NEGOTIABLE and NON-NEGOTIABLE BIBLICAL ISSUES

Important Issues To Agree Upon Regarding the Bible, And Other Issues It Is Okay To Disagree On (Or sometimes referred to as disputable and non-disputable Bible doctrines).

  By: Norm Rasmussen

Is it okay for Christians to lovingly disagree about certain issues of the Bible?  Whose interpretation of the Bible is right anyway?  Whose is wrong?  Who is in part error, or gross error?  Who is not?  Denominations and literally deceptive cults and para-cults have been formed and split-offs of those denominations and cults and para-cults have formed until it would appear as madness and folly to many on the outside of Christianity looking in.  To those on the inside, it has caused pain immeasurable to many. 

Here is a way that I believe Christians can learn to better disagree.  Learn to put Biblical doctrinal issues into either one category or the other, as best as possible.  Learn to put them either under the negotiable category, or the non-negotiable category.  Or if you prefer, put them either in the disputable category, or the non-disputable category.

After we have been Christians for awhile, we each come up with our own beliefs about what we believe God is trying to communicate to us in the Bible, don’t we?  What I believe to be the accurate meaning or thought being communicated may be in opposition to what another brother or sister in Christ believes to be the accurate meaning or thought being communicated, correct?  So who is right and who is wrong?  Must we part ways simply because we have too many differences of opinion about what the Bible means to us?  That can depend, can't it?

Here’s some for instances:  Is Old Testament tithing for today, or isn’t it?  To me, wisdom would dictate this issue should be placed under the negotiable category.  Why?  Because nowhere in New Testament scripture does it clearly communicate that tithing (giving money period) is a condition to either gain eternal salvation or keep one’s salvation. 

Can a Christian drink alcohol in moderation?  This should also go under the negotiable category in my estimation.  Why? Because Jesus drank wine in moderation, although there is controversy, I realize, as to how much alcohol content there may have been in it.  Also, one of the qualifications of being an Elder or Bishop is not being a drinker of much wine.  To take the position that the wine spoken of had no alcohol in it would be saying that the qualification to be an Elder or Bishop is one who shouldn’t drink too much grape juice (because it might bring on diarrhea?) just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

Must I join a particular "church" to get saved and stay saved?  Absolutely not!  How can I join something that I'm already a member of, in good standing no less?!  (That being the global Body of Christ).  Satan has done a masterful job at confusing people about the use of the word "church."  The "church" is neither a building nor is it the name of a denomination.  The "church" is not a title of an organization nor a list of an organization's statement of faith.  Those who Jesus Christ has truly saved are the Church.  Where those people are ... the Church is.  Where a group of born again Christian believers meet at any given time is where the Church is.  The Church disbands when each believer leaves that location.  The empty building they leave behind is not the Church.  It is the Church building, but not the Church.  [Had Joseph Smith (Founder of the Mormon "church") understood this crucially important truth ... he would have recognized the demonic deception he was being exposed to, and people in leadership of the Mormon "church" would have renounced the deception they gave place to long ago].  People are the Church.  True disciples of Jesus Christ showing the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the Church.  People who dogmatically adhere solely to the truths (which includes warnings about giving place to demonic deception) taught in the New Testament Bible and refuse to accept any other source of teaching and instruction that hints of any contradiction of the New Testament Bible are the TRUE Church.  In my unwavering opinion ... this is non-negotiable.

Salvation is a free gift of God given to all by trusting that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was ample sacrifice to deal with my sins and to meet God’s demands.  (For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9). To add any more to it seriously distorts the message of the New Testament and I believe becomes heresy and gives ground to the demonic. Thus this salvation message of trusting Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone as the only One God the Father finds acceptable to be the only suitable sacrifice for our sins to be forgiven plus nothing else or no-one else is non-negotiable.  Anyone putting it under the negotiable column remains an instrument of Satan in my estimation and hasn’t figured it out yet, (nor may even care to).

Important note to the above preceding paragraph:  Satan is perpetually attempting to use James 2:17 to obscure or cloud Ephesians 2:8-9.  Here's what James 2:17 says:  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  What the devil seeks to do is try to get believers to link these two scriptures together to come up with this belief:  "Grace plus faith plus works is what saves you."  Once he can accomplish that, he now has successfully got us maneuvered into a "works" salvation, and not a "grace" salvation.  A "works" salvation is one we try to measure up to, to earn, yet can never attain, nor ever will.  We are saved from eternal punishment for our sins by our faith (or trust that Ephesians 2:8-9 means exactly what it says) and God's grace (forgiveness for all our sins when none of us deserves forgiveness) alone in what God accomplished for us on the cross.  Our evidence of our being truly saved - being truly born again - will then become evident by our progressive obedience to God's New Testament Word, and for some, that can literally take much of one's lifetime.  That's the point God is getting at in James 2:17.  True salvation is not just our mouths flapping cheap, hollow words, but actions that require few if any words.

Saying it a little differently - what God is trying to communicate by saying "that faith without works is dead" is that a person is playing games with themselves if there is no action accompanying one's trusting or faith in Jesus Christ -- action as in obedience to the New Testament and sincere repentance when we sin against God and others.  If a person claims to be saved but continuously keeps sinning just as they did prior to their desire to accept God's gift of salvation ... with no action in working with God to strive to eliminate as many sins as possible from their life (especially sin(s) that are the most self-destructive) ... that person might want to be suspect of just how genuine their salvation was.   If we are going to link James 2:17 to any other scriptures in God's Word, I believe it should be linked to this portion of scripture:  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors -- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  (Romans 8:12-14)

1 John 1:9 promises us that all sin is forgiven when we confess it to God and ask Him to forgive us of it.  However, I do no one but the devil a favor to end the matter there.  Just because God forgives sin doesn't mean God necessarily removes all consequences from that wrongdoing. We need to remind ourselves often that sin has painful consequences!  As our obedience to God grants blessed rewards, our practicing sin also grants unblessed "rewards."  Ongoing sin can bring to that person God's severe correction, to make us fully aware that God is extremely serious about His children progressing from simply asking forgiveness all the time over the same sin(s) ... and not getting serious enough with God to break that sin from having place to keep repeating itself.  Because God loves disciples of Jesus Christ so much, (not if), He tells us He'll correct us as needed when we keep sinning after we've been saved:  "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.  (Hebrews 12:5-6). 

Thus, in my firm opinion, if God forgives all sin so we can become saved ... why in the world would He refuse to forgive any sin we confess to Him after we've become saved?  Meaning precisely what, Norm?  Meaning that God forgives all my sins so I can become saved and God forgives all my sins after I've been saved, if I'll confess them to Him and ask His forgiveness for them. This is a non-negotiable issue to me.

However ... the matter doesn't "conveniently" end there!  God gives us a stern, sobering warning about giving place to willful, habitual on-going sin in our life after we have become saved:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.  -- Hebrews 11:26 (NKJV)  

I believe the word "willfully" is very key to getting a balanced and wise grasp on what God is saying in Hebrews 11:26.  None of us will attain a state of sinless perfection prior to the return of Jesus Christ for the Body of Christ; that we need to come to grips with.  But we also need to come to grips that engaging in on-going sin with no fear of any possible judgment from God for it, up to and including the possibility of losing our very salvation completely is an option God clearly leaves open for the unrepentant, disobedient, willfully habitual sinner (which includes those engaged in on-going sin who refuse to even believe what they are doing even is sin.  Homosexuality comes to mind here).  To those who adhere dogmatically to the belief of "Once saved -always saved," to casually make a statement regarding a person who willfully and habitually engages in sin after they have placed their trust in Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins whereby making the statement: "that they were never really saved in the first place" (though this may certainly be so) is sidetracking the point completely in my estimation regarding the serious warning Hebrews 11:26 gives.  God expects those of us who are saved to cooperate with Him in "putting to death the sins we keep committing" as listed in the New Testament, not constantly merely asking His forgiveness for them, or worse yet, having no guilt nor sorrow that God is grieved or angered in our even committing them. 

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors - not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.   -- Romans 8:12-14 (NKJV)

So -- my conclusion of the matter?  God alone is the One who knows who ultimately will end up with Him to be in His presence forevermore and those who won't.  He's the Judge; I'm not!  That is non-negotiable!

Before moving to a new topic, this I've come to believe about who God will end up saving, and those He won't.  God will have no prideful with Him in heaven.  He had some prideful beings with Him in times past in heaven, and because of it, He judged them for it, however painful that might have been to Him.  Eternal separation from Him was the initial sentence of His judgment.  Suffering in the lake of fire for eternity with be the ultimate sentence of that judgment. 

It is pride (as in: self-centeredness; selfishness; self-fulfillment; self-glorification; etc.) God desires to have burned out of each of us ... replaced with true humility.  Only the truly humble by God's definition of the word is who will occupy heaven with Him.  I'm firmly convinced He will never have another rebellion like there once was before.  

Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced solely by the speaking in tongues or not?  Some believe that it is.  Others believe that one can be baptized in the Holy Spirit without being given the gift of tongues.  Who is right and who is wrong?  Does speaking in tongues qualify me to get saved or stay saved?  Not the way I read the New Testament. Therefore, wisdom would dictate to me that this issue needs to be placed under the negotiable category.  

Notice in each case the first criteria we’re using to determine whether something is negotiable or non-negotiable is: Eternal Salvation.  Why?  Because that is the most important thing once we die, isn’t it?  Will I go to heaven, or will I go to hell?  Ultimately, to most people, that’s all that really matters when we take our last breath, doesn’t it?  Once Jesus resurrected from the dead, Satan soon realized he was not going to be able to stop the Church, (the Body of Christ), from growing.  But hate drove him to do everything in his power to at least slow it down.  Some in the Body of Christ to this very day would rather be right than ask if they are instruments of Satan in slowing the Body of Christ down from becoming all that God says in scripture She is to become.  (Holy, without spot or wrinkle – see Ephesians 5:27).

Many times church splits are the result of nothing more than people demanding their interpretation of scripture be adhered to, which sometimes, it is God's doing, and other times, it would be questionable.  If only reasonable men and women of God would sit down and put on paper in front of each other what is truly important - what is negotiable and what isn't … many churches would never have to split.  Many a marriage would also survive, and Satan would not have a place to divide that marriage, if the husband and the wife would simply put down on paper what they believe to be negotiable and non-negotiable issues they differ in.  Once they’ve done that, what’s wrong with lovingly disagreeing to quit giving the devil a foothold in relationships?  

The truth of the matter is, you’ll never find one political party agreeing on very much at all behind closed doors.  But publicly and openly…they decide what they do agree to - to keep the party united and a force to be reckoned with.  Otherwise they realize the opposing party will gain advantage.  CEO’s and Presidents of companies realize their staff will never agree on how the company should be run for very long, but for that company to prosper and be profitable in the competitive marketplace, the leaders of that company have to quickly learn to agreeably disagree.  Those who refuse must be terminated for the sake of the rest; otherwise there is constant friction and soon cancerous division.  How much more should the Church, (the Body of Christ), seek to excel in learning to lovingly disagree over "negotiable issues?"  After all, we have the worse enemy of all: Satan. 

I am the church, because I am saved from my sins through Jesus Christ.  You are the church, if you have been saved from your sins through Jesus Christ.  No matter where you and I go on this planet, the church IS. 

My local “church” (local fellowship, more appropriately stated) is just a small microcosm of the larger worldwide Church that encompasses the globe.  My “church”  (local fellowship) is one cell of many cells (local fellowships around the world where believers come together) that make up the Body of Christ worldwide.  Because the correct definition of Christ's "church" is: God's called out ones ... let us be very wise in the use of our words, especially as we address biblical issues around the unsaved and new disciples in Jesus Christ.

I am the company I work for.  If you work at the same company, you are the company you and I work for.  When you and I show up for work under one roof, together you and I and everyone else employed at that company are the company.  For all practical purposes, when everyone goes home at night and leaves their place of work, that company disseminates.  That company may have four walls and a roof and stocks being bought and sold by investors, but that company will not produce one cent of profit if at least one person doesn't somehow keep it running. 

What should my local “church” be trying to accomplish?  The best vision I’ve heard of is given in Ephesians 4:11-16:  

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the quipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 

The role of women in the Church is one of the “hottest” issues in the Body of Christ for many, hasn’t it.  Can a woman be a Pastor?  Can a woman teach?  1 Timothy 2:12 would seem to provide a rather clear answer, if taken literally, wouldn’t it? But teach where?  To the whole church?  To women only and not men? Sunday school? Bible study?  Prison outreach?  In her home?  To her children?  Is giving a marriage seminar or lessons on child rearing “teaching” or not?  In giving the qualifications to be an Elder or Bishop (overseer if you will), it states clearly in 1 Timothy 3:2 that an overseer must be the husband of one wife, doesn’t it?  If a woman feels called to pastor a local church, is she to believe that she is to reverse the wording here in this portion of scripture and be the wife of one husband?  Many would say that would be heresy, wouldn’t they?  But WHO is correct in this matter?  Can a woman teach, but not be a Pastor or Bishop or Elder?  It can get difficult, can’t it?

Does the letter of the law without Spirit always bring life, or can it literally bring about fractured death to local church bodies and relationships within that local body?  Or, must the letter of the law and the Spirit mixed with wisdom bring health and balanced life to the Church?

Let’s ask ourselves this question when addressing the issue of women ministering in the local church.  If my interpretation is correct and yours is not, does that mean you are going to lose your salvation?  I don’t believe so.  And if your interpretation is correct and mine is wrong, will I lose my salvation?  I believe not. Whether a woman believes she’s to function in the role of Pastor, Teacher, Elder, Deacon, Bishop, Apostle, Prophet, or Evangelist  (what did I leave out?) is not a matter of eternal Salvation, is it?  It’s a matter of Biblical interpretation.  It requires a teachable spirit, humility, and above all else, the Holy Spirit, to come up with correct Biblical interpretation that lines up with the way God sees things, doesn't it?  I'm still in that process of learning and have not yet arrived!  How about you? 

Having used too many words on this topic alone, here's my final statement in this writing regarding the role of women in the Body of Christ: What one deems as negotiable regarding the role of women in the local church, another will deem as non-negotiable right up until the return of the Lord, I’ve got to believe. 

Every sacred meaning, understanding and correct application of God's Word that God intends for us to understand and put into practice is going to be contested before Jesus returns, if Satan is given place.  Satan’s latest push is to muddy the sexes of marriage.  Two men now want their relationship established as a bonafied “marriage” in the sight of God and/or the laws of the land.  Two women are crying out for the same.  If Satan has this heresy established in main-line Christianity, then same-sex “married” couples will start demanding that “man” does not mean “man” literally, and “woman” does not mean “woman” literally. 

Satan has already been doing all he can to make “God” not being literally “God,” but whatever one’s definition of God is to them.  Sex will not be “sex” if Satan will be allowed to redefine every word that is in our vocabulary, and “Pornography 101” will be as mandatory a subject to graduate as Geography 101 is.  Sin will not be “sin,” but something healthy and normal and one’s constitutional right to practice … for the sake of course, of bringing about “peace” and “clarity” and “fairness” where division reigns.    

I realize that placing issues under the category of negotiable and non-negotiable is not going to solve all the challenges we encounter in the Body of Christ.  However, I do believe if we would do more of this, it would make the Church a stronger opponent of evil.  The Church is no different than an army.  She is most powerful when she is united.  She is less powerful when she is divided and infighting takes up more of our time and energy and resources than fighting for the lost souls of mankind, and then trying to disciple them to maturity in Christ according to God's Word.  

As I build my own checklist of what I believe most of the Body of Christ can agree on regarding non-negotiable issues . . . I come up with a remarkably small list, though their importance can never be trivialized.  In slowing down demonic deception and working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to help the true Body of Christ to work as a team in exposing and hindering evil from increasing across this planet ... these biblical issues are crucially vital:

1)  Eternal Salvation is a free gift, available to all alive on this planet.  Salvation (obtaining God's forgiveness of one's sins) cannot be earned nor must one be a member of any man-made organization to get it or keep it, whether or not it’s called “the true church” - “original church” – “true restored church” … etc., (the wording can keep going).     

2)  The Old and New Testament Bible is the infallible Word of God in the original Hebrew and Greek texts.  It is the only absolute on earth that Christians are to build their spiritual foundation on. No other writing(s) are necessary to live the way God wants us to live.  (Which interpretation/s of the Bible are the most accurately translated is however, negotiable, in my estimation.  Taking several of the popularly accepted translations of modern-day Christianity and comparing verse for verse, one can trust God to give sufficient understanding of what God wants communicated).  

In conjunction with the above,  the full deity of Jesus Christ is assumed.  Jesus Christ was fully God before He came to earth to become fully man.  Jesus Christ is fully God now, along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  To make a bold statement that Jesus Christ was ever less than fully God is to distort the relevance and trustworthiness of the New Testament.  Thus -- Jesus Christ is fully God.  He always was; He always will be.  This is non-negotiable to me as it is (at least has been) with mainline Protestantism as well as with Catholicism since the early Church history.