Being outspoken has its drawbacks, especially when your beliefs hurt people you have known and loved for decades. Sometimes I’d rather have a blog called The Softspoken Pansy.
Being outspoken, I frequently post things on Social Media that challenge established evangelical thought, hoping people might stop and think about my perspectives. I post with the clear understanding that I could get pushback. Anyone posting on Social Media really should post with that expectation. Whether it’s your blog, Facebook or Twitter (or any other app), posting publicly invites conversation — both positive and negative.
On the other hand, I rarely give pushback on someone’s post, reasoning that it’s their forum, giving them every right to express their beliefs without fear of censure. Sometimes their posts trouble me. I see professing Christians make extremely worldly comments, and I just itch to play Holy Spirit and convince them of their errors. But I feel as if doing so would invade their territory.
Anyway, this weekend I posted a quote by Justin Peters that resulted in a firestorm on my personal Facebook page. As things escalated, one friend expressed her frustration with my theological convictions in general, strongly urging me to reevaluate them (she believes I’ve fallen into serious error) .
In responding to her, I’ve agreed to listen to her point of view and search the Scriptures with a willingness to be corrected.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. ~~Proverbs 15:31-32 (ESV)
Although renouncing my doctrinal beliefs would cause serious problems in my marriage, require me to shut down this blog, and disrupt my relationship with my church, I’m willing to pay that price if I can be persuaded from Scripture that I’m wrong. Despite the high cost, obedience to the truth must prevail over everything else. May God grant me the humility to consider the possibility that I could be wrong.
That said, currently I believe my general theological position does indeed line up with God’s Word. Furthermore, Scripture calls me to submit to my husband’s spiritual leadership. At this point, John has even less doubt about our doctrine than I do. Should I distrust his spiritual leadership simply to prove that I have enough humility to receive correction?
To be plain, we both believe our theological convictions come from Scripture. We have studied carefully, reading verses in both their immediate context and the context of the whole counsel of God. We freely acknowledge that we have blind spots, just like everybody else, but we sincerely believe the Bible teaches the things I write in this blog.
Humility has its place, but so does standing firm on one’s convictions. Particularly when those convictions come from honest efforts to rightly handle God’s Word. My friend, I believe, has also seriously studied the Bible, and has reached different conclusions. In disagreeing with her conclusions, I refuse to say she’s believing false teaching simply because we disagree. But I must not compromise my beliefs in order to prove my humility to her.
Both my friend and I must find the balance between humility and standing firmly on our convictions. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us towards His truth.
The Outspoken TULIP 
This brings to mind something MacArthur has said: “I can be right and you can be wrong; you can be right and I can be wrong; or we can both be wrong. But we can’t both be right.” That really impacted me. Our job is to constantly be searching for the right interpretation because there is only one.
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