The attitude we have to fellow Christians are outrageous and a disgrace. Don’t we understand that when we in this manner go against a brother, we not only hurt him, but ourself and Jesus as well?
John 13:34-35
Jesus said that people will know that we’re his disciples through the love we show each other. Jesus becomes visible on earth through this love.
But it seems we totally ignore that. Bashing on petite theological differences are far more important to us. Loving on each other and make Jesus visible to non-christians doesn’t hold high value.
Narrow sight on what is the “correct way” to worship, pray, dress, speak, do etc, makes war in the body of Christ. For no reason what so ever other than keeping our sad facades of knowing-it-all.
Are everyone our brother and sister?
No. And there are false teaching in the body of the Christ. But it’s not my job to correct a random brother. The Spirit will lead us to the truth, the Bible says. The Spirit, not mr Know-it-all.
More over you can’t correct someone you haven’t earned the trust of. And you’ll never earn someone’s trust through correcting them first.
The most effective way is to loving on people. Both Christians and non-Christians. Not only is it effective, it’s a commandment from Jesus.
Who are my brother?
Personally I’m comfortable in most christian settings. I can happily visit Russian Orthodox churches, Catholic churches, Lutheran churches, Pentecostal churches and third wave churches (Vineyard/Toronto inspired). Their all my brothers and sisters, even not all might recognize me as one.
However more and more lately there has grown forth new directions that do not fit my definition of Christianity. I don’t say that because I’m better than them. However let truth be told, we don’t believe in the same thing.
I believe in the salvation of the cross of Jesus. They don’t.
This is the core of the core of the core of my Christianity. And to pretend that their belief is somehow similar to mine, and therefore we should both be defined as the same, is simply not truth worthy. It would create a false facade. And I’m all against facades.
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Good stuff! This is what I have been working for, unity.
St Augustine said, “Let us agree in the essentials, the cross of calvary
have liberty in the non-essentials, our isms,
but in all things we must love.
This is a great post! A group of Christian women and I were talking about this at our Bible study on Thursday. Non-Christians watch how Christians treat each other. The way we treat other Christians (and of course non-Christians) has a big impact on whether non-believers decide to be part of the family of Christ.
Fist, I think it would be a good idea if you told us what exactly set this piece into motion. What happened? Was it a random news story, was it something more personal? It seems more passionate than just a general idea or statement.
Second, there is a fine line, isn’t there. On the one hand, we are to worry about the plank in our own eyes, and yet we are still to help our brother with the speck in his own. In other words, there maybe something your brother is doing or believing that is bad for him, but check yourself first. That’s not always easy. What do we do with a brother or sister that is either sinning and claiming Christ as the Way (and by sin I do mean in the way Paul speaks of it, for example a life of drunkenness, or some open sexual sin, maybe the open allowance of “all roads lead to heaven’) or the believer that won’t allow any other version of the Bible than the KJV (which is the one I believe you are most frustrated with)? Each one does the body no good at all, and yet we who are of the faithful must find a way to address these wrongs, and you’re right it must be with love, but must also be dealt with. This is life in a sinful world.
I thank you for voicing a major problem within the community of believers, but what is the answer? The Fruit of the Spirit is not just Love, and there is much about the faith we hold dear. For myself, constant reading of Scripture and a life of prayer can go a long way to heal wounds, but I have found others with the same practice, who are far from what we see as Christianity. In the end, hold tight to the saving Grace of the Cross of Christ and know that you are not alone. It is the Holy Spirit that speaks, saves, and teaches; we are only the clay the Lord has formed for His purpose.