Автор колонки о вере возвращается к своим текстам 2018 года, чтобы оценить духовный рост за восемь лет

After writing this column for eight years, I have found myself revisiting early columns. I want to see how much, if any, my theology has changed over the years. I know I have softened in some theological differences I have had with those of various denominations and have solidified my belief in teaching on faith and grace; or maybe I should say I am maturing in my understanding of them. With that said, here is part of the second column I submitted back in 2018: I am the grandson of a Baptist preacher and the son of a Baptist deacon. I spent every Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening of my childhood and much of my teenage years in church. College was a different story; I had no desire to serve the Lord. In hindsight it is clear to see I was running from the call He had on my life. In 1985 I moved to East Tennessee to work at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. Being out from under the covering of my parents’ roof (literally and somewhat spiritually, as well) I felt a tug in my spirit to get back in church. “Find a Word church,” I remember my mother telling me, “One that believes the Bible.” I found myself attending a church that embraced the faith movement. Their theology was somewhat simplistic, if the Bible says it, we believe it, that settles it. I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with that concept. To put it simple, I believe the Word of God. What do I expect out of you, dear reader? Nothing. I appreciate you taking the time to read these transcriptions and musings of my theology. Am I trying to convert you? Admittedly, I would encourage everyone to believe on the Lord Jesus and to accept Him as their savior. Regardless, there are spiritual principles (or laws) that anyone can put into practice and they will bring success, whether you are a Christian or not. For example, in the natural we know that the law of gravity works whether you believe in it or not. There are similar spiritual laws that work regardless of what we think or believe about them. I plan to share these with you with hopes for you to have more success in life. Do I assume I am always right? (Or, conversely, that you are wrong?) By no means! Quite the contrary, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I challenge people (including myself) to examine their theology on a regular basis. To take it down off the shelf, as it were, and examine it in the light of another’s teaching, preaching or viewpoint. I have often thought of the scriptures as puzzle pieces: one piece may make some sense by itself, but once you fill in other pieces around it, the true picture starts to emerge. We may think we understand everything there is to know about a passage, but once we get additional historical context, linguistic insight or spiritual revelation, the verses may take on a whole new meaning or we may get a whole new appreciation of the text. What I do not intend to do is to argue theology. I am completely content to let you believe what you want to believe. Just as I’ll ask of you to allow me to believe what I choose to believe. My plan is to believe the Bible. If someone wants to challenge my understanding or interpretation of the Bible, I will take it under advisement. I don’t know everything (although my wife may not believe that) and I am willing to admit when I am wrong (again, I refer you to my wife who may agree or disagree with that assessment). But when it comes to the things I know, I am confident in those things. And those are the things I plan to share with you over the course of the year. The previous paragraph is where I ended my second column eight years ago. I haven’t changed my approach: I’ll tell you what I believe, encourage you to believe as I do, but not belittle you if you don’t. What I have learned in the last eight years is God’s grace and mercy is so much greater than my own. Whereas I had little of either for anyone else, He has more than enough for you and me both!