- Oct 11, 2020
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Here, I would like to outline my general thoughts for why I consider myself Non-Denominational.
The primary reason is that I like to "borrow" from other traditions of Christianity. That means I do not fit nicely into any particular tradition of Christianity.
Here are some of the beliefs I hold which I borrow from other traditions.
I believe the Sign Gifts are ongoing. This comes from Charismatic and Pentecostal traditions.
I believe that an initial conversion is monergistic, yet after conversion, faith is synergistic. I believe this aligns most closely with the Lutheran tradition.
I believe salvation is a process that will continue on into eternity which borrows from Orthodox Christianity.
Along with the last two, I believe a person should be baptized or should at least make an effort to be baptized to be saved.
I believe there should generally be a hierarchy of authority for the church. Perhaps no one person is at the absolute top apart from Christ. My understanding is that the authority that is given is based on the degree of revelation a person has. I believe this view (I do not know if there is even another person let alone a whole tradition who believes the same thing) most closely aligns with Catholicism.
I believe some people who were saved at one point are no longer saved as they have become apostates. This idea is present in many traditions of Christianity. The only ones who disagree with this, AFAIK, are the Reformed.
I believe God is Sovereign. I do not believe God needs to micromanage the universe, but in all that happens, God's will is done. I believe all things glorify God, especially the love of His people. I am a Compatiblist which means I believe nothing prevents you from willing what you want but if you were to rewind the clock and play it again, the same thing would have happened in all cases. So I am NOT an Open Theist.
And, obviously, I believe in the Nicene Creed or I could not post here which many traditions of Christianity believe.
Those are of course some of my beliefs, but I share these just to demonstrate the idea of borrowing from different traditions (which the Bible is my ultimate source of Truth regarding theology).
The primary reason is that I like to "borrow" from other traditions of Christianity. That means I do not fit nicely into any particular tradition of Christianity.
Here are some of the beliefs I hold which I borrow from other traditions.
I believe the Sign Gifts are ongoing. This comes from Charismatic and Pentecostal traditions.
I believe that an initial conversion is monergistic, yet after conversion, faith is synergistic. I believe this aligns most closely with the Lutheran tradition.
I believe salvation is a process that will continue on into eternity which borrows from Orthodox Christianity.
Along with the last two, I believe a person should be baptized or should at least make an effort to be baptized to be saved.
I believe there should generally be a hierarchy of authority for the church. Perhaps no one person is at the absolute top apart from Christ. My understanding is that the authority that is given is based on the degree of revelation a person has. I believe this view (I do not know if there is even another person let alone a whole tradition who believes the same thing) most closely aligns with Catholicism.
I believe some people who were saved at one point are no longer saved as they have become apostates. This idea is present in many traditions of Christianity. The only ones who disagree with this, AFAIK, are the Reformed.
I believe God is Sovereign. I do not believe God needs to micromanage the universe, but in all that happens, God's will is done. I believe all things glorify God, especially the love of His people. I am a Compatiblist which means I believe nothing prevents you from willing what you want but if you were to rewind the clock and play it again, the same thing would have happened in all cases. So I am NOT an Open Theist.
And, obviously, I believe in the Nicene Creed or I could not post here which many traditions of Christianity believe.
Those are of course some of my beliefs, but I share these just to demonstrate the idea of borrowing from different traditions (which the Bible is my ultimate source of Truth regarding theology).