There's an unhealthy climate across many western churches. One of the biggest side-effects is that it causes division among "the churches" when the Bible doesn't speak to this or that denomination but the Church as a whole! This unhealthy division is caused by a few simple, and yet heart breaking words: "We've always done it this way" and "Our Church Believes." Now, I am not in to denominationalism. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, you stand upon the Bible as the ONLY inspired word of God, and you're seeking to be like Him daily, God bless you! I've studied other religious books, vs. the Bible, and I can say it is the ONLY inspired word of God. I'm going to stand on that, and if it makes you angry, let's talk about it. The issue at hand, however, is this division within the Body of Christ. From denomination to denomination within the Kingdom, there is an unhealthy, and indeed unholy attitude of "my way is best, and all others are liars, pagans, and blasphemers. The Christian brotherhood I am a part of says "We are Christians only, but we're not the only Christians." I believe that with my whole heart. My church has some wonderful people in it, but we are a part of the Kingdom of God, the Universal Church, the Bride of Christ. We are but part of the Body, not the whole thing. If our tradition causes us to look down on another person, we're missing the point all together. Dear Kingdom of God, when we follow "my church believes this" rather than standing upon "Scripture says" and, especially, "Jesus says," we are treading very dangerous waters. We begin to move away from God inspired, and fall in to human led. Our Salvation moves away from what Jesus did, to "Look what I am doing." We are saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ alone. What He did on that cross and rising from that grave is what saved us, not any works you or I could ever do. So why not do what He commanded, set aside non-essential doctrine, and love one another?
I will repeat this: I believe divisions in the church are unholy. You want to worship at the Baptist church, God bless you! You're a Lutheran, Methodist, or whatever else you may be, If that is the tradition you come from, so long as you stand upon the Bible as the only unerring word of God and seek to do what it says, and you follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Bible says we're brothers and sisters, that the same Holy Spirit in me is the same Holy Spirit in you. What I take issue with is when we look to our traditions, and say "our church believes this" and this is the reason we must break fellowship. In other words, non-biblical traditions separating us rather than doing the New Commandment of Christ, and showing the world that we are His disciples by LOVING ONE ANOTHER.
Let's drop the man-made show, and just love God and one another as we are called to do. Let us be unified in Christ, and show the world His love by our love for one another.
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