I have a stong belief in a set of of biblical beliefs, as do many other people out there right now of many different faith groups. But I see something happening in the name of "Truth" or " correct doctrine" everyday that is very disturbing and that is sometimes the “truth” that we each as different individuals hold so dear, that we are so sure of is indeed, "God’s Word," creates in people an intolerance for other Christians, be they Protestants or non or other faith groups and Alternative Religious Movements.

Because of "the truth" that we have come to know , do we look at other people that do not believe us and then choose do not bring those people into our heart because of it? It is not ironic and a real shame that sometimes the “truth” seems to cause us to drive us away from loving others because they do not share our doctrinal beliefs? And causes us to become intolerant of others instead of more loving like Jesus?

I think all of us know that we are supposed to be kind to people. Why is it when we settle upon something that we believe and say, “This is what I believe; this is the truth,” that it is so hard for us to be truly kind and compassionate and loving to others and have friends that do not believe like us? I think it has to do with HOW we hold our doctrine in our heart. We actually hold our doctrine over and above love. We elevate our doctrine over our relationship with people.

Well, guess who does not do that? How about God? God values people more than the truth that they hold. If what we know is holding us back from being in genuine-fulfilling friendship / relationship with people, then something is wrong with the way we are relating to our doctrine. We are putting our doctrine above the love of people. A way has to be there to do both.

Matthew 9:9 and 10

(9) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. (10) While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.

All Jesus did was go to dinner. He went and called Matthew and had a dinner, and the tax collectors and sinners came. That tells me they were very comfortable with Jesus. They were comfortable being around him. Now, did he teach them things that were true? Certainly, Jesus did. Absolutely he did; then, why is it when I try to teach people things that are true, sometimes people run from me. What is the difference here? I think the difference has to be in

One pastor wrote: "For years, I kind of held the position that something was wrong with people if they did not believe in "the truth," or somehow they were less intelligent, or somehow they were less valuable. I am not even sure what I believed, but I know I thought they were not as good as I was. I thought they were not as valuable as I was. I was proud, and I elevated myself because I believed what was right, but I see that all over Christianity. So many Christians are out there that separate themselves from other Christians because what they believe is right.

I do not see that in the life of Jesus Christ, and it breaks me. We talk about being broken on the “Rock of Jesus Christ.” Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a point of breaking. If I do not have sinners who want to be around me, then I am not being like Christ, because Jesus Christ had sinners who wanted to be around him. This happened throughout his whole ministry."

Matthew 11:16 and 17 (16) “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: (17) “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

What is he talking about here? He is talking about people who are judging other people. People who are evaluating other people based upon what they believed and based upon their behavior. He said, “Do you know what the people of this generation are like. They are like children.” They said, “I played the flute, and you would not dance. We sang a dirge, and you would not mourn.” Let us translate that.

“I taught the dead were dead, and you did not believe. I believe this, and you do not.”We become dissatisfied with people that are not on the same page with us doctrinally. Maybe I should say, “I have been dissatisfied with people or have kept people at arms length that are not on the same page with me doctrinally.” That should not be happening.

Matthew 11:18 and 19 (18) John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ (19) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

What a great verse. What is the wisdom of God? How about love your neighbor as yourself. How about to love like Christ loved? We should love as Christ loved and not criticize each other for each other’s doctrine.Now, does that mean I do not think doctrine is important?

No, I do think that doctrine is important. In fact, I see the importance of fellowshipping with like-minded believers because when I study like-mindedness in the Word of God, I see that when like-minded believers are together that great power and great effort is there.An interesting tight rope is there for the minister of God and for the Christian to be taught truth and believe it; and yet, they should not hold that truth above love in relationships.

The people of Christ’s time, like me, like our ministers today, and like so many Christians, criticized others. “We did this, and you did not do that!” We criticize others when they do not conform to what we believe. That has just got to stop. We have all got to realize that the person is more important than the doctrine they hold. That is why Christ gives revelation across the board. He gives revelation to Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and other people that may even attend an "Unorthodox" church, an alternative faith group, or may not attend in faith group at all.

We have got to love people from our hearts.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.The word thoughts here, enthumesis, is better written emotions or passions, and the word attitudes is better written intentions. It is the Word of God that judges what is an emotion from what is an intention. Sometimes we do things emotionally, and sometimes we do things because we intend to do it. The Word of God judges (separates) that.

Let me talk to you about what I mean about having love in my heart. Let us say that I am invited to lunch with a person of a different religion than mine, and I sit down across the table from a him of another denomination. I am very polite, and he is very polite as we make small talk. We talk about various things; we talk about the Word of God and about each other’s families. That is nice. That could on the surface seem to be the start of a loving and friendly relationship. What is really important is not what I am saying to the minister, but what I am saying to myself. If I am having this conversation with this minister or another Christian of another denomination or somebody on the street and I am being polite and kind to them, but within my own mind, my self-talk, my conversation with myself says, “Well, I can’t wait until we get through this small talk to where I can really teach this guy the truth. Man, this guy is really mislead! He's in a cult! I need to help this guy see the truth!”

If I am having a critical, unloving conversation about the person, that then, is the posture of my heart. Worse yet, what it I have inwardly already condemned this person as unsaved? Take the golden king crown off! Christ is King of kings not me! It is not the small talk or friendly talk I am making on the outside that reveals the posture of the heart. It is the thoughts that are going on in the inside. I will assert that we will not truly be successful as lovers of people until that conversation changes. I do not for one-minute think that Jesus Christ walked around Judea saying, “Well, that guy doesn’t know this. Well, this guy over here is really messed up because of this. Well, that guy, what a mess.”

If Jesus Christ did that, then that is all that he would do. Nobody held more truth than Jesus Christ. He was the consummate lover of people. His internal talk was about how valuable people were. That is why Scripture says in Romans chapter five that when we were his enemies, Christ died for us.

It was intriguing to me how the Lord helped Tee-up (prepare) this teaching in my life through a couple of different things. I had been thinking and praying about love and friendship, and praying about how to be truly and genuinely kind and compassionate to people. I did not just want a surface compassion with an inward talk about how they did not know the Word or "The REAL Jesus", they did not know this, and they are that.

No, I wanted a genuine compassion accompanied with a self-talk of how valuable people are, what a blessing they are, and how the Lord is working with them. Christ said, “They will know us by our love for each other.” He did not say they will know us because our doctrine is so right. I know that you have probably heard that before, but it is true. It is not just acts of love that we do on the outside while we have an internal conversation about what that person needs to learn going-on on the inside.

Now, a person might be thinking the exact same thing I am thinking. I am thinking they do not know the truth, and I do. That person is thinking, “He doesn’t know the truth, but I do.” If I keep that person at arms length while I batter him with doctrine and that person keeps me at arms length while he batters me with doctrine, then we are not going to go very far. We can better understand that we are in the same fight of trying to find God, trying to see God when we see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12), and trying to do our best for God’s people. We can bless each other and go back to our own fields of work. Does that make sense?

We have to change our heart. We have to open our heart and change our self-talk. We have to begin to elevate people and understand that doctrine is a vehicle for deliverance, but it is not as important as the person who is being delivered. We have to keep talking about that in our minds until we genuinely believe it.

We need to make people feel important, which you do when you open your heart and enter into friendship with them. If I open my heart and make somebody a friend and ask them questions about themselves and make them feel important, do they not know that? Sure, they know that. You feel it when somebody makes you important. Sure you do. I do. We feel it! I also know when I am being patronized. I feel that too. Absolutely, I do.

As a human being you know when you are being devalued, and you know when you are being valued. Christ made people feel valued. That is why publicans and sinners came to him. That is what we need to do. We need to so love people in our hearts that our self-talk reflects how valuable people are, what a blessing they are, and how good they are.

God treats us right. Jesus Christ treats us right. We should treat one another right...Regarless..or what religion they may or may not be in!

Luke 18:9-12 (9) To some who are confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable. (10) Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (11) The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers, evil doers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all that I get.

This man means, I know what is right, and I actually do it. Luke 18:13 and 14 (13) But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said God have mercy on me a sinner” [Christ concludes the parable]. (14) I tell you that this man rather than the other is justified before God, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Do you know what I see in this parable? I see a man whose doctrine separates him from others. We do need to do what is right, and we do need to hold the truth. But look how the Pharisee used it against somebody instead of saying, “I have a lot to teach. People are valuable. People are God’s creation. This guy over here; he needs God’s help. I am going to go over there and bless him. He is valuable. The Devil is beating him up; I am going to go over there and get the Devil off his back. I am going to help him.”

If it turns out that the tax collector (sinner) does not believe exactly like the Pharisee, it is okay. We love each other where we are. Instead, the truth the Pharisee knew only put distance between the two people.

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

We need to love one another.

How do I know that Jesus Christ loved? He sat down for dinner, and people who did not agree with him doctrinally, publicans and sinners, came to be where he was. He made them feel important, and because he made them feel important, their hearts were opened to him when he taught them the truth.

Colossians 3:12a Colossians 3:12b-14 (12b) …clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (13) Bear with each other, and forgive what other grievances that you may have with one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (14) And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Christ did not die for me because my doctrine was right. Christ did not love me because my doctrine was right. God did not pour out every spiritual blessing to me because my doctrine was right. Why then am I taking someone whose doctrine may not be right and holding him at arms length? Why am I not acting like God does and pouring out every blessing I have to this person and thinking about them and how valuable they are? What is it about me that I have so elevated my doctrine and my being right that it has put me at arms length from people to which I ought to be loving? Why has my doctrine become my enemy?

People, we have to change the posture of our heart. It is something we have to do.

Colossians 3:12b clothe yourself with compassion

Romans 12:2 has a word of hope for us. It says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The word of hope is if you have been like me, one of these people that your difference in doctrine from somebody else has set you apart from him or her, then you can be transformed. That does not mean to merely make small talk on the outside and be friendly but to be transformed. Every Christian can become a genuine lover of people, and every Christian can realize that if God loves them and me and our doctrines are different, then I can be like God and love people whose doctrine is different, truly loving them from my heart.

Matthew 5:43 and 44a (43) You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. (44) But I tell you: love your enemies...

By the way, who was teaching that? Not the Old Testament. The Old Testament did not say to love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but that was the way that it had been interpreted in the religious teaching of Christ’s day, so where they would hear “love your neighbor and hate your enemy” was not the Old Testament but in the local synagogue.

Matthew 5:44-48 (44) But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you (45) that you may be the son’s of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (46) If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (47) And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Don’t even pagans do that? (48) Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

The word perfect is the Greek word teleios. It is to be mature. Sometimes I read The Message (which is not a literal translation) by Eugene Peterson. He takes great liberty with the text, but sometimes he does a good job of getting the sense of the text. “You are familiar with the old written law, love your friend and its unwritten companion, hate your enemy.

I am challenging that. I am telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.”I love that. It is people that we differ with that most challenge us to be like Christ. When I am with people like me that believe like I do and think like I do, I do not have to do a whole lot to be like Christ. When I am with somebody who is truly different, that is when I am really challenged to be like Christ.

We realize that doctrine is important, and that doctrine sets people free, but it is not important if people will not hear it. It is not important if it makes us a critic. Remember, the Word of God says, “It’s the only critic, and I am supposed to be a lover.”

A beautiful poem was written by Edger A. Guest called Sermons We See. It goes like this:

“I would rather see a sermon then hear one any day. I would rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.

The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear.

Fine counsel is confusing but examples are always clear.

The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds.

For to see good out in action, is what everybody needs.

I soon could learn how to do it if you’ll let me see it done.

I can watch your hands in action but your tongue too fast may run,

And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true, But I’d rather get my lessons by observing what you do.

For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give,

But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.”

I can talk about right doctrine, and I can talk about being like Christ, but if I am keeping people at arms length then there is no misunderstanding how I act and how I live.

I would like to close with an assertion. I would like to assert that God has given His best to people and truly opened His heart to people no matter where they stood doctrinally. I would like to plead and implore for all of us to take a look at how we self-talk about other people. What do we truly think about other people? Have we gotten to the point where we are truly like Christ and people are more important than what we believe? We can love people and care for them and show compassion to them and think good thoughts about them in our heart (even when they do not believe like we do), and do it while maintaining that what we believe is important, and be confident in it.

I am a Progressive Christian...rather than a Fundamental one. As such, Progressive Christians, whatever faith group background they come from, contrast greatly from their fundamental peers..in that they do not claim to have aquired all the flawless interpretations of Scriptures or God on this Imperfect side of the Kingdom. Adding to this, my belief is that the Bible speaks of a time that has yet to come..in which "The New Scrolls will be opened." And that at THIS time, when these New scrolls are opened THEN we will ALL be educated by God on where our past understandings were flawed, and this all takes place when we get into the Kingdom of God.

As a moderate Christian, I think it is very egocentric/ self-righteous and self-asuming for any faith group or human being, here, now in this Imperfect age..to claim that they HAVE aquired ALL the prefect and unfalwed interpretations of the Scriptures and what Jesus said. Sure, everyone who embraces the name Christian, has an opinion on the above issues presented, but to Moderate Christians, such as myself this, The Golden Rule surpasses all these doctrinal issues and debates. It is my opinion that faith groups that are too fundamental in nature spend too much time fighting with words over doctrinal speculations...to such a degree it smothers out the focus on practicing The Golden Rule.

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