Reformed and legalistic.

I love conversations. I had a few more yesterday, and one of the things that struck me was one of the reasons why reformers are considered legalistic. I've been saying for a while now that what I've found in my ministry is that I'm allowed to be reformed, I'm just not allowed to express any biblical reasons as to why I'm reformed. If I don't offer a prefaced "I could be wrong, but here's how I see what the scripture is saying," clause before expositing the scripture, it's then considered legalistic. I'm allowed to have an opinion, I just can't proclaim it as truth. I can stand in the pulpit and declare the Word of God as it is written, but if it has to do with any topic that may be controversial, I can't stand and declare it as biblical truth. See, we're allowed to have a truth, we're just not allowed to declare it as such. To do so is to be "legalistic".

I know, I'm rambling. I apologize.

Why have a belief it you are not allowed to proclaim it? We have primary or closed-handed beliefs in the Christian faith that all Christians must adhere to in order to BE Christian. There are secondary issues (which reformed theology falls under) that are important, but not necessary for salvation. As a reformer, I stand that the 5 solas and the implications of them are true, and so I will proclaim them as such. What our left-leaning brothers and sisters in Christ have a problem with is that I'm not allowed to stand in the pulpit and declare them as such. This is ridiculous. I've sat through sermons that have ripped scripture from it's text (called proof-texting) to declare parts of reformed theology as "wrong" and in some cases heretical! Why is that OK? I would argue strongly that it's not, but at the same time, it is a secondary issue, and being someone who takes theology seriously, I have some indication of what hills I will die on and which ones I won't. If my Arminian brothers and sisters want to think they have the moral ability to choose God, that God's election has to do with them choosing Him first, that Christ died for everyone, that God's salvific grace is resistible, and that one can lose their salvation after declaring Christ as their Saviour, then giddy-up. I disagree on every count, and believe strongly that none of those positions are truthful or biblical, but recognize that they are secondary to those much stronger issues, those primary issues, which tie us together. If they want to proclaim that from their pulpits, feel free, just don't call me legalistic or a Pharisee because I proclaim the truth to be different from yours. As my good friend Ryan has said, "What's the point in having a truth claim if you're too scared of proclaiming it?"

Indeed Ryan, indeed.

Please pray for our church as we're getting closer to our launch date of September 11th. We will be having a service at Spray Lakes this upcoming Sunday, but will be a practice run for the 11th. Anyone is welcome to come for both Sunday's, we just ask that you be patient with us as we work through some logistics on the 4th. We invite feedback so as to make us more prepared and welcoming for those looking for a church to belong to.