Mikey,
After 40 years as a believer, I'm still learning.
Glen is helping me.
He's being patient, and I'm being hard-headed. It's what I do in the flesh, and I imagine many others are that way as well.
I'm also still trying to get a handle on what exactly a false teacher looks like ( there are easy ones, and some not so easy ), so in reality, it may take awhile. But I think I have a good handle on it...maybe.
I started out "Arminian" in 1978, and now I'm a full, "five point Calvinist" in 2018.
I've watched people who have never departed from "Arminianism" and seem to have the fruits of the Spirit...I've seen "Calvinists" who don't seem to have, at least as much ( that's another subject ). I recently met a man who is at my plant on a temporary assignment, who came to Christ out of Catholicism...he's different than I am, has a lot of background that's more in Evangelical circles, and has a love for Jesus Christ that I rarely see in anyone; and, while he does not object to "Calvinism", he's not as passionate about doctrine as I am; But he definitely loves the Lord more than anything else in the world.
I wish I had faith like his.
I have a lot more than I did even 10 years ago, but I don't look like him.
Perhaps someday I will, and I can tell you this: If I ever "get there" it will be God's work, not mine.
One thing I can tell you from all of this:
" And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
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for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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till we all come in the unity of the faith, and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 that we
[henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [
and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
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but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
[even] Christ:
16 from whom
the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
It takes time and effort in God's word and help from others in the faith...and there will be arguments on the way. The believers at Corinth were a mess, and the Galatians were following a false gospel. We're a wreck on the outside, and our spirit has been changed to desire the Lord and His ways on the inside.
That's our flesh, and when we're free of it, then we will know Him as we are known of Him.
And we will know each other without all the baggage of this life.
Do I think that the issue of "Calvinism" and "Arminianism" is worth splitting over?
I'd be lying if I said, "no". However, what I'm coming to find is that there are people I once thought were deceived that haven't been standing still while I was away from my Baptist church...for example, my own mother has kept up her reading, and now she's starting to see the same things I did 15 years ago.
So, I may very well find myself back in church with people I was once convinced would throw me out if I ever spoke about what I see in Scripture...but that day hasn't come yet.
May God bless you, sir.
