Conservative Moderate Christian

I did some research so I will post and take a break.

Moderates are in short, hold their conservative positions on most issues but have an underlying worldview of what is neo-orthodox and liberalism. Typically, neo-orthodoxy often focus on orthodox view of Christianity while at the same time retains liberal view of the Bible as subject to error (human reasoning). As a moderate Christian, a person desires to be well-balanced, calm, careful, steady, and sane. "Moderate Christian" basically means those who are moderate, relaxed, and open in how they deal with the world, but who take Christianity seriously. Moderate’s character basically means a person whose primary form of witness is by their life, but they do not hide the fact that they are Christians and that they show their spiritual light through deeds first and then words.

I dislike the part about “view of the Bible as subject to error”. However, I like everything else (so far). You could say I could be labeled as “Moderate Conservative” which means I believe the Bible is not corrupted while man is corrupted of interpreting and reasoning. I do like the fact that moderate Christians often behave better and have better credibility. I also learned that Moderate Christians do NOT jump into conclusions during controversies.

Quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There is not a place to which the Christian can withdraw from the world, whether it be outwardly or in the sphere of the inner life. Any attempt to escape from the world must sooner or later be paid for with a sinful surrender to the world. Ethics

The believer is neither a pessimist nor an optimist. To be either is illusory. The believer sees reality not in a certain light but as it is, and believes only in God and God’s power towards all and over all that is seen. (in No Rusty Swords)

The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Faith, Salvation, Evidence, Ignorance, Without Excuse

It is not you. It is Satan, who will attempt to make those doubt the authenticity of our faith. Romans 1:20 says, "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen." God's evidences are so clear that verse 20 ends by saying all (everyone who don't believe) are "without excuse."

All of us are born spiritual ignorant, not stupid. Through Adam, we are born spiritually dead. The nineteenth-century Scottish commentator John Eadie described it as a case of "death walking". Spiritually dead people are like zombies--they don't know they're dead and they're still going through the motions of living.

John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1-2). The great enemy of faith is a complacent spirit, an attitude of self-satisfaction with the status quo. Faith is believing there is another dimension to life other than those which can be touched, tasted, seen or felt. There is more to life than that. There is also the realm of the spirit, the invisible spiritual kingdom of God.

As I read OP's thoughts, God is a sovereign God and we have to understand that somehow, mysteriously, within the framework of predestination and within the framework of His sovereignty and the framework of election, which I believe in, there is a place for human freewill which is whether they respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. One of the perfect examples of the "conviction" is Jesus' knocking in Revelatoin Revelation 3:20, Jesus said:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Recognizing the Jesus voice is like a sheep recognizing the shepherd's voice. Only the Holy Spirit can prick a person's heart to cause a person to hear Christ's voice. Jesus said in John 10:14-15 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

Acts 10:44
[ The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles ] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

Acts 15:7-9
Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."

Galatians 3:2
This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

1 Thessalonians 1:5
For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance (conviction), as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

God unconditionally elected some (the elect) for salvation and whoever responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit will receive "faith".

Other than that, I can't say much.

America Government and God

For years, Christians have argued that the Founders were devout Christians who meant to create a Christian republic. If you notice, the Constitution makes no direct reference to God. The Philadelphia convention was represented by numerous Christian denominations: Congregationalist, Episcopalian, Dutch Reformed, Presbyterian, Quaker, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Deist. The First Amendment was designed to prohibit the federal establishment of a national Church or the official preference of a particular Christian sect over all others. If you remember history, The Puritans set expamples of democratic principles before America was born. The Puritan devotion to democratic principles had an important effect on American life. The Puritans were interested in establishing a degree of separation of church and state because they had been persecuted by the English government and wanted to ensure their own freedom of religion in Massachusetts Bay. They also disagreed with the Catholic/Anglican idea that the church should be should be universal, encompassing every member of the community. This implied a division between the institutions of society (government) and the institutions of the church.

Jesse Jackson on the Larry King Show: We live under a Constitution, not under a bible, under the Constitution.

Benjamin Franklin once said: “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”

What would Luther Do?

What would Luther do?

He would ask "What would Jesus do?"

Matthew 5:26-28 (King James Version)
26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

In John 8 (King James Version), Jesus dealt with the the scribes and Pharisees of a woman committed adultery. Jesus wrote on the ground.
9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Two-way relationship with God requires our submission, obedience and love to Him. The WORD is Jesus Christ. God's Word (the Bible) sometimes wounds us deeply and it is imperative because through the Bible, God speaks loudly. The Bible illumines the dark corners of heart and mind by exposing sin but reveals the way of rightousness. The Word of God (Bible) rebukes in order that we may see our faults. When it comes to "fornication" or other "gray area sins", this is where the conscience of unbelievers is insensitive to sin and carnal Christians are not sure. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). Can we trust the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, to reveal Christ, to open our minds to understand spiritual truth? When a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience.

We are no longer sinners? Not true, we are still sinners but forgiven sinners when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. God is very holy and very powerful that I am a forgiven sinner. We are to worship God from our hearts because we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16), that God will search us and try us, and know our thoughts.(Psalm 139:23).

Regarding Church leaders, unconfessed sins to the elders or similar roles are an automatic disqualification. Pastors are to meet with the elders weekly or every other day for prayer, encouragement and discussing any temptations they are facing. Lack of accountability between Pastors and elders. Elders are our spiritual stewardship who are looking for members spiritual needs and to look at their lives spiritually in from God's perspective. I know there are ONLY few churches that have "accountability" ministry between elders and pastors. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. Pastors and Elders are sinners like we are however, they have to live in higher standards than regular Christians because they are our spiritual leaders. The first and most important step in initiating spiritual intimacy between pastors and elders.

They are to meet, confess, discuss, pray and edify one another. Elders/Bishops have oversight of the church (Acts 20:28; I Pet. 5:2-3) and are thus responsible to rule the congregation (I Tim. 3:5; 5:17; I Thes. 5:12; Heb. 13:7, 17, 24). They judge among the brothers (cf. I Cor. 6:5) and, in contrast to all the members, they do the rebuking (I Tim. 5:20) and the exercise of discipline (Matt. 18:17; I Cor. 5:1-5). I have learned to join a local church that have a STRONG eldership that will make sure the Church will stay pure.

A local ELCA Church that allows an "open" homosexual to serve is not a conservative Church. I would not even visit this Church.

Wolves

I am afraid of "wolves" more than I am afraid of cults, atheists and others. I can deal what I know but its harder to deal with the wolves who act like "wildlife terrorists" that comes in without us knowing. There are false teachers who are within our faith and using Christianity to lead us from the truth. That is where the most dangerous teachings come from. False teachers can work their way into CF and Christ have warned us of those wolves who come into our "Christian Forums" pretending to be one of us.

Democracy, Gospel and Ministry

I will still fellowship and debate with my Christian brethren even though I may not agree with their beliefs. I just don't worship with them and I won't submit to their teachings. We cannot close our minds to everything that is happening around us because if we do that, others are grieved by burdensome legalism. In our Christian fellowship (not individual), we must recognize that the Holy Spirit desires to take us and lead us, and use us as instruments through which He can express Himself in the Christian community (Christian Forum). Christian Forum is an "Online Ministry" that is different, special and unique.

In this world, I have learned that by doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His providence plans and why things are happening around us. I also have learned that democracy does not give me any real power at all because in God's providence, He allowed democracy to basically swamps each of us Christians among non-believers. Through Divine Providence, we have democracy in order to share spiritual revival that only the Holy Spirit can provide. Democracy provides possibilities and opportunities without any restrictions to share the Gospel. Andrew Murray said "Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation."

"The Gospel is open to all; the most respectable sinner has no more claim on it than the worst sinner" D Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Welsh & Reformed preacher and writer.

All beliefs about God are problematic. We are not to believe something that we dare not think over as John Calvin once said, "What we think about (God) of ourselves is but foolishness and all we can say about Him is without savour". We are to expect great things from God while attempting great things (i.e. Gospel) for God.

"You never know how much you really believe anything until truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you." C.S. Lewis
It is better to be an atheist than being a hypocrite Christian. Faith is the root of works that only the Holy Spirit provides. Without the Holy Spirit, the root is dead, even our own works are dead even as a hypocrite. Andrew Murray have said "Self is the root, the branches, the tree, of all the evil of our fallen state". A humbled Christian is a Christian with flaws which humbles them that is more useful to God than hypocrite action that puffs them up. I am reminded of this quote by D.L Moody, "Character is what you are in the dark". With that thought, a true character is what and who you are in Christ.

"Hypocrites we are: but we are on the way to liberation even from our own hypocrisy" Charles Elliott

"Just because you go to Church it doesn't mean to say that you are a born again Christian." Billy Graham

"Some are dead; you must rouse them. Some are troubled; you must comfort them. Others are burdened; you must point them to the burden-bearer. Still more are puzzled; you must enlighten them. Still others are careless and indifferent; you must warn and woo them" Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Calvinist Preacher

"Happy are they who know that discipleship simply means life which springs from grace, and that grace simply means discipleship". Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran Theologian

"To put the matter at its simplest, Jesus Christ came to make bad men good." James Denney, Scottish Theologian

"If God sends us on stony paths, He provides strong shoes." Corrie ten Boom
"I want to lobby for God" Billy Graham

Lutherans, Arminianism and Calvinism

Christians debating the differences in Christian beliefs and denominations. Faith in Jesus is not commitment to your church or denomination. It is total faith in Christ and not in a denomination or church, though you may love the church and respect and love your leaders and your denomination. But your commitment is to Christ. As Christian believers (assuming each of us are a believer), the Holy Spirit will lead each of us to the truth. Truth is often prevented if Christianity is known as a legalistic system which cause a delusion of eternal life.

Heresy is not so much rejecting as selecting. The heretic simply selects the parts of the Scripture he or she wants to emphasize and ignore the rest. Almost every cult which we are seeing around us practices this art of selecting and ignoring. Proneness to heresy is not confined to the cults. By nature, we are all heretics. People often unconsciously select for special attention certain Scriptures that they are familiar with that they forget to check to see the Scriptures for deeper study. Lack of balance scripturally is often the direct consequence of overemphasis on certain favorite passages while ignoring others that are related.

We must hold on to the knowledge that all of us are heretics by nature and can never know redeeming truth till we are enlightened and convicted by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. The idea that Jesus Christ has absolute and final authority over all of us in every detail of our lives is simply regardless of legalistic control by some evangelical Christians. Martin Lloyd-Jones, one of my favorite theologians said: "It is perilously close to being sinful for any person to learn doctrine for doctrine's sake."

It is no use to deny that Christ was crucified by persons who would today be called fundamentalists. This prove distressing to us who pride ourselves on our orthodoxy. God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise choice that man's will is free because God is sovereign. The love of Jesus is so inclusive that love knows no boundaries. We may be disgusted with their beliefs or their lifestyles. We are often ready to condemn and turn away from them. But not Jesus, He keeps on loving them. During all of 3 years of His ministry, Jesus helped an "unworthy" person more than worthy. The great spiritual needs around us should drive us back to the gospel records of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus. The best thing we know about our Lord and Savior is that He loves all sinners. He has always love the outcast and for that we should be glad, for we, too, were once outcasts. Calvinism is a doctrine of how we believe salvation work according to God's sovereign and the work of the Holy Spirit. Calvinism is a doctrine (not actual salvation). Only God through the Holy Spirit that saves the elect. We don't know who are elected to be saved. We just preach the Gospel to ALL and allow God handle the election part. Jesus loves everyone and did die for ALL but we have to remember that the atonement is only for the elected, those who are convicted by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Lutheranism was all about reforming the Roman Catholic church. Luther and the reformers wanted to correct what they thought was incorrect doctrine but preserve everything else. Calvinism and the other reformers have been referred as if they want to get rid of everything catholic, whether it was good or not.

Of the three major doctrine of salvations beliefs, Lutherans, Arminianism and Calvinism.

In Arminianism and John Wesley:
1) man is free not only to reject salvation but also to accept it (free salvation) by an act of human will;
2) all people who are obedient to the Gospel according to the measure of knowledge given them will be saved (universal salvation);
3) the Holy Spirit assures man of his salvation directly, through an inner "experience" (sure salvation);
4) Christians in this life are capable of Christian perfection and are commanded by God to pursue it (full salvation).

Calvinism has summarized its position in the famous acronym TULIP, and this serves as a useful way to approach the issue (being logical Calvinism is, if nothing else, easy to follow):

T: "total depravity"
Calvinism: Man after the Fall has no ability to cooperate with God's grace in conversion

Lutheranism: Agrees with Calvinism on total depravity

Arminianism: Man after the Fall can cooperate with God’s grace in conversion

U: "unconditional election"
Calvinism: Before the world was created, God unconditionally elected some (the elect) for salvation and the others (reprobates) for damnation.

Lutheranism: Before the world was created, God unconditionally elected some (the elect) for salvation but did not reprobate (chose for damnation) any.

Arminianism: Before the world was created, God foresaw those who would choose Him of their own free will and elected them to salvation

L: "limited atonement"
Calvinism: Jesus only died for the elect, objectively atoning for their sin, but he did not die for the sins of the reprobates. Reformed churches have historically taught a "limited atonement" of Christ, i.e., that Christ's death on the cross atoned only for the sins of "the elect"--those who have been predestined from eternity to believe in Christ and will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Lutheranism: Christ’s death objectively atoned for all the sin of the world; by believing we receive this objective atonement and its benefits. Lutherans believe that when Jesus died on the cross He atoned for the sins of all people of all time--even those who have not or will not come to faith in Christ.

Arminianism: Christ died to give all the possibility to be saved.

I: "irresistable grace"
Calvinism: In all of God's outward actions (preaching, baptism, etc.) there is an outward call which all receive, yet there is also a secret effectual calling which God gives to the elect alone. This effectual calling alone saves and is irresistable.

Lutheranism: The question is not answerable; for the elect grace will irresistably triumph, yet those who reject Christ have rejected that Grace; yet the grace is the same.

Arminianism: God gives in His outward actions the same grace to all; this grace can be resisted by all.

P: "perseverance of the saints" (sort of like "once saved, always saved.")
Calvinism: Salvation cannot be lost. Those who have truly put their faith in Christ may temporarily lose the evidence of their faith and even live for a time in grave and unrepentant sin, without losing their salvation.

Lutheranism: Salvation can be lost through mortal sin and unbelief, but this legal warning does not cancel the Gospel promise of election

Arminianism: Salvation can be lost through unrepentant sin and unbelief.

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Unity and Heresy

We all are bound to confront unexpected challenges that will strike us with the fear of the unknown. We have to remember that faith is effective when there is unity. Any attempt to follow Jesus’ example of ministry will be ineffective unless we also follow His example of love. As we interact with others, take the time to truly get to know them, and let God’s love flow through us into their lives. Be alert to ways Satan is trying to discourage us and tempt us to turn away from God. Be assured that God will give you faith sufficient for whatever you need you’ll face. Let love inspire us to reach beyond our own inadequate abilities and resources and into the realm of God’s help. Be willing to try whatever God wants us to try, trusting that He’ll help us along the way. Remember that nothing is impossible with God. We can experience a miracle as God’s love flows through us.


From my position, as a Reformed follower which includes many of Martin Luther's writings, as well as John Calvin, John Knox and many others. "Reformed" defines the doctrinal beliefs holds that the purest expressions of scriptural doctrine are found in the creeds.
Nicene Creed
The Apostles'Creed
The Scots Confession
The Heidelberg Catechism
The Second Helvetic Confession
The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Catechisms
The Theological Declaration of Barmen
The Confession of 1967, and "A Brief Statement of Faith"

Others I like to refer to are:
The Athanasian Creed
Augsburg Confession
Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Luther's Large Catechism
Luther's Catechism for Children
Articles of Smalkald
Form of Concord
The Baptist Confession of 1689 (original version with Scripture proofs)
The Baptist Confession (Spurgeon's edition)
The New Hampshire Baptist Confession
Spurgeon's Catechism
Baptist Faith and Message

Keep in mind, man-written creeds and similar documents are devices to keep heretics out rather than draw people in. The current division between the haves and have not in this area is a major hinderance to evangelism. I believe that each of us, as an individual, have a responsibility before God, to determine what is true about God and also what is false. What is true about God impacts every aspect of our lives. What is true about God -- not what each of us believe is true, but what is actually true -- determines what happens to us after we die. What, exactly, are we basing our relationship with God and our eternal future? Is it based on our denominational tradition? Jesus said that many people, when they reach the judgment seat of Christ, will find out too late that they were mistaken about their relationship with Jesus and with God the Father. Many people, Jesus said, will find they were mistaken in thinking that they were serving God while on this earth.

What is the result? I do have some concerns with some who are "professed Christians" in this world. What does it mean to become like Jesus Christ? That is the REAL question. There are so many who will proclaim to be a Christian but only few are really Christians. There are millions of professing Christians who "think" they have been justified, who think their sins are forgiven and that they are on their way to heaven, who show no evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy.

Is it important to you to find out? When a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience. If we didn't feel the conviction and didn't have the motivation to change from "within", then we should be concerned whether we are truly saved or not. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." The condition of the heart determines how receptive a person is to the gospel. The Holy Spirit is the key. Faith comes as a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit-He quickens our hearts to believe. Apart from the new birth, there can be no true faith. Without the Holy Spirit, our faith and our works are NOTHING.

John Calvin and Martin Luther were persecuted for discovering the truth of "justification by faith." Once this truth was established, Luther persecuted the Anabaptists because they felt the need to bring further Biblical reforms into the church. Looking back on that historically, we see that most, if not all, of those punishments were due religion trying to hold onto its doctrine.

Not a priest nor any other pastor would know if a person's salvation is true. Just as the Roman Catholic treated Martin Luther with ex-communicate. We must openly discuss with all who will listen, treating all Christians as fellow Christians.

Today, heretics often use force to persecute Christians simply because force works and often silences the oppositions. That is why heretics and tyrants use it. Webster defines "heresy" as, "an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards." In 1 Timothy 4:1 we are told: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." We are told yet again in Heb. 13:9, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace...". Christians are looking for any denominations or non-denominational churches who teaches the way people WANT to hear so they could give their time to pursuits more to their thinking (some would call this 'conviction'). The question become, is the source of the 'conviction' from the Holy Spirit or Flesh?

My thoughts about today's churches and Christianity are this: "Why does heresy prosper in many churches in this world today?" Scripture pretty much explains that that people are more clever and cunning than believers: “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). Heretics introduce false ideas in most deceiving ways as the following verses said: “But this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage” (Galatians 2:4) and “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation...” (Jude 4). They appear to be sheep, but are not; and the ideas they teach, at least at first, appear to be true, but are not. By their smooth words, they deceive many into thinking that they are Christian brothers and the ideas they advance are Biblical.

Are you, no matter what kind of belief you have, willing to change your mind and believe the truth, if it can be proved that you are mistaken? Is there anything more valuable to you than to be accepted by God? Or are you unwilling even to consider the possibility of your being wrong? The Bible warns, "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:10b NIV)

We strongly encourage you to "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -- unless indeed you are disqualified." (2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV)

"It is a remarkable fact that all the heresies which have arisen in the Christian Church have had a decided tendency to 'dishonor God and to flatter man.'" Charles Spurgeon.

"I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men."
Martin Luther 1483-1546, German Leader of the Protestant Reformation

"A man may be a heretic in the truth; and if he believe things only because his pastor says so, or the assembly so determines, without knowing other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy."
John Milton 1608-1674, British Poet

This may sound like heresy in some quarters, but I have come to this conclusion that there are far too many among us who have thought that they accepted Christ, but nothing has come of it within their own lives and desires and habits! This kind of philosophy in soul winning--the idea that it is "the easiest thing in the world to accept Jesus"--permits the man or woman to accept Christ by an impulse of the mind or of the emotions. It allows us to gulp twice and sense an emotional feeling that has come over us, and then say, "I have accepted Christ." These are spiritual matters about which we must be legitimately honest and in which we must seek the discernment of the Holy Spirit. These are things about which we cannot afford to be wrong; to be wrong is still to be lost and far from God. Let us never forget that the Word of God stresses the importance of conviction and concern and repentance when it comes to conversion, spiritual regeneration, being born from above by the Spirit of God! - A. W. Tozer

I see things and I hear of things that Chistian people are doing, and as I watch them operate within the profession of Chrisitanity, I do raise the question of whether they have been truly converted. - A.W. Tozer, I Call it Heresy

As Christ is the end of the Law and the Gospel and has within himself all the treasures of wisdom and understanding, so also is he the mark at which all heretics aim and direct their arrows. -John Calvin

Christianity and Divisions

Christianity will always be running against the prevailing movement of society with individualistic values of wealth, comfort, as well as doctrinal beliefs which resulted rejecting and intimidating people who get in the way. We are in the world of self-deceit that we are too focused on ourselves to see the eternal truth. It is the selfish who possess the world while it is the meek who inherits the world. When people are living in selfishness lifestyle which is stopping at human flesh and preventing the Holy Spirit transforming them. Church politics, controversies and worldliness have brought in the darkness that people cannot see the light. A Christian's economical life and standard of moral living are not private matters but rather they are critical issues of faith and discipleship. A Christian life in this world should be different from the world, being in the world but not of the world. Hypocrisy is the acknowledgment of an achievement which sin pays to a quality that gives something special value of false teachings. Jesus Christ was executed by people who were very much like us that we are no different because we have been corrupting the Church and allow human reasoning get in the way of truth. Tradition is an important guidance for all believers however, Tradition should be carefully scrutinized (to look over closely and discerning) before we rely on them. Tradition by itself is not enough because it must be studied and be brought up to date to true orthodoxy. When Tradition is supported by the Scriptures, it will communicate not as dead words but rather spiritually alive words through the Holy Spirit. The real crisis today is not between Catholic and Protestants or any other denominations but rather traditional, scriptural and doctrinal forms of Church life.

Love is the key.

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Practicing charity (love) is a toughie depending on someone's view. We can fake other people but we can't fake God.