Comments on: Recommended Reading

By: Crystal Shifflett

Crystal Shifflett — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:03:07 +0000

I attend a pentacostal holiness church. Our outward standards are almost exactly the same as UPC. The major difference I see is that we are not “oneness”. I just wanted to comment to carolyn that I understand exactly where she is coming from. We have been members for 11 years and I have never known a more judgemental “holier than thou” crowd. As long as I lived it without questioning everything was fine but as soon as I started studying scripture for myself and living according to what I have found to be Biblical, the attitudes of a lot (not all) of the people I thought were my brothers and sisters in the Lord became very cold and distant. My husband and I have 5 children that we have raised in this way… We thought we were teaching them right and have only in the last couple years really started to question and see that holiness is ugly when it is just an external thing. If you have an ugly spirit, your outward standard is a joke. Our dilemna now is that we would like to find a new church but where. And our children love the young people and the shouting services, etc. etc. This church is all they have ever known. Our 2 oldest children are 15 and 13. We don’t know if making them leave would do more harm than good… My main concern is my children and being in God’s will. So far we have stayed put, but I feel very uncomfortable there. Please pray 4 our family. Legalism is a hard thing to break away from. I should mention that I was raised Baptist and never knew of this outward standard until 11 years ago. I have found it difficult to distinguish between man made rules and scripture. I have also found it difficult to distinguish between conviction from God and fear of being frowned upon by people I attend church with. Please understand that I believe with all my heart in modesty and moderation. I do not, however see anything wrong with wearing my wedding rings or trimming my long hair. I am not interested in attending an anything goes church but I want my children to know a merciful and loving God. Not a God that has sooo many rules that harldly any man can have joy in serving Him. My son is tormented with feeling like everything he does might in some way be a sin. God did not intend for us to spend our days in torment. Salvation is supposed to be a joyful and wonderful gift of God.

By: carolyn cullum

carolyn cullum — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:36:31 +0000

My husband and I left the upc four years ago. My husband was licensed to preach. We came to the conclusion that Jesus is grace and that we didn’t believe in grace- we weren’t allowed to. We realized that everything was works based. We came to understand that we were not understanding God’s love and acceptance.
It is still hard for me to get my mind out of the whole idea of what I am “doing for God” and accept that God loves me because I am. I find it hard to believe that Jesus would care for me since I am so far (now) from striving it is laughable. I wish that I could come to love myself but I truly believe that being in a community where everyone judges everyone and every thing, I have learned to hate myself and it is hard to unlearn this.
If I think anything with my whole heart it is this: that God must be very sad when he sees how hateful and unforgiving people are- especially those who claim to be the only ones who know the “truth”–not only to other people but also to themselves.
The UPC teaches hatred- of others and ourselves- and it is why I constantly struggle with issues of self worth.

By: I am Apostolic | whyileft.org

I am Apostolic | whyileft.org — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:44:03 +0000

[...] made it abundantly clear that a person is justified by faith in Christ (Gal. 2:1612). Interestingly enough, He also made it clear that it is only faith, and nothing else, that [...]