Of One Accord

Someone has asked

"In your kind response to my question, you mention concern for our souls ... almost as if differences in doctrine preclude being saved. I am a member of a conservative Baptist chruch ... though I'm not sure for how much longer. We practice ecclesiastical separation ... one of the reasons I'm contemplating a change ... and the congregation seems quite clear that those in other denominations are likely not saved due to doctrinal differences. These could be related to issues ranging from how each understands the 6-days of creation up through how to baptize and its significance.

So ... if we disagree on predestination or other non-essential doctrines ... am I damned? If I'm evangelical? Methodist? Catholic? Consider the Bible's response to the question: "What must I do to be saved?" Or ... John 3:16.

Don't Evangelicals, Methodists, and Catholics meet the sole requirement: belief in the Lord Jesus Christ?

This may come off sounding argumentative ... and it is not intended to be that way. It is a sincere question ... asked out of genuine concern. When people distinguish between essentials and non-essentials I'm puzzled. Isn't there only one essential doctrine of salvation?"

First, lets not judge others. We are not to do that. What is between them and God is between them and God. Let it lie. If someone feels it wrong to eat meat, do not cause them to stumble, we are told. Same for drink or bathing.

So I say, confess Christ with your mouth, and then live out the faith you have proclaimed. "If you love me, you will do what I say." and "They will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another." (emphasis added.)
Any thing else is arguing those "legalistic" points and, sounds to me, a bit like the Pharisees. 'You must eat this, wash this way, wear so many tassels, face East and bow 45 degrees, blah blah blah.'

For instance, people argue about baptism. Jesus did it, so I did it. He commanded the disciples to do it to everyone in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. "Baptism" means to submerge. Was He saying that people must be submerged in a pool or does the sprinkle count? Sure the submersion represents the going down to the grave and the coming up to life, but that is symbolical. (And the symbolical has it's importance, mind you.)
Or was He saying, quite literally, 'Bathe everyone in My Being, Fill them with Me, immerse all who are willing in Who I Am.' Like learning a language, immersion is the only way to do it perfectly. The water is part of it(1), it was certainly commanded, and Christ did it Himself. So, must it be done? Without question, yes.
The first interpretation is likely true, the second certainly is.
Will water save you? Christ will. The thief beside Christ on the cross most likely wasn't baptized yet Christ told him, "I tell you today, you will be with Me in Paradise." Because that man, thief that he was, asked.
Beyond that, I let each man go his way.

Not that we cannot discuss between ourselves in our ranks, but to divide the church itself is awful. It is most important not to do that, but now that we have, we should work toward healing that scar. Christ said that a house divided against itself cannot last and, though He was speaking of Satan at the time, should that not make us all the more cautious? "If Satan lead a rebellion against Satan, then his ranks are split, he cannot survive and his end is near." Are we so proud as to think that another brother or sister is so wrong as to be damned - do we not, in making them Satan, make ourselves so? "Do NOT judge." We seem to have forgotten one of His greatest commands.

This is not to say that are not heresies, but those are usually about who Christ is, the nature of His Being, and we talk about those enough in other posts, scan through and read those if you like as well - (there is a listing at the left - Athanasius is a good start.)

So many argue the small points, straining at gnats. It makes me weep. What does Jesus ask Peter? "Do you love me?" He asks. "Then feed my sheep."

(1)Lewis has a great point on the sacraments. It may seem strange to us that God would use something so 'base' as water to purify, or wine and bread to convey the body and blood of His Son, to pass on the Spiritual in the Material. But God does not find it strange. He likes food, He invented it. He likes matter, He invented it.