When I was a young Christian, an older and wiser Christian once told me, "I want to be conservative in doctrine and liberal in love." His words seemed wise at the time, and they seem just as wise today.
The man who said those words has remained one of the most effective Christians with whom I have ever been acquainted. He has lived a life of rock-solid faith in Christ and love for the people around him. He has shared the wisdom of the inspired Scriptures with thousands of people over several decades. He has helped untold numbers of people with a wide variety of problems and heartaches over the same period of time. He has earned the respect of everyone who has known him.
I want to follow in his footsteps as he has followed Christ. I want to be conservative in doctrine and liberal in love, too. I want a solid and stable faith in God and what he has said. I want to be unmovable and unshakable when it comes to being loyal to Jesus Christ. I also want to be reliable when it comes to helping others, showing kindness, defending the innocent, and being available when needed. In doing so, I hope to honor my God as much as possible.
"What you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us" (2 Timothy 1:13-14).
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3 comments:
So is he a conservative liberal or a liberal conservative? :-) Either way, you're right, those are wise words.
i fear some people have got it into their heads that to be conservative in doctrine is to fail to be liberal in love. i wish it weren't so.
Tim,
I don't know either.:)
Reborn,
I agree.
Thanks for the comments, guys.
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