MENGAPA ADA BANYAK DENOMINASI KRISTEN?

June 26, 2022

Menurut perkiraan Pusat Studi Kekristenan Global, ada lebih dari 200 denominasi Kristen di AS dan ada lebih dari 45.000 jumlah yang mengagetkan secara global. Namun, denominasi Islam hanya terbagi menjadi dua denominasi besar, Sunni dan Syiah. Denominasi Kristen adalah yang terbesar. Orang mungkin bertanya mengapa ada begitu banyak kepercayaan Kristen yang berbeda-beda? Ajaran Yesus cukup mudah dipahami. Yesus berbicara dalam istilah yang dapat dimengerti oleh para nelayan dan tukang kayu - perumpamaan dan dalam bahasa yang sederhana. Murid-murid Yesus juga umumnya menulis dalam bahasa yang sederhana, kecuali tulisan Rasul Paulus. Sekitar setengah dari kitab-kitab dalam Perjanjian Baru dikaitkan dengan Paulus atau berdasarkan kepercayaan Paulus, seperti keselamatan oleh kasih karunia. “Sebab karena kasih karunia kamu diselamatkan oleh iman, dan itu bukan hasil usahamu; [itu] pemberian Allah, bukan hasil pekerjaan, supaya jangan ada orang yang memegahkan diri.” Efesus 2:8-9

Dan lihatlah, seorang ahli hukum berdiri dan menguji Dia, berkata, "Guru, apa yang harus saya lakukan untuk mewarisi hidup yang kekal?" Dia berkata kepadanya, "Apa yang tertulis dalam hukum? Apa bacaanmu?" Maka dia menjawab dan berkata, "'Kasihilah TUHAN, Allahmu, dengan segenap hatimu, dengan segenap jiwamu, dengan segenap kekuatanmu, dan dengan segenap akal budimu,' dan 'sesamamu seperti dirimu sendiri.'" Dan Dia berkata kepadanya, "Jawabanmu benar; lakukan ini dan kamu akan hidup." Lukas 10:25-28

Paulus berkata bahwa kita diselamatkan oleh kasih karunia, dan bukan oleh karena perbuatan kita. Yesus, di sisi lain, berkata kepada pengacara bahwa dia diselamatkan oleh perbuatannya. Yesus tidak mengatakan apapun tentang kasih karunia. Kemudian Yesus berkata kepadanya, "Pergilah dan lakukan hal yang sama." Lukas 10:37. Setelah kita pergi dan melakukan hal yang sama, baru kasih karunia-Nya akan turun atas kita dari surga. "Kamu akan hidup," Yesus katakan.

Instruksi Yesus "lakukan ini dan kamu akan hidup" dan "pergi dan lakukan hal yang sama" adalah pekerjaan atau perbuatan - terkait, dan itu tidak ada hubungannya dengan kasih karunia. Jika ada hadiah yang akan kita terima dari Tuhan, Dia akan memberikannya kepada kita setelah kita melakukan apa yang Tuhan perintahkan untuk kita lakukan, “Pergilah dan lakukan hal yang sama.” Saya menduga bahwa salah satu alasan utama mengapa ada begitu banyak denominasi Kristen di dunia adalah karena kita bingung atau kalang kabut. Kita bisa membaca Alkitab, tapi kita tidak mengerti apa yang kita baca.

Keselamatan adalah upah yang Allah berikan kepada kita setelah kita melakukan pekerjaan bagi-Nya. Keselamatan adalah upah karena kita taat kepada-Nya. Keselamatan adalah hadiah apabila kita sepenuhnya menyerahkan diri kita kepada-Nya. Keselamatan adalah upah karena kita melakukan kehendak-Nya. Keselamatan harus dicari dan diperoleh. Nuh mendapatkan keselamatannya dari Tuhan. Alkitab mengatakan Nuh menemukan kasih karunia di mata Tuhan. Jutaan atau miliaran jiwa yang tenggelam selama banjir besar belum mendapatkan atau menemukan keselamatan mereka. Adam dan Hawa belum mendapatkan keselamatan mereka. Lucifer dan miliaran malaikatnya juga belum mendapatkan atau menemukan keselamatan mereka. Keselamatan atau hidup yang kekal harus dicari dan diperoleh. Silakan baca lagi Lukas 10:25-28.

Saya ingin mendiskusikan dengan para pembaca saya Triad of Salvation - perbuatan, kasih karunia, dan keselamatan. Pekerjaan adalah bagian kita, kasih karunia adalah bagian Tuhan, dan keselamatan adalah bagian kita bersama - Tuhan bekerja sama dengan kita dalam kemitraan untuk membantu kita melakukan kehendak-Nya. Kita harus bermitra dengan Tuhan jika kita ingin diselamatkan. Mengapa? Karena tidak ada yang bisa diselamatkan berjalan sendirian. Yesus berkata bahwa hanya mereka yang bertahan sampai akhir yang akan diselamatkan. Satu-satunya cara agar kita dapat bertahan sampai akhir adalah jika kita berjalan dalam kemitraan dengan-Nya, seperti yang dilakukan Nabi Henokh. Dia berjalan bergandengan tangan dengan Tuhan.

Yesus berkata, "Tidak setiap orang yang berkata kepadaku, 'Tuhan, Tuhan,' akan masuk ke dalam Kerajaan Surga; tetapi dia yang melakukan kehendak Bapa-Ku yang di surga." (Matius 7:21)

Apa kehendak Bapa? Yesus menjelaskan dalam teks berikut, "Dan kasihilah TUHAN, Allahmu, dengan segenap hatimu, dengan segenap jiwamu, dengan segenap akal budimu, dan dengan segenap kekuatanmu." Ini [adalah] perintah pertama.” Ini adalah kehendak-Nya (Markus 12:30).

Bagaimana caranya kita mengasihi Tuhan? Yesus menjelaskan, "Jika kamu mengasihi Aku, turutilah perintah-Ku." (Yohanes 14:15).


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