Brian Hedges at Light and Heat blog posted about Gospel-centered ministry and fellowship. I especially appreciated his 4th point…
(4) We (especially church leaders, but this applies to followers as well) must learn to build our identity around Christ and the gospel, not around secondary doctrines or issues.
What kind of Christian are you? A reformed-baptist-amil-cessationist-complementarian? Or, a saint, elect, servant, disciple, and child of God?
To the best of my knowledge, every Biblical name for God’s people includes ALL Christians, not just SOME Christians. Doctrinal distinctives define what we believe. But, the gospel defines who we are.
Our identity comes from the gospel: Jesus Christ Himself, crucified and raised. And, our bond of fellowship comes from the Spirit’s regeneration, not doctrinal distinctives. Once you understand this, you’ll find it much easier to fellowship with brothers who differ with you on doctrinal issues secondary to the gospel.
You can read the rest of Brian’s blog here: Thoughts on Keeping the Gospel Central
P.S. See more Bible studies, blogs, and books at JesusSaidFollowMe.org
