Christ, and that others are wrong.

It doesn’t take much ingenuity to recognize that something is seriously wrong with the present state of affairs. The jungle of religious confusion that exists in our world hardly gives us the security and peace of mind that we all diligently seek. It may seem, at times, that even God Himself has abandoned us humans to the folly of our own inadequacies. But He hasn’t. If anything, it is we who have left God and the principal truths that He gave us to understand. And, those truths are not difficult to understand. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE EACH OF US DRAWS THE LINE ON WHAT REPRESENTS THE ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF GOD AND WHICH ONES ARE SUBSIDIARY IN THE OVERALL TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY.

The Bible tells us that it is God - not man - who is the source of all true knowledge. Christ said of Himself that He is “the way, the TRUTH, and the life” (John 14:6). We should take comfort that Christ is the real truth. But still we often find ourselves (if we are honest) in the same situation as Pontius Pilate who asked Jesus the question “What is truth?” (John 18:38). None of us knows the full answer to that question. And, in fact, the mature person, as he or she continues to grow in the knowledge of God and His teachings, realizes just how little any of us knows.

Many of us have been victimized by numerous religious errors even when we thought we had the truth. We often become unsure of what is truth. To find oneself believing error when it is thought that truth was in one’s grasp, can be a traumatic experience. It almost seems to be a vicious circle of realizing just how little we actually know. This need not happen if we learn to DRAW THE PROPER LINE on personal beliefs.

Is essential truth a mere illusion? I don’t think so. It can be found. I wish to share my experiences with you concerning my quest for essential truth. Perhaps you may have (or find) a similar position of faith which also exists with you. In this article I wish to state my personal beliefs!

In matters dealing with religion, the Bible, and Christianity, I have learned to “draw the line” concerning doctrines and beliefs. ABOVE that line I place the necessary principals of faith which are supremely important to ME - and BELOW that line I place all remaining doctrines which may be interesting and even useful to me to know but which are unimportant in regard to my salvation - my relationship and right standing with God.

For me, personally, I have placed only FOUR truths of faith above the line.

The FIRST is a belief and trust in the unconditional love of God as a Father.

SECOND - I have a firm conviction that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior and Lord because He died for me and rose again to give me eternal life.

THIRD - When I accept Christ, I become a new creature, a new person with Christ coming to dwell right within me and to live out through me as I trust Him (Galatians 2:20). And this is a permanent relationship which I can “bruise” but not “lose”. Christ will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). God does not reject me for a slip into sin but “if we endure correction, God deals with us as with sons, for what son does a father not correct?” (Hebrews 12:7).

Finally, FOURTH, that the two great commandments of LOVE to God and my neighbor should prevail in my life (Matthew 22:37-39).

These are my fundamental beliefs on which I can never see myself changing my mind!

However, there are other opinions I have about doctrines of the Bible which I hold as interesting, and even important, but in no way do they rank with the four points above the line.
What are other lesser beliefs?

There are such things as prophecies -even the most profound of prophecies - even those involving Jesus Christ Himself. The apostle Paul put all prophecies below the line. He even said “prophecies shall be done away” (I Cor. 13:8),

There are understandings concerning baptism and communion. These are outward forms within the church which can aid us in our awareness of Jesus. These forms are not essential for salvation - only belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ is (Acts 16:31). But we have our human emotions to deal with. And being baptized or receiving the “Lord’s Supper” can be powerful influences in our spiritual awareness.

Below the line are also matters concerning spiritual gifts - no matter what they are! So many people today place utter importance on such gifts. Among some groups a person can have no evidence of having God’s Holy Spirit unless spiritual gifts are manifested in one’s life. But the apostle also placed such things below the line of necessary things (I Cor. 13:1-13). The only gifts above Paul’s line were “faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love” (I Cor. 13:13).

In my view, one cannot improve on Paul’s teaching! His faith and hope in the Father and Christ, plus his love for them and love for his fellow man stood supreme above all other things. This does not mean the study of these lesser teachings and their application are without value. They are worthwhile and believers in Christ should pursue an understanding of them in their best capable way. That’s why I write the informational material that I do. But we must have enough wisdom to recognize that the real important factors in Christianity are those ABOVE THE LINE. And we are to be conformed to and transformed by them.

But we should not be fearful of altering any below the line beliefs as we grow into higher principles - for love casts out all fears (I John 4:18).
It is obvious that almost all the strife, discord, and hatred which have come upon fellow believers (and the doctrines which have caused various church denominations to emerge over the centuries) have come over matters which deal with subsidiary things. On the other hand, having faith in the Father and Christ, and a hope that their promises to us will be kept, and having a love for them and all mankind, are all ABOVE THE LINE. And these beliefs of faith must be personal to oneself - not institutional, or dependent upon the beliefs of other men and women. These beliefs do not cause strife or hatred among people.

But if one includes above the line many doctrines about external and physical religious procedures (that is, the keeping of days, church rituals, etc.) this is fertile ground for arguments and divisions. And people who trust in such physical forms of religion may find it traumatic if God reveals new truth later that some (or all) of those things are not really necessary. True, there have, in the past, been violent discussions on matters of the godhead, etc., but in most cases, denominational doctrines are based on principles which the apostle Paul placed below the line.

It is my conviction that all subjects of the Bible should be studied (and, if possible, understood), but none of these quests should cause the Christian to detract his attention from those points “above the line”. Arguing about prophecies, resurrections, or raptures, etc., should not be the most important thing to Christians. We are told that the spirit of God will ultimately lead us into all truth (John 16:13), and Christ is the heart and core of all that is truth. Error thrives where reliance on a relationship with Christ is diminished.

So I see this four-fold foundation which I place above the line as the basis of truth in Christianity. With the line clearly defined with concepts above and below, A HARMONY AND PEACE - WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT OF LOVE FOR GOD AND MAN - CAN BE THE RESULT!

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