I’m starting a little series that I’ll occasionally do as described in my previous post Fine Lines in the Faith.
Goodness is this not a hot topic today or what?! Perhaps division and diversity have been around since the beginning of time; however, division seems to be increasing in our culture, widening the gap between all kinds of moral and ideological views. I’m not going to discuss those views here. No way!
I’d like to touch on Division vs. Diversity in the body of Christ. Still not an easy topic!
We are familiar with the various denominations and traditions within the Christian church: Protestant, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, all of kinds of Baptists, non-denominational groups, etc. Many of us can get caught up in the differences of church doctrine and theology. I’m still not going there…nope!
My desire is to focus on the body of Christ, his church the bride, churches that teach our need for a savior, and Jesus Christ being God’s provision for the atonement of our sins and restoring our relationship back to him.
Even within the gospel-church, practice and interpretation of scripture will vary. Many follow the Bible to the best of their ability not intentionally trying to deceive or lead others astray. Being the diverse group the church is, division will ensue.
Christ indeed came to divide those that do his will from those who do not. Matthew 12:46-50 states this when he addressed his spiritual mothers and brothers while putting off Mary and her sons in that particular moment. But Satan has wreaked havoc in breeding division among those who are already claimed by Christ; it has hurt some and bred confusion in others.
Note: Correcting our brother or sisters with love and grace in a quiet space with the idea of bringing them back to God’s truth ought to be the focus. If they still do not agree after being confronted, let them go. And let them go quietly. We do not need to go into an all-out social media assault on them, stating their mistakes or differing views. What good does that do with the world watching?
DA Carson’s book Praying with Paul has a great description on how varied the church can be:
“A close-knit society with shared ideals and goals frequently finds it relatively easy to foster love, tolerance, and inner cohesion… Whether we think of the local rock-climbing club, the regional football team or a socially cohesive local church, a certain amount of fraternal depth is common enough.
“Ideally the church is different. It is made up of people who are as varied as can be: rich and poor, learned and unlearned, practical and impractical, sophisticated and unsophisticated, aristocratic and plebeian, disciplines and flighty, intense and carefree, extrovert and introvert–and everything in between. The only thing that holds such people together is their shared allegiance to Jesus Christ, their devotion to him, stemming from his indescribable love for them.
“That is why it is always wretchedly pathetic when a local church becomes a cauldron of resentments and nurtured bitterness. When social or racial or economic or temperamental uniformity seems more important than basking in the love of God in Christ Jesus, idolatry has reared its blasphemous head. When protestations of profound love for Jesus Christ are not mirrored in love for others who profess to love the same Jesus Christ, we may legitimately ask how seriously we should take these protestations.”
Rosaria Champagne Butterfield similarly writes in her book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. Here she describes struggles she and her husband faced while planting a church:
“We encountered families who feared diversity with a primal fear. They often told us that they didn’t want to “confuse” their children by exposing them to differences in parenting standards among Christians. I suspect that they feared that deviation from their rules might provide a window for children to see how truly diverse the world is and that temptation might lead them astray. Over and over and over again I have heard this line of thinking from the fearful and the faith-struggling. We in the church tend to be more fearful of the (perceived) sin in the world than of the sin in our own hearts. Why is that?” Rosaria goes on to say, “I believe that there is no greater enemy to vital life-breathing faith than insisting on cultural sameness. When fear rules our theology, God is nowhere to be found in your paradigm, no matter how many Bible verses you tack onto it.”
Christ addresses a similar issue when his disciples saw a man casting demons in Jesus’ name who was not following them. The disciples were clearly bothered by this man and tried to stop him. Christ was not slighted or concerned. Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 9:39-40, “’ Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.’”
The gospel-church is a diverse group. We may never fit inside another’s church walls or entirely agree with their interpretation of certain scripture. However, let’s work to lend respect and dignity. “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood…” (1 Peter 2:17) Matthew Henry’s commentary on this verse says this: All Christians are a fraternity, united to Christ the head, alike disposed and qualified, nearly related in the same interest, having communion one with another, and going to the same home; they should therefore love one another with an especial affection.
What can we do? Focus on sharing the gospel of Christ to a broken and hurting world that desperately needs him…as we once did. We have beautiful testimonies of what Christ has done in our lives. Let’s share it with the world! Psalm 66:16-20 says:
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!”
Similar posts:
No Comments