Personal Faith and General Assembly Guidelines

Personal Faith and General Assembly Guidelines

Personal faith applies to that which an individual believes, observes, or practices before God in a personal individual relationship with Him which does not necessarily apply to any other individual. This faith is also one which does not violate or contradict any principle or standard of Holy Scripture. It is strictly between the individual and God and is not necessarily intended to be imposed upon others, or to be used a standard for judgment against any other person.

The 14^th chapter of Romans is very explicit and clear on this matter; however, although the General Assembly has repeatedly not seen fit to make a guideline on some of these things, even after earnestly seeking God for guidance, they tend to crop up.

The Church of God is guided by the fact that the Bible, the inspired Word of God, applies to mankind universally and was not given to favor or accommodate any particular individual or group over everybody else. Yet, there continues to surface from time to time the attempt by individuals and sometimes groups of individuals who share a faith meant to be personal on everyone else. These attempts are often so intense that the individual upon whom they are made feels intimidated or condemned to the degree of misery and confusion.

Personal faith may be just what the individual needs to have a happy and fulfilled relationship with God, but would not be that with another person. What one eats and drinks, with the exception of strong drink and gluttony, is strictly a personal freedom which God does not condemn and no one has the right to deny the individual that right.

Usually, but not always, it is the weaker member who is most affected by being condemned for his personal faith or intimidated by someone attempting to impose their own personal faith upon him. God takes a very dim view of this action with the words of Paul, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way”.  Romans 14:13.

When personal faith is promoted as applying to everybody then trouble begins in the Church. Since it is not promoted by the General Assembly it becomes a take-it-or-leave-it thing by the general membership and the devil has a fertile opportunity to bring division by forming “for” and “against” groups. This invariably causes a loss of harmony in the Body. We are too far along and too near the end to allow this to hinder the perfection process. We must be prepared to deal with these situations when they get out of the realm of personal faith and become a bone of contention in the Church. They destroy unity and a charge of sowing discord can be brought against those involved in them.

What is the answer to run away personal faith? Paul tells us very clearly in Romans 14:22. Here he says, “Hast thou faith? Have it thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth”.

If you have a personal conviction about Church doctrine, practice, or government which the General Assembly has not addressed or is a matter which does not pertain to the membership worldwide, keep it to yourself for the sake of unity in the Body. If it is an issue important enough to be brought before the Assembly, it is fairly certain that the Holy Ghost will also prompt someone else to present it for general consideration for the whole Church.

Disunity never solved anything and it certainly is not going to bring us any closer to perfection. Seeing eye to eye and speaking the same thing is necessary.

Let us keep our personal faith personal and see how quickly the Holy Ghost can bring us into complete unity and prepare us for that momentous and long awaited event of the Rapture.

Other than what our advice to members has to say about dress, The Church of God does not attempt to prescribe a lifestyle other than pure, holy, godly living. That can be and is throughout the world in many variations.

Rather than imposing personal faith on others, it would be better, if it truly is a personal conviction, to strive to perfect that commitment to God and do as Paul instructed in Romans 14:19, “Let us therefore follow after the things wherewith one may edify another.”

It would seem that Paul is saying it is much better to edify another than to gratify one’s own personal faith at the expense of others who may not understand nor embrace it. The result would be greater unity, greater harmony, and greater love within the Body of Christ.

Written by Bishop Robert J. Pruitt and delivered as part of his Annual Address to the 94^th General Assembly of The Church of God in 1999.