Three Things // though it would be funnier if I said, “I’m two things”
Sorry for the title, but as I’ve said, I can’t tell a story without telling a story. Have you seen those commericals where the guy is half man and half horse and he says, “I’m two things, a man…and a great shopper.” I love those commercials. Normally there would be a link here, but I don’t want you to be distracted.
During one of my last classes before graduation, the professor made a comment that there are essential fundamentals and then non-essential fundamentals. The non-essential fundamentals are those things like how and when you are baptized, whether or not you can lose your salvation, etc.
Then he said the essential fundamentals are: 1) there is a God, 2) He sent His son Jesus to offer redemption, 3) Jesus is the only way for salvation. The professor suggested that if we can agree on these things we should be able to get along. I used to be that guy that argued all the other stuff pretty heavily, but am leaning more and more to just focusing on these three and not getting all worked up over the rest (with other people anyway).
What do you think?
lee
Tuesday, 31st March 2009 at 8:18 am
had this conversation with my mother-in-law this weekend….she was getting off on things that are non-essential (origin of vampires, creation vs evolution….don’t ask) and i had to bring the whole thing back to what was essential…the truth of Jesus – who he is, who God is, and what he’s done for us. it was actually a really frustrating conversation…and i had to bite my tongue alot.
cheryl
Wednesday, 1st April 2009 at 3:36 pm
I also believe that we should concentrate on the essentials and not get worked up over the non-essentials. I won’t get worked up over baptism; it is a non-essential fundamental, but at the same time, i would encourage it as an act of obedience and discipleship.