Shibboleths, words that divide,
Phrases that are often misused,
A way to distinguish groups apart,
But sometimes, they are simply misconstrued.
Some say Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for all,
But efficient only for the elect, it's true
But to me, that doesn't make sense,
For Christ's death was only for His chosen few.
There are other phrases that we may hear,
From believers who don't quite understand,
They repeat them without thinking,
And sometimes, they are out of hand.
God helps those who help themselves,
The Holy Spirit is a gentleman,
Good luck, and hold to God's unchanging hand,
These phrases can be misleading, and not grand.
As we grow in grace and knowledge,
We learn the implications of our words,
We shed those shibboleths that are incorrect,
And speak more truthfully, truth that should be heard.
So let's be patient and loving,
With those who use language that's not right,
We should gently point out the error,
And help them see the truth, in the light.
Let's not judge too harshly,
But rather encourage and support,
For we are all brothers and sisters,
In Christ, and His love, we ought to court.
About Brandan Kraft
Brandan Kraft is a computer programmer from the Missouri Ozarks who has been writing about the sovereign grace of God since 1997. He started with a website called bornagain.net, built it into PristineGrace.org, and has published over two hundred articles, nearly sixty songs, and a growing catalog of podcasts from his living room in Ashland, Kentucky. All without permission from anyone.
He holds no seminary degree, no denominational endorsement, and no theological credentials. He has been writing software for the same employer since 1998. He thinks in systems and believes that the sharpest doctrine should produce the widest arms.
His systematic theology, A Thought in the Mind of God, derives every position from one sentence and applies it across every domain - from ontology to eschatology, from the nature of the human mind to the nature of heaven and hell. It is available at pristinegrace.org/mind.
Brandan lives in Ashland, Kentucky with his wife Angie and their son Cole. He plays trombone in the Marshall University Tri-State Brass Band and changes a diaper twice a day on a cat named OJ who was once paralyzed and whom nobody else wanted.
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