If you were to ask me if I am very sure in the beliefs that
I have, it would be a resounding “Yes!”
It’s not that I think I know everything, but that I have spent many
years reading amazing works by the saints, studying my Bible, and listening to
godly men preach the Bible. I am most
assured of the most important doctrines of faith and salvation; I know my
salvation is secured.
And if you were to debate me on many other things, you would
have to do a mighty job of convincing me with the Bible that your conflicting
view is the correct one. This does not
mean that I am not open to admitting that I am wrong, but I have spent much
time learning about the things that I speak of to be able to be almost sure
that what I believe is correct.
There is a term that you probably haven’t heard:
seminoid. It describes a person who
enters seminary. Their whole focus in
life becomes learning about theology and how to accurately argue those
points. However, this particular person
becomes so puffed up with pride that they argue and often cause problems based
on their attitude of arrogance and condescension.
I don’t think that this just applies to people within
seminary but to anyone who makes it a goal to really study theology. It is a pitfall that must be avoided when
trying to learn more about the things of God.
“Never be wise in your own sight” (Romans 12:16b).
While I love, love, love! theology and discussing theology,
I am also very aware that I don’t know everything. There are parts of the Bible that I am not as
familiar with as other parts. Just like
most people, there are certain books of the Bible that I gravitate more to than
others. And then there are other books
that are harder for me to deeply understand (I’m calling out you, Isaiah and
Revelation!).
I also have certain presuppositions that I am not always
aware of consciously. Recently, one of
these presuppositions came to my awareness.
Many times when studying theology, you will come across two opposing
view points. The particular ones I came
across, I couldn’t understand why each side thought they opposed each
other. I also didn’t understand how
either could be correct. Part of this, I
believe was because I didn’t (and still don’t) understand fully what each was
trying to purport. However, as I
searched for the answers to my many unanswered questions, I realized that I had
some presuppositions that were clouding my very honest search for the truth.
Now, let me be very clear.
I do NOT define my beliefs on what theology is out there. When I look into and learn about theology, I
try to understand how my beliefs fit with what many others have agreed on is
the Truth. This is a way for me to try
to “prove” what I believe is true to myself.
If many other true saints have decided that this one truth is the Truth,
and I disagree… Well, how do I know what I believe is the Truth? It’s not that I then change my belief, but I
had better be able to back it up with Scripture. It is a way to check out what I believe, and
not to just keep believing something I heard from someone somewhere that I
really can’t remember.
Now, this particular presupposition had no affect on my
beliefs of salvation, the way I should live, or anything of utmost importance. However, as I read the Bible, I see now that
some areas have more meaning or are more understandable now that I am
aware. So, while I am always trying to
provide only the Truth on my blog, I understand that I am not perfect. I don’t get everything. I don’t understand everything. And for that matter, I will never get
everything. It is just a fact of being a
human in this fallen world. This is why
discernment is still important. Please
understand that while I try to keep my beliefs and my interpretation of the
Bible as pure as humanly possible, I am still that, human. And that is also why I would love to hear from
you if you disagree with me on something!
Please, don’t keep silent if you don’t believe exactly what I
believe. While I expect all comments to
be made respectfully and with Scripture to back it up, I welcome what you have
to say. I hope that my blog becomes a
place of learning, of challenging, and of understanding.
And for those of you who think that all you have to do is
just read your Bible some and that’s it, I challenge you to consider looking
into theology. I challenge you to read
some books by the true saints (beware, there are many out there right now that
are false teachers, who spin Bible verses to fit what they want or are bringing
in beliefs from other religions to affect their version of Christianity). Yes, you can get everything that you need out
of the Bible, but you come with your own culture, your own upbringing, and your
own presuppositions that may cloud how you interpret the Bible. Use it as a way to challenge yourself to know
that what you believe is the Truth.
through His grace alone!
Sarah
