Fundamental Christianity

FRI., OCT. 31, 1986, 7:24 AM
FARM, STUDY

Again, as you received a note yesterday from one who is a conventional or fundamental Christian, you felt that desire to be more of that ilk. You even expressed such a feeling, but here you are, in the midst of discomfort, ready to do this unconventional meditation, hearing from Me, the Holy Spirit, directly. I like that sort of ambivalence!

There are several types of fundamental Christianity, each defended and espoused by tradition, revelation, or doctrine. One, of course, is Bible-based. All important truth is in Scripture and anything that seems to be different from a particular Scriptural passage is not truth. There may be the strong implication that if the Bible doesn’t mention a particular thing or action the Christian must avoid it. Virtually all who voice such a doctrine still accept the fact of microorganisms that cause disease and the ministrations of modern medicine with surgery and radiation. Most drive cars and accept the services motorized transportation makes possible.

I referred to this reliance on the Bible as doctrine, because there is no passage in the Bible that says to rely solely on the Bible for truth. My servant Paul, in a time of frustration, wrote that you should believe no interpretation but his. Yet his wonderful exposition of grace and the need for it stands as a balance to My Sermon on the Mount, several of My parables, and much of what James says. It is a balance, not a superceding of. I also encouraged John to end his Gospel with the affirmation that much more could have been written about Me, as Jesus.

Now understand that those who hold to a strictly Bible-based Christianity are not wrong. I am giving receptive persons in such congregations messages (though usually not as clear and reproduceable as these) that encourage their doctrine… even that they should try to convert or to cast out those, like you, who present a different message. Why would I do such a divisive thing? That’s the subject of another Teaching. Let’s stay with this one.

Another form of fundamental Christianity is one patterned after My life as Jesus. It denies as Phariseeical, the holding to every word of Scripture, accepts Jesus as the model who spoke out for the poor, the suffering, the incarcerated (who were not much different from those in prison today in your culture), the lonely, and the weak. This model leads toward being the suffering servant in this world, and not toward defense of particular Scriptural passages.

Then, yes, you represent a type of fundamental Christian. You carry on, in your own designated way, the mystical tradition that commenced with some words and actions of Me, as the Christ, and ”took off” on the day of Pentecost when I came into full action in the earth. Fundamentally, you listen to and heed a Spirit Who has been functioning here in the earth since Biblical times. I have much to say about how life should be lived. Fundamentally… heed what I say.