Hand-Me-Down Beliefs

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. Life gets us busy. There is much I want to share, but this is on my mind and it cannot wait.

I just spent the past two hours debating my beliefs with a friend. I have to say, I was beginning to get a little hot under the collar so to speak. I will not go into all the details of the conversation. Many of the topics were doctrinally related. I have made it a general rule not to argue doctrine, especially with a fellow believer. I think there are too many divides in God's children already because of this. I do however, think it is important to know what you believe and why.

As I may have shared before, I was raised in a very legalistic church. Many of the beliefs and doctrines I still hold today; but many were a hindrance in my spiritual growth for years.

When talking about beliefs, whether it is between eternal security and the requirement of works to show fruit; whether it is about using the JKV instead of the other translations; whether it is if women should wear pants or not... whatever the disagreement; we as Christians need to know why we believe what we believe.

So many of us don't even have a true understanding of what we believe. We believe what we have heard for years growing up in the church. Did we ever really require there to be validation in the beliefs, practices, and doctrines we stand so firmly by? I think you would agree that the tendency of beliefs are more out of tradition.

I have said I am tired of hand-me-downs. I believe this includes those hand-me-down beliefs that I haven't searched out an proved for myself. I challenge you to examine your beliefs, your codes of ethics, your doctrines. Do you really know why you believe them? Can you support your beliefs with actual scriptures? Try examining your own life and get rid of those hand-me-down beliefs.