The health of the Church has been troubling me.
So much bickering INSIDE the church…inside each denomination
as well as between denominations.
It’s frustrating and sorrowful.
WHY CAN’T WE JUST “GET ALONG”?
Searching the scriptures has brought fresh revelation on UNITY
within the Body of Christ.
Even in the early Church there was division. This is nothing
new.
1 Corinthians 3 Paul talks about building on the foundation
of Christ instead of focusing on denominations. “I am of Paul” or “I am of
Apollos”….In modern times that would read something like, “I’m Baptist”, “I’m Pentecostal”,
“I’m Methodist” and so on. NO, you are Christian first. YOU are the
temple of God. Your denomination or what preacher you listen to won’t save you. Your
only hope is in building on the foundation of the cross. Don’t get caught up
in the details.
Galatians 2 Paul confronted Peter about being a hypocrite,
acting one way around one “denomination” and a different way around another “denomination”. Paul was commissioned to go to the uncircumcised
and Peter to the circumcised. But they both preached Christ’s grace. Today,
part of the reason we have various denominations is there are various personality
types. Some like modern praise music while others enjoy traditional hymns. Some
enjoy multiple instruments while others prefer none. Some partake in communion
weekly while others only on occasion. Some are more flamboyant while others are
reserved. But all should be built upon
the Word of God, upon the grace found in the Cross. THAT should be the
foundation that unifies denominations. We should focus more on our similarities
and less on our differences. We should build each other up and not tear each other
down.
Philippians 2 Paul repeatedly admonishes followers of Christ
to have the same mind, be like minded or ‘stand fast in one spirit’. Why would he need to say this more than once
if there wasn’t a real issue of disunity within the Body of Christ?
The call to follow
Christ is an individual call; therefore your walk is an individual walk. Being
born to Christian parents doesn’t make you a Christian. Going to Church,
tithing or giving to missions doesn’t make you a Christian…answering the
call to discipleship makes you a Christian. THAT’s the foundation the collective
Body must build upon.
We come together to share in our gifts, to edify each other,
to be lights, to pray for each other and to carry each other’s burdens. We shouldn’t come together for the purpose of
getting our way, seeking approval from men, working our way to heaven, to tear
others down, to gossip or any other carnal reason.
“…For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you
not carnal and behaving like mere men?” 1 Cor 3:3 NKJV
For a while satan had me frustrated over the disunity I saw…God
has shown me it’s going to happen but that I mustn’t lose heart. “There’s nothing new under the sun”…Paul
had these problems but he kept pressing
forward!
That’s what the church must do today…press forward!
“…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to
those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13-14 NKJV
So to answer my question…no, we can’t all “just get along”. It’s never happened before and
it won’t happen now. But we mustn’t get discouraged- that’s what satan wants.
With Christ all things are possible. We press forward and let Christ work in us
to complete what He started on the cross. He is our foundation and He is our
goal!
I can think of no
greater thing to be unified about…can you?
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