gracEmail
Edward Fudge

CHRISTIAN DIFFERENCES AND THE GOSPEL (1)
A gracEmail subscriber writes: "I am concerned that people who claim to follow Jesus Christ do not understand the Bible alike on many topics. Are we right and others wrong, or vice-versa? Whoever is wrong cannot be saved."

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What makes you think that our salvation depends on infallible understanding? If that were the case, not one of us would ever be saved. The best we can say is that all Christian believers are right and all are wrong -- just on different topics.  Since that is true we will sometimes disagree on how best to please Christ. And Scripture shows us, in Romans chapter 14, how to apply gospel principles when that happens. Unfortunately, we often have ignored the guidance provided there, and strife, division and judgmentalism have been the result.

Some have supposed that Romans 14 has to do only with incidental matters of no importance. Whoever said that didn't appreciate the seriousness with which the original readers of Romans 14 held their various convictions which that chapter discusses. Paul's original audience in the Roman church included Jews and Gentiles. Although they were one in professing faith in Jesus, their vastly different backgrounds, experiences and  understandings regarding the role of the Hebrew Torah led them to strongly-held conclusions about some very down-to-earth subjects -- practical conclusions that collided head-on and which seemingly could never be reconciled.

In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul considers the issues of meat-eating or vegetarianism (illustrative of issues of personal piety) and observance or non-observance of special days (illustrative of issues of congregational practice). But Paul does not conclude that one side is right and the other side is wrong. Instead, using these first-century issues as models, he calls attention to three fundamental gospel truths, which lead him to three attributes or roles of Jesus Christ, from which he draws three universally-applicable principles regarding the way believers ought to relate to each other when they differ about how best to please God.


gracEmail
Edward Fudge

CHRISTIAN DIFFERENCES AND THE GOSPEL (2)
A gracEmail subscriber writes: "I am concerned that people who claim to follow Jesus Christ do not understand the Bible alike on many topics. Are we right and others wrong, or vice-versa? Whoever is wrong cannot be saved."

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Believers in the first-century Roman house-churches sharply disagreed concerning vegetarianism (illustrative of issues of personal piety) and the observance or non-observance of special days (illustrative of issues of congregational practice). Paul does not simply take sides in these issues. Instead, he points to three fundamental gospel truths which all Christians believe. Those truths are that Jesus died, that he rose, and that he is coming again. These three truths remind us in turn of three truths about Jesus himself. And those truths about Jesus Christ determine how we believers ought to relate to Christ and to each other when they honestly disagree about how best to please the Lord.

Jesus DIED for us, Paul says first -- and he is therefore our SAVIOR. He can (and will) save all who trust in him, no matter which opinions they reach on the matters about which believers in Christ will honestly differ. Second, Jesus ROSE for us -- and he is therefore our LORD. Each true believer must try to please him as best one knows and is able at any time. Third, Jesus is COMING for us -- and he will be our JUDGE. We must live each day knowing we will give account to him. We must also leave the judging of others to him and not try to do it ourselves. "Who are you that judges another man's servant?" Paul asks. "To his own master he stands or falls."

The good news is that God "is able to make [the person] stand" who is wrong in his doctrinal conclusions but who is trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. That is the only hope any of us has, since not one of us has figured out the truth on every subject and none of us ever will on this earth. Any religious system which speaks otherwise is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ and ought to be rejected.

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