Can a person be a Christ-follower without falling in lock-step with the institutional church?
- Thread starter St. SteVen
- Start date
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Tough topic.
What does the institutional church teach?
Maybe it would be better NOT to follow it?
Is there any other fellowship?
I'll wait for others.
What does the institutional church teach?
Maybe it would be better NOT to follow it?
Is there any other fellowship?
I'll wait for others.
Here's my story.
I was raised Protestant Evangelical in a nondenominational world missions-minded community church.
I became a member when I was an adult and was even elected to the Elder board.
It was not unusual for myself or others that I had fellowship with to have their own position on various doctrines.
After I married, we sought a Pentecostal/Charismatic church that supported our views on the exercise of spiritual gifts.
The church I grew up in took the Cessationist position.
Although there had been a soft shift away from that. At the point I left, the position was:
"If you want to speak in tongues in your prayer closet that is fine, just don't bring it to church." - LOL
We attended that church for decades when the Pastor approached us about membership.
I told him that we didn't want to rush into anything (humor) but would consider membership.
No membership class, nothing signed. We were just voting members in good standing.
Another decade passed and we moved home too far away to stay at our church and sought another.
We ended up at the church where the Pastor at our previous church had come from.
He contacted the new church with his glowing recommendation and our membership rolled over to that church.
I still to this day maintain my doctrinal autonomy.
But I imagine that some others might object to this approach.
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I was raised Protestant Evangelical in a nondenominational world missions-minded community church.
I became a member when I was an adult and was even elected to the Elder board.
It was not unusual for myself or others that I had fellowship with to have their own position on various doctrines.
After I married, we sought a Pentecostal/Charismatic church that supported our views on the exercise of spiritual gifts.
The church I grew up in took the Cessationist position.
Although there had been a soft shift away from that. At the point I left, the position was:
"If you want to speak in tongues in your prayer closet that is fine, just don't bring it to church." - LOL
We attended that church for decades when the Pastor approached us about membership.
I told him that we didn't want to rush into anything (humor) but would consider membership.
No membership class, nothing signed. We were just voting members in good standing.
Another decade passed and we moved home too far away to stay at our church and sought another.
We ended up at the church where the Pastor at our previous church had come from.
He contacted the new church with his glowing recommendation and our membership rolled over to that church.
I still to this day maintain my doctrinal autonomy.
But I imagine that some others might object to this approach.
[
I don't know anyone that agrees 100% with any church they attend.
I don't think it's possible to find a church with which you'll agree on everything and I do believe
we need to stand by what the NT has taught us by reading it.....reading about theological differences,
studying them to the best of our ability....
In short...I think we need to be faithful to our conscience.
In the end I do believe that's how we'll be judged.
We won't be riding the pastor's coat tails into heaven...but will have to get in under our own steam.
Quite frankly,,,reading YOUR story,,,,if speaking in tongues was a gift of mine and I couldn't practice it in church...I don't THINK I would be able to attend that church.
As you stated in your OP......there are limits. Or, maybe, there should be.
There needs to be some balance, I suppose.
Where do you draw the line?
Some fine folks on this forum think I have crossed that line on several topics.
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Lambano
Well-Known Member
I'm sure some folks think I've crossed the line on a few posts too.
(Couldn't resist.)
Good one. - LOL
I forget who said this, but...
"The worst sin is to do well what should not be done at all." - unknown
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This is a deep topic SS....if you've noticed I've come to refrain from very serious topics because I get push-back and it makes me feel unloved....
YOU have gotten upset with me for saying the following:
Christians are required to believe the Trinity.
I'd say that this is going over the line:
How does one NOT believe Jesus is God and still consider themselves a Christian?
Sinning.
We all sin and most probably every day.
How does one LIVE A LIFE of sin and still consider themselves a Christian?
You see, I'm not sure what you're speaking of.
If it's doctrine,,,,that could be discussed.
One believes in eternal security,
I don't .... no problem: that's doctrine....you could go over the line.
Some denominations teach speaking in tongues --- I don't, but I could still attend this church.
Then there's the ever present reformed faith.
Now there's a line!
If you paid me I couldn't attend a reformed church.
So it's your thread SS...
what exactly do YOU think it means to cross the line?
Sounds like a misunderstanding.
But there is no biblical requirement for such, so I can't enforce it.
Do you have a requirement for such found in scripture?
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I think everyone draws there own lines.
It's an individual thing.
I mostly like to color outside the lines. - LOL
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The trinity is in scripture.
Check out Matthew 28:19.
But I really don't care to discuss this on this thread.
As to requirement....
history did not end with John's death or Revelation.
Is the hypostatic union in scripture?
No. But the concept is.
Same for the Trinity.
Then we'd have to get into creeds....
Creeds define what a Christian is.
Lambano
Well-Known Member
I like to stay within the lines...
I told you one example which I could NOT accept.
And, I think I mentioned that there is no perfect church...
so some line or other will always be crossed (or not crossed, depending on the situation).
I support the Trinity.
But I also understand that it is not a requirement to believe.
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A thread on what requirements are necessary to be DEFINED as Christian would be an interesting thread.
I tried a few years ago on another forum but it didn't work out well.
Practically all said: A FOLLOWER OF JESUS.
You could probably handle it better than I could.
I mean, did the early Christians die for "some man" they were following?
I wouldn't go to the lions or to the frying pan over any man.
Lambano
Well-Known Member
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