Christian Living

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There are many confused and frustrated Christians today. Go to google and type in "frustrated Christian" and you will have a large number of sites and comments come up. Read some of the stories.
The message of Christ regarding salvation and how people should conduct their lives is really quite simple, but it has been made complicated due to incorrect Bible and church teachings. When incorrect teaching is combined with an ignorance of what Scripture really teaches and many Christians not knowing how to study the Bible on their own, theological disaster can result.
I want to share with you some principles of proper Bible interpretation.
1. Never take a verse or passage out of context.
2. Never base a doctrine or practice on one single or obscure verse of Scripture.
3. Know when something can be taken literally or when some other form of language usage is applicable.
4. In some instances it is critical that one knows the intended meaning in the original language.
5. Avoid imbalanced teachings. For example, when grace is taught it should also be balanced with God's judgment, or when world missions is emphasized it should also include meeting needs within the local community.
6. Do not neglect teachings in major areas of doctrine, like for example, Bible prophecy.
7. The Bible should not be taught according to church tradition.
8. The historical and cultural setting, and to whom the book is written, must always be taken into account.
9. A Bible passage must always be approached objectively in accordance with the context and other biblical principles of interpretation, and never subjectively according to church teachings or preconceived ideas based on personal experience.
10. There should not be an insistence upon using only one particular translation.
11. There must be conviction concerning the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture in all matters of faith and conduct. The Bible will always interpret itself. Remember, a large portion of the New Testament was written by authors who were eye witnesses to Christ's life and teachings, which makes it more credible than even our history books.

Incorrect biblical beliefs can lead to several negative results:
1. A dysfunctional belief system, meaning your beliefs are not equipping you to live life as God intended or are not bringing positive results in your life, especially in your relationships.
2. Frustrated, confused and defeated Christians.
3. Not knowing what you believe and why you believe it.
4. People leaving churches.
5. Destructive emotional issues like low self-esteem, depression, or anger, when your beliefs don't "work" for you.
6. Troubled marriages.
7. Living in bondage to particular beliefs instead of experiencing freedom. An example of this is tithing. See my articles about tithing.

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