Going Off the Deep End

In high school I took a lifesaving class.  It was a joke really.  I have never been a strong swimmer and I was a particularly weak swimmer when a woman nearly twice my size was climbing all over me in the deep end for my test.  I passed the class - but I'm sure it was out of pity. 

Since then, I'm happy to dive into the deep end - just long enough to swim to the side and get out and dive in again.

That was the vision that came to mind, recently, as I have been pondering writing some blog posts about some doctrinal issues I have been working through with the Lord.  I have to admit, I'm not terribly excited about going here (other than that working things out through study and writing works for me) - but I do feel prompted.   So here I am.

This year I will be broaching some spiritual issues that "orthodox Christians" (little "o", my friends) do not see the way I do.  To be frank, in most cases, I don't know how we could own the same Bible and at least not see the possibility for understanding these things differently than we have been taught.

As you know, if you read my last post, one of my complaints about the public school system is that we are not taught to think, we are taught what others want us to know.  I think, sadly, that has affected us far more than we realize - when we regurgitate our religious beliefs rather than search them out and make them our own. I think, often, we are told what to believe and then handed the passages of Scripture that support that conclusion.  Rather than digging into Scripture and exegetically discovering God's plan and purpose, we read those passages eisegetically and, lo and behold, we "come to a conclusion" that is just the one we were fed.

Disclaimer: I am not here to convince anyone that they are wrong.  I am not here to attack you, your church, or your great-grandfather who taught you what you believe.  I think that many things we believe may not hold up under exegetical scrutiny.  Many of those things are not what anyone would call "salvation issues" - but shouldn't all of us who claim to be disciples of Christ passionately desire to understand His Word - to know Him (John 17:3)?  Take what I write for what it's worth.  Consider this my invitation for you to "teach [me] the way more accurately"(Acts 18:26) if you find me in error.  But, sisters, let's work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) for one day we will give an account for what we have done with what we have known - and what we know will come from rightly handling the Word of Truth.  (2 Timothy 2:15)

God has had me on a journey these last few years that has turned my understanding of some doctrines totally on their heads.  I thought it would be fun to explore them together.  You've been warned.