Love this post from Mark Batterson:
Few things are as frustrating to me as infighting in the kingdom of God over gray issues. It’s unhealthy and unholy! And it is a waste of energy–sideways energy. I’m not saying we turn a blind eye to heresy or blasphemy. But there are blog stalkers who spend all of their energy trying to point out how everybody else is wrong. And that’s wrong.
The bottom line is this: God-fearing and God-loving people will disagree on gray issues until Jesus returns. Can we agree to disagree on gray issues? Can we love each other despite our theological or methodological differences? Maybe the gray areas are the very places where we can learn to love each other.
About four hundred years ago, a German theologian named Rupertus Meldenius, was frustrated with the infighting and backbiting in the church. And he said something so profound that it has passed the test of time. In fact, it is the preface to our statement of belief at National Community Church.
In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
Yes, the church has its theological non-negotiables. Jesus is the son of God. He lived a sinless life; died a substitutionary death on the cross; and was raised from the dead. There is no room for disagreement on essential theological truths. But there are lots of peripheral theological issues about which we’ll disagree. By peripheral I don’t mean unimportant. But they aren’t essential for salvation. And in those areas we need a degree of liberty! And in all things, we need charity. Love is the litmus test. Not our systematic theology!