Labels
People are all about labels. We may pretend we're not (don't put a label on me!), but really, we have a natural tendency to want to be categorized and summed up in a word or two:
"I'm an introvert."
"I'm a vegetarian."
"I'm a Republican."
"I'm a trekkie." (That one was for you, babe.)
These labels are easy ways for others to identify our values, our beliefs, and our strongly held opinions. They're little blurbs to include in the "about me" section of social networks that sum up who we are. They tell everyone which clique we belong to.
And unfortunately, Christians are really good at dividing into cliques.
"I'm an evangelical."
"I'm a complimentarian."
"I'm a post-tribulationist."
"I'm a baptist/calvinist/reformed/arminian/blahblahblah."
The party of unity has no trouble creating dividing lines wherever we turn. We can even divide ourselves by what bloggers we follow.
Unfortunately, it's not a new problem either.
Paul confronted the same problem in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). People were trying to organize themselves by preferred leader, and they were fighting about it. Sound familiar?
Pride is the father of bickering.
I love Paul's response. Was Christ divided? Imagine him, on the cross, systematically going through each group of Christians and paying for their sin separately from all the rest. "Now it's finished for the Baptists. Moving on to the Calvinists." No, what a ridiculous thought. When we're viewed through Christ's eyes, there's no distinction to his love, to his grace. There's no group that's easier to save than another. All of us are lousy sinners. All of us are responsible for Jesus' death. All of us fall horrendously short of awesome.
Paul goes on to say that his purpose in ministry isn't to win fans. His goal is to preach the gospel, in his own flawed and clumsy way, so that the supernatural can be made evident in his life. ("When I am weak, then he is strong."
Oh, that more Christian leaders would embrace this mindset.
The New Testament does warn against false teachers, yes. We're warned to avoid those who proclaim false doctrine, but these passages paint the picture of an unbeliever who is intentionally trying to infiltrate the church and cause problems, such as in 2 Corinthians 11:13. We're warned to break company with those among us who refuse to repent of blatant sin, such as in Matthew 18. And interestingly enough, we're warned to avoid those who stir up disagreements in the church in Titus 3:9-11.
Doctrine is important, sure. We should be digging deeper and considering all the weighty mysteries of the Bible. But it would do us well to remember that every single one of us will get stuff wrong. Even those who have been studying the Bible for their entire lives. Even those who have been through seminary. Even those who seem to have an answer for everything. There are so many aspects of our faith that are unclear. So many that have been dissected and interpreted in different ways by intelligent, godly people. But these issues are not meant to be dividing lines between us. If you're more concerned about a fellow believer's view on the rapture than you are with their daily struggles and hearts, you have a problem. If you think you've got every issue figured out and enjoy pointing out where others are wrong, you've got a problem. If quarreling (even if you pretend it's just discourse) is fulfilling to you, you've got a problem. If you willingly embrace separation from other believers, you've got a problem.
If your "ist" is more important than unity with your brothers and sisters, you've got a problem.
It saddens me that there is so much pride in the church. It horrifies me to find that same pride rampant in my own heart. I think it sorta comes with the territory--the longer you study Christian concepts, the easier it is to feel pretty dang smart. Intelligence so easily overshadows humility.
And yet, consider Jesus--the only one who had a right to be right, and yet he was a humble servant.
Ouch.
"I'm an introvert."
"I'm a vegetarian."
"I'm a Republican."
"I'm a trekkie." (That one was for you, babe.)
These labels are easy ways for others to identify our values, our beliefs, and our strongly held opinions. They're little blurbs to include in the "about me" section of social networks that sum up who we are. They tell everyone which clique we belong to.
And unfortunately, Christians are really good at dividing into cliques.
"I'm an evangelical."
"I'm a complimentarian."
"I'm a post-tribulationist."
"I'm a baptist/calvinist/reformed/arminian/blahblahblah."
The party of unity has no trouble creating dividing lines wherever we turn. We can even divide ourselves by what bloggers we follow.
Unfortunately, it's not a new problem either.
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Paul confronted the same problem in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). People were trying to organize themselves by preferred leader, and they were fighting about it. Sound familiar?
Pride is the father of bickering.
I love Paul's response. Was Christ divided? Imagine him, on the cross, systematically going through each group of Christians and paying for their sin separately from all the rest. "Now it's finished for the Baptists. Moving on to the Calvinists." No, what a ridiculous thought. When we're viewed through Christ's eyes, there's no distinction to his love, to his grace. There's no group that's easier to save than another. All of us are lousy sinners. All of us are responsible for Jesus' death. All of us fall horrendously short of awesome.
Paul goes on to say that his purpose in ministry isn't to win fans. His goal is to preach the gospel, in his own flawed and clumsy way, so that the supernatural can be made evident in his life. ("When I am weak, then he is strong."
Oh, that more Christian leaders would embrace this mindset.
The New Testament does warn against false teachers, yes. We're warned to avoid those who proclaim false doctrine, but these passages paint the picture of an unbeliever who is intentionally trying to infiltrate the church and cause problems, such as in 2 Corinthians 11:13. We're warned to break company with those among us who refuse to repent of blatant sin, such as in Matthew 18. And interestingly enough, we're warned to avoid those who stir up disagreements in the church in Titus 3:9-11.
Doctrine is important, sure. We should be digging deeper and considering all the weighty mysteries of the Bible. But it would do us well to remember that every single one of us will get stuff wrong. Even those who have been studying the Bible for their entire lives. Even those who have been through seminary. Even those who seem to have an answer for everything. There are so many aspects of our faith that are unclear. So many that have been dissected and interpreted in different ways by intelligent, godly people. But these issues are not meant to be dividing lines between us. If you're more concerned about a fellow believer's view on the rapture than you are with their daily struggles and hearts, you have a problem. If you think you've got every issue figured out and enjoy pointing out where others are wrong, you've got a problem. If quarreling (even if you pretend it's just discourse) is fulfilling to you, you've got a problem. If you willingly embrace separation from other believers, you've got a problem.
If your "ist" is more important than unity with your brothers and sisters, you've got a problem.
It saddens me that there is so much pride in the church. It horrifies me to find that same pride rampant in my own heart. I think it sorta comes with the territory--the longer you study Christian concepts, the easier it is to feel pretty dang smart. Intelligence so easily overshadows humility.
And yet, consider Jesus--the only one who had a right to be right, and yet he was a humble servant.
Ouch.
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