Warning... I have not always used the most flattering descriptions of people here in this post, in my limited attempt at describing just two of the many "ends of the spectrum" types of Christians. And even though I have re-worded this a bit, it is just a rough and raw reflection. You have been warned.
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MY OBSERVATIONS:
I know some Christians are a Christ-followers who "hear God" through study of the scriptures. Their faith walk places a high priority on being founded in God's word lest they fall under deception, in pursuit of Christ's likeness being developed through disciplined study, knowledge, revelation through the infallible Word of God, and Godly council. Even though sometimes they are so disciplined and cautious that it appear that they restrain the Holy Spirit, I know and so do they, it is the Holy Spirit giving wisdom, and revelation to them.
I also know, some "hippie-dippie" charismatic Christians who are lead primarily by the voice of God in their heart. I do know that the Holy Spirit leads these people through revelation, sometimes even with little study of the scriptures. They hear God as a voice in their Spirit and follow Christ by relying on that inner voice of God much more than the words on the pages of our bible. I also know that if these Christians are really trying hard to set aside their agenda, so that they can hear God's voice and obey it, the Holy Spirit will progressively bring conviction and direction, which will lead to the study of the scriptures where they can hear God in and through bible study, finding confirmation, correction, and the building blocks of the knowledge of God which builds our love and faith in Him.
And lastly the sad truth, many Christians are full of our culture that places the highest premium on the individual, our self-esteem, and a relativistic view of tolerance, it becomes strongholds in our minds. It is in all of us to some extent.
MY PERSPECTIVE:
The answer is know God, in Spirit and in Truth. ... and in knowing Him, find His amazing, way too big for our tiny finite minds to grasp, LOVE for us, and to fall madly passionately in love with Him. We become "ruined" for the former things and desire more of Him, more knowledge of Him and more of His active manifest presence in our lives. As we abide in Him we will bear His fruit, speaking and doing mighty things through Him. And it circles back, to wanting to know more about Him, to know Him better, to become like Him, then to have revealed to us that God's love for us is even larger, stronger, more gentle, more intimate, more amazing than we ever knew before, so we want to study more of His word (and we love it more than we did before), and we want to spend time in prayer and intercession (it becomes less of a difficult sacrifice than it was before), and we want to praise and worship Him more, we want to draw near to God; and He will draw near to us when we do this. ... and round we go again. Each time we go around, God convicts, and redeems. He is sanctifying us and perfecting us, as we submit our will and build our faith.
Christians on two ends of a spectrum will likely rub each other raw (irritate each other) from time to time. But as we follow God's teaching determining to be of one accord (in pursuit of Christ and His Kingdom on earth), we will bear one another, and we the church (unified, working together, each member performs it's own function, in consonant harmonious unity - the body of Christ {1 Cor 12, & Eph 4:1-3, & Rom 12:3-8}) will be transformed into the Holy spotless beautiful bride she is to be. As the body of Christ seeks after God, God will respond by drawing close to the bride (the church), and this will "renown" the name of God and draw people to God.
MY CONCLUSION:
Our unity bears a better bigger fruit of God's Love. It speaks more powerfully of the power that raised Jesus Christ from death and redeems us from eternal death to eternal life in Him. I believe that our unity then becomes almost of greater importance than our singular personal relationship with God. Now mind you you can not have unity of the body without each individual being a part of the body (first personally repenting, believing in Jesus as God and Savior, and surrendering to His Lorship), but there is a greater work of love and unity that God desires for His own. UNITY. It is what Jesus prayed for us (his church) {see John 14-16}. Bearing one another burdens and rejoicing with each others joys, that we would be one as Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one.
We are to be different but UNIFIED - of one accord - there is to peace that is supreme between all Christians, to the Glory of God alone.
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