The body of Christ the church are made up of so many unique personalities and characters all created and loved by God.
A church of a different denomination to ours, is not our enemy.
We all read the Bible and love and serve the same God we just do things differently. We worship differently. We may have different theology.
Jesus specifically teaches this to his disciples.
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.””
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”
Mark 9:39-41 NIV
What if we loved and accepted each others differences and started to love one another as Christ loved the church.? Loving the whole body? The world would look at us, all loving and accepting each other and would know we are Jesus disciples and would want to follow him.
“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.”
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbour?”
James 4:12 NIV
I think God is quite sad when we are unable to disagree well and fall out over theology or doctrine, or disagree with the way we do things in church.
The devil loves it when we stay offended. When we slander another denomination.
He hates it when Christian brothers and sisters walk and work together in unity.
Jesus wants us to be unoffendable.
Jesus wants us to live in unity.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 NIV
John Wesley wrote to George Whitfield.
“We loved more when we knew less”
Maybe when our theology is
‘Love God love people ‘ it becomes simpler and more like how God intended it to be.
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