Vol 9, Num 9 :: 2010.04.30 — 2010.05.13
If there were one thing I wish the Christian world could see, it is that because of all our infighting, we have lost the opportunity to make a difference in the world. We have Bible churches, Baptist churches, Reformed churches, Christian Reformed churches, Baptist Reformed churches, Evangelical Free churches, Free Methodist churches, Presbyterian Free churches, Evangelical Episcopal Churches, and the list could go on… You name it — we’ve got it! We cannot get over our differences long enough to band together for the sake of the gospel.
What an impact we could make on our political world, our social culture and our nation, if we just let go of some of the petty stances we take on issues, and joined hands and hearts for the sake of a unified front for righteousness and the gospel. In the end, we all stand before God and He doesn’t ask us what denomination of Christianity we are….He asks us whether we served Him and whether our work for Him amounts to gold, silver and precious stones, or wood, hay and stubble. I’m afraid most Christians will find that because they could not live in community with others to serve Christ, their works will amount to nothing more than wood, hay and stubble.
The same could be said for our private religious schools. In my region there are many private schools that are so bound and determined to proliferate their brand of Christianity as the “right” one, that they cannot fathom joining with the others to make an impact on the world. If they would band together in harmony and learn “to agree to disagree,” they would have the largest religious private school in the region. Banding those young people together to make a difference in their community, teaching them what service to God, country and neighbor really means, would raise a whole new generation of young people who would serve God in community, serve others and share the gospel. Let them debate their points of theology in Debate class. Let them learn how to articulate theology, while still maintaining grace and compassion. But let them live in community for the single purpose of sharing the gospel. Let’s raise a community of young people who know what they believe and why they believe it, but are able to live in community with others for the furtherance of the gospel. “Come now, let us reason together …” (Isaiah 1:18a).
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