Opinion: The Body of Christ must be united!
— Louis Teal
In this day and age, you see arrows flying back and forth between churches, denominations, and fellow brothers/sisters in Christ. Believers frantically hop on podcasts, Youtube channels, and comment sections to insert their two cents. Unfortunately, quarreling among the brethren is in every corner of the internet.
From arguments about mega-churches to bickering about politics - it just never ends.
And, for what reason - to be seen as "right?"
Seeing this infighting makes one wonder: why would non-believers want to be joined with the body of Christ if we cannot stop our petty arguments?
Jesus said everyone will know we are His if we love one another (John 13:35).
Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:23 (NRSV) says "Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels."
Before you hop on and give your opinion about a matter, ask yourself "is this a stupid and senseless controversy?"
Our focus should not be on what separates us. It should be on matters in which we agree.
For followers of Christ, we should all agree that:
1) There is one God - Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
2) There are three persons of God - the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit
3 ) The Bible is the God-breathed infallible word of God
4) Man sinned in the Garden of Eden creating separation from God
5) Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, God's only son, born of a virgin
6) Jesus lived a perfect life without sin
7) Jesus became the final sacrifice for our sins - past, present, and future - through crucifixion on the cross in order to restore our relationship with God and to give us eternal life
8) Jesus was resurrected from the dead 3 days later
9) He ascended into Heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God
10) He is coming back again!
11) We are called to spread this gospel to all the world
Of course, there are many other facts in the Bible to which we should agree. But, you get the gist!
The bottom line is this: we should all rejoice when Christ is preached regardless of circumstance.
Philippians 1:12 says "...the important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
From the pews of an ornate catholic church to a middle school cafeteria turned into a sanctuary - if Christ is preached, we should nod, smile, and shout "amen!"
So, I call on you--stop the division!
If you see inconsequential matters that you don't agree with, just let it go and pray that truth is revealed.
After all, remember that teachers of the word will be judged more strictly for the message they disseminate to the body of Christ.
Stay in love, church!