Only the Essentials

Sticking to preaching, sharing, and focusing on only the core of Christianity and not straying into divisive arguments is one the hardest parts of Christianity for me to practice despite it being an essential to unity.

For example, one of the Sunday School teachers at my church always mentions how God knows the future. I find myself more of an open theist and do not agree with his approach to the foreknowledge God. Because of his approach, he comes to conclusions that I do not agree with. Some times I mention that if you take a different approach you can come to a different conclusion; other times I just sit in silence. It frustrates me that it is brought up all the time; however, in the grand scheme of things it really does not matter. You can be an open or classical theist and we can still agree on what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

"I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching ('deeper truths,' as they call them -- depths of Satan, really). I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come." (Revelation 2:24-25)

"Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again. Unless you do, I will come upon you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief." (Revelation 3:3)

I think part of my problem, if I am to honest, is that I am like the Athenians in Acts 17 that Paul shared the gospel with. I am fond of new ideas - to fond it seems. But if I am to be a person who brings about unity and experiences fellowship with those who disagree with me on a whole field of Biblical issues, I need to just focus on the core of Christianity and remain there. It's difficult because I think preaching on the core issues gets boring at times, but I need to not be this way.