All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Phillipians 3:15-16)There is a right set of views and truthful interpretation of the scriptures. The scriptures say what they say accurately and truthfully and they are sufficient for our needs and without fluff. All is valuable in its place. Maturity (in part) comes from reading the scriptures and reading the scriptures in maturity reveals things to the reader that could not be seen while in spiritual infancy or adolescence. Better yet, God promises that maturity will come for those who seek it: that too God will make clear to you. We can see from the passage that unity and godly living is not the absence of disagreements but the choice to live under the convictions you have received from the scriptures, to hear the words of those we see as having attained a greater maturity (perhaps in different areas than us if not in an overall sense), and to abide with one another despite our differences. We can disagree and get along, united in Christ our Savior. This is not an everything-is-relative, believe-what-you-want mantra. There are essentials that quickly come even for the youngest in Christian maturity, foundational beliefs about the nature of God, Christ and man. Missing these does not make you a baby Christian but something else entirely; any such situation can accurately be termed deceived though we like to use words like cult. Unlike a cult, for even a baby Christian there are no secrets that must be withheld until some level of indoctrination is complete. The Bible is wide open for all to read in its entirety and at any time. So, live what you believe and be ready for new insight from the Bible. Study, pray, think with you mind, feel with your heart and grow in maturity alongside your fellow believers.
Clarity
I continue to be impressed at how new the Bible can be to its reader. Having read through a number of times, and sometimes slogged or trudged through might be more accurate, I have found periods when it is like I can finally read whereas before I was looking at some unknown language. At these times, I am the native speaker (reader) and I understand. More than this I am also convinced that I come to understand more, even about the same passages that in the past have been enlightening…sometimes differently because I have finally absorbed enough context for this to come alive in a more real way but often I should just say more. I see that a passage says more than one thing all at the same time or applies to another situation or in a way I had not previously conceived.
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