One of the things I have to do when I am “decluttering” is go through my stuff and determine which things are absolutely essential. Robin was going through the bookcases over the weekend and asking me which (if any) books could go. By the time we were done we had filled a box to take to the thrift store and I had pulled several more to put into the library at church. There are still a lot of books here but we were able to accomplish our goal.
One of the interesting things that happens whenever Robin and I go through stuff is the inevitable conversation we have about why a particular item is or is not essential. There are times when we are both in agreement and the decision isn’t difficult. Depending upon the item, we can have very differing opinions upon how essential it is. For the record, neither of us felt the Joel Osteen “book on tape” was essential but we agreed to keep it as a conversation piece. It will sit nicely with our copy of Your Best Life Now: The Game. Yes, it is real and yes, we have a copy of it. It was one of the many things I picked up for fun back when I managed a thrift store.
Determining one’s theology is a little more serious than deciding whether or not to keep novelty items. All you have to do is have a serious conversation with someone who has different beliefs to realize that we often do not agree on what is or is not essential to the faith. I have been in the church my entire life. I have been reading the Bible my entire life. There are some things that I have always believed and never seriously questioned. There are also some things I was taught that I have abandoned over the years. For this post I want to mention some of the things that are essential to me. These are the non-negotiables.
- There is only one God and He exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- God created the universe from nothing.
- Adam and Eve were real people who brought sin and death into the world.
- The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
- Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified, buried, and rose from the grave.
- We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.
- Jesus will return one day.
- There is an eternal reward for those in Christ and eternal punishment for those who aren’t.
There is the possibility that there are other things I will determine are “essential” as I go through this process. These are the ones that immediately came to mind as I asked myself the question. By stating that these are essential to my faith I am not claiming to understand how each and every one of them work. I have yet to see a satisfactory explanation for #1 but that does not keep me from believing it is the truth. I would also agree that there are different interpretations for how #8 will play out but I believe He is coming.
If you have any thoughts you would like to share feel free to do so. The only thing I ask is that we keep it civil, even when we disagree. I look forward to continuing this journey with anyone who wishes to come along.
Grace and peace.
That 80s Pastor Dude 