Like refreshing water

Who knew it? I mean, I certainly did not! Who knew that someone expressing non-fundamental, non-judgemental, non-exclusive THEOLOGY would give me the sense of laying in a stream of cool, flowing water.

Growing up in a church filled with the TR, spending more time talking about the Westminster Confessions and Calvin than the Bible, I had come to think that discussing theological beliefs was a big waste of time. All it does is divide people more, right? Hearing Reformed and Fundamentalist believers making exclusive statements about their theological beliefs, makes me want to run out of the room screaming. (And in reality, judge on them back.)

In our first class we discussed Postmodernism and Younger Evangelicals. Ughhhh... I was wondering, will I have to drop out of seminary? What if he says, "Postmoderns are evil, are sinful, are just plain wrong." (Language I had heard in order to exclude others.) If our teacher had said that, I was certainly going to pack my bags and leave. Instead, he talked about the good of this emerging generation (those growing up under Postmodernism) (i.e. Me!) ~ the desire for the emerging generation to LIVE OUT their beliefs, not to just speak them, as well as other things. More specifically, he talked about the Younger Evangelicals wanting to "release the historic faith from its captivity in the Enlightenment."

Robert Webber says in his book, The Youger Evangelicals:

"My head became filled with arguments, proof-texts, distinctions, and a kind of intellectual arrogance. In the meantime, God became an object; faith became a system; and my heart grew cold. My commitment to faith as intellectually verifiable did not strengthen my resolve to live in the pattern of Jesus' death and resurrection."

Yes!!! I completely agree.

As we talked about in the class God and His Word, all that really matters, the only hill I am really willing to die on, is Salvation. 5 points and other theological points are interesting to think about, but really, God is not going to ask me, "So Joanna, are you a 5 point or not?" He is going to ask me who my Savior is. Is my Savior my theological beliefs or is it Jesus. Do I serve my system of beliefs, or do I serve my Savior?

So here I am, sitting in a Theology class at a Reformed Seminary hearing non-exlusive language. I no longer have to feel GUILTY for not caring about the 5 points. Because... I dont care. Where I want to care more is, am I loving my God, myself, my neighbor. Am I glorifying God in what I do? Am I becoming more like Christ every day? Am I an Image Bearer?

Wow, I feel free from a system of guilt that has lost its grip on me. I could cry with joy!

P.S. God, make me non-judmental towards those that value understanding the 5 points.