1077. Dealing With the Information Overload of Conflicting Bible Beliefs

To a significant degree, Bible teaching consists of a perspective or opinion ... a point of view. You've probably noticed the seemingly infinite number of those different theories and expressions. Many times, one well-known church or pastor can express the polar opposite of another prominent—if not trendy—minister with a popular following. It becomes an academic or philosophical debate about things that are only spiritually discerned.

The viewpoints can often be traced back to narratives that were handed down from previous ideologies by those who came before us. When the narrative is embraced as the ultimate truth, it becomes the mission to fit the concepts into the boundaries of that narrative. It can also be the result of interpretation without context. Combining the old and new covenants may also be a contributing factor. Church groupies wander all over, looking for someone they can trust to give them answers and interpret the Bible for them.

Not everyone can be right, right? It can leave so many in a state of confusion. In this day of instant social media, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of it when trying to get answers. And for those who have encountered the gospel of grace and been freed from many burdensome and misguided doctrines with the help of God's Spirit ... how can we possibly begin to have a positive impact on so many others who are trapped in a system that touts various forms of legalism and religious bondage? Here's a hint: It doesn't start by trying to convince them to think like you do.




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1030. Overcoming the Need to Convince Others to Agree With You

This week is a spontaneous conversation we were not planning on doing—as it happened in real time.

There are tons of different church brands out there. Most consider the pages of the Bible as the source for their beliefs. And yet, consider there are millions of different opinions and perspectives that may be very contrary to each other. Even within circles where individuals consider themselves a grace-minded person, it's easy to get caught in the trap of thinking it's our job as Christians to persuade others to believe every wind of Bible doctrine in the same way we do. This is just an indicator that we need human validation while trying to use Bible verses to "prove" our version of the truth.

Anyone can bend biblical passages to their point of view—and can sound convincing—regardless of how accurate they may or may not be. The "I'm right" and "they're wrong" approach may have good intentions but it is not likely to be established or rooted in love and maturity. Growing in grace can help us with this as we lean on God's Spirit for guidance.



   
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