You can be a witness only for what you have experienced personally. I embraced the doctrine of Divine Election because it explained my personal faith experience. I did not choose Christ; He chose me. I had no choice. It wasn’t as dramatic as with Paul on the Road to Damascus, but it was the same in substance. You should not imagine that I didn’t want His mercy and favor, but I definitely had other plans.
It was the same with emphasizing faith over orthodoxy. It’s not necessary to hold all theology in common in order to be family. It’s not a question of who is wrong and who is right. It’s a question of whether we can work together.
The gospel is not theology; it cannot be reduced to mere ideas. The gospel is a Person. It’s not a matter of believing the right things; it’s a matter of feudal submission to Christ in loving each other. I came to this emphasis because it was my experience in the military. I encountered good servants of Christ who didn’t believe as I did, but we were able to serve together and build a strong agape community.
And I watched it die when a new chaplain came in who insisted on everyone doing things his way. He killed all those extra programs run by volunteers and locked down worship to his peculiar tastes. The community scattered.
To varying degrees, I saw the same thing happen in churches. There was a thriving community of faith until someone on staff felt like they didn’t have control over the program, and they killed it very intentionally. Let me assure you, I’d rather step aside and spin off a community that is blessed than to restrict the power of the Spirit by rules and restrictions.
I don’t know exactly what kind of tribulation is coming. What I do know is that obedience to the Covenant of Christ — loving each other sacrificially — is what will carry us through. This is our power to face the sorrows of the future.
