It is like we hung our hat on one passage, and that was all that mattered. The choice of that passage, set the course for the church for centuries.
For example... the church has hung it's hat on John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
What do we get from this passage? You are lost and you need to be saved. If you don't believe it, you will perish. And somehow in the middle of all of that, God loves the world. Well, in my opinion, hanging our hat on this passage has caused many Christians to become very judgmental, insisting that these folks are in and those folks are out.
What if instead of focusing on John 3:16, the church focused on 1 John 3:17. [note the proximity of the references 3:16 or 3:17]
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
Wow. If that is what the church focused on, we would be a very compassionate organization. We would care about those in need. We would stop talking about who was in and who was out. We would stop making salvation formulas. And the sign of God's love in your life would simply be based on your kindness toward others.
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Remember friends... you don't have to believe it the way that you were taught it. You can hang your personal hat on any scripture that you want. It is your choice.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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