In Essentials, Unity - Really?
by Vyckie Garrison, No Longer Quivering
However, when I finally allowed myself the freedom to follow the questions nagging in the back of my mind, I realized that even in the very basics, there is much interpretation and little agreement - even among Jesus and His followers.
Take the basic matter of salvation for example: When asked directly, "What must I do to have eternal life?" Jesus responded,
"If you want to have eternal life, you must obey his commandments."
"Which ones?" the man asked.
Jesus answered, "Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother. And love others as much as you love yourself." The young man said, "I have obeyed all of these. What else must I do?"
Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower."
Obey the commandments, sell all your possessions, give your money to the poor, follow Me - this is Jesus' "plan of salvation." Paul said, believe on the Lord Jesus - Peter said, repent and be baptized. So what is it?
Maybe find a definitive answer here: http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2006/08/28-ways-to-get-yourself-saved.html - ?
My Facebook friend recently posted the following as an example of why Evangelicals' "I just believe what the Bible teaches" doesn't work:
From Zondervan:
- Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism
- Four Views on Hell
- Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World
- Five Views on Apologetics
- Understanding Four Views on Baptism
- Four Views on Divine Providence
- Two Views on Women in Ministry
- Four Views on Eternal Security
- Understanding Four Views on the Lord's Supper
- Four Views on the Book of Revelation
- Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church: Inclusive Congregational, Preparatory, Missional, Strategic
- Three Views on Creation and Evolution
- Five Views on Law and Gospel
- Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond
- Three Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism
- Five Views on Sanctification
- Four Views on the Apostle Paul
- Evaluating the Church Growth Movement: 5 Views
- Show Them No Mercy: 4 Views on God and Canaanite Genocide
- Three Views on the Rapture: Pre; Mid; or Post-Tribulation
- Four Views on Christian Spirituality
- Who Runs the Church?: 4 Views on Church Government
- Remarriage after Divorce in Today's Church: 3 Views
- Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?: 4 Views
- Exploring the Worship Spectrum: 6 Views
- Understanding Four Views on the Lord's Supper
- How Jewish Is Christianity?: 2 Views on the Messianic Movement
- Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology
- Four Views on Divine Providence
- Three Views on the Rapture: Pretribulation, Prewrath, or Posttribulation
- Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
From InterVarsity Press:
- Psychology & Christianity: Five Views
- Justification: Five Views
- Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views
- The Historical Jesus: Five Views
- Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views
- Science & Christianity: Four Views
- The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views
- Two Views of Hell
- The Lord's Supper: Five Views
- God & Time: Four Views
- Baptism: Three Views
- Church, State and Public Justice: Five Views
- What About Those Who Have Never Heard? Three Views
- The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views
- Women in Ministry: Four Views
- Divorce and Remarriage: Four Christian Views
- Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification
Salvation is about as basic as it gets. If the Bible does not provide a clear, indisputable answer to this question - that's a real problem for those who claim to "just believe what the bible teaches."
Hat tip to Eric S. Weiss for the list.
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