Sporting
events are essentially about bragging rights. Who is the best? The church has
nothing to brag about except the God we serve. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 the
writer reveals that the Corinthian church was divided. They were bragging about
the leader they chose to follow. “What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I
follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ’”
(1 Cor 1:12). Today is no different. We divide by denominations. We divide by
authors that we exalt, or seminars we attend, or conferences we never miss.
This is wrong.
We
have become followers of men. For one person, John Piper is infallible. For
another, it is Beth Moore. Still another will follow anything that Craig
Groeschel says. Some will go back further. If the Puritans wrote it then it
must be right. Don’t get me wrong. There is value in reading soundly biblical
authors. Some authors are more soundly biblical than others. But we must never
unreservedly accept what any author says. It must always be tested against the
scriptures. Further, we must never divide over our favorite authors or our
favorite preachers. Just because John McArthur said it, that does not make it
true. Just because you don’t like John McArthur does not mean that everything he
says is wrong. The Corinthian church was divided over who they were following.
We have done no better.
This
shows up an several ways. We become divisive, arguing at the drop of the hat
over doctrinal minutiae. We spend more time talking about what is wrong with
the other churches in town than about what the Scriptures teach. We are more
interested in “stealing sheep” than in seeing unbelievers coming to faith in
Christ. We imply that only those who attend our church are truly saved. We call
everyone who disagrees with us dangerous or heretical. We pride ourselves in
not being like “them.” That is not the Spirit of Christ. Was doctrine crucified
for you? Were you baptized in the name of your church or your pastor?
Sound
doctrine is important. A proper understanding of Scripture is essential. Distorted
doctrine leads to all sorts of abuse. I get that. But if we will one day be
worshiping God together in Heaven, perhaps we should be a little more gracious
toward one another here and now. Perhaps building a relationship with others,
listening well to one another, and praying together is more important than
always being right. Jesus said that it would be our love for one another that
would convince the World that God sent Jesus and that God loves us (See John 17:22-23).
What does it convince the World of when we are divided? We are to love our
brothers and sisters in Christ. Too often we act as though we were commanded
not to love them, but to point out all their faults. God forgive us. “Beloved,
let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born
of God and knows God” (1 Jn 4:7).
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