What is it going to take to put a stop to the seemingly endless division of Christ’s church?
A few weeks ago I posted on the division, that the definition of the word Politics has created in the Church. Well it seems that another word may be more divisive to the Body of Christ: Christian.
The word Christian was first used to describe followers of Christ when the people of Antioc saw the actions of the disciples. Namely Paul (Saul at the time) , Barnabas and Stephen. Christian is only used 2 or 3 times in the whole new testament, and only once by a disciple, when Peter writes in his first letter: “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” Suffers, an action not an identity. Christian today has become and adjective or an identifying description of something being Christian.
Yesterday this blog post on author Ann Rice was brought to my attention. Here is the main quote from Rice:
“My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn’t understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me,” Rice wrote. “But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been or might become.”
I could not agree with Ann Rice more.
Anne also says:
It’s simply impossible for me to ‘belong’ to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group
The real problem is not the word Christian, it is the fight over who is the best Christian, or which church/denomination has the correct practices or tradition to be Christian. The other problem is man’s distortion of the word. Man has distorted the word Christian into a “brand name” of sorts. We are so busy trying to do the “Christian” life, listening to Christian Music, reading Christian Books, Christian this or that… Instead of it being a description of actions, instead of our actions as followers of Christ describing who we are. Even the disciples in their letters didn’t use the word, often using “Follower of Christ”, “The Way” to describe being Christ’s Disciple.
Let me be clear on what I am saying. It is time for the body of Christ to stop this nonsense of bickering about the best way to believe, worship, and pray to the God of this great universe. Jesus has no concern for the best way, or the righteous way we want to worship. He is concerned with the intent of our heart towards our God and others. In the complete sermon on the mount Jesus is addressing our attitude toward God and in Mathew 7 he says:
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The will of the Father in our lives will be unveiled as we learn the attitudes of our heart. For to long we have distorted the word of God to fit our lives and dreams and thus distorted the word Christian. Each person in the Body of Christ must engross themselves in the study of how God’s word affects their life, and allow the Word penetrate the heart and transform our attitudes as followers of Christ into a like minded belief that Jesus, and His Spirit through us, is “The Way”.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double‑edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Phil 2:1-4 f you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like‑minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
bzaffini
/ July 31, 2010Hey thanks for the post. I think unity in the Church would be an admirable thing and something we should continually strive for. My question: at what cost? Sometimes the truth of God can be the most divisive of all things; in fact, we should expect it to offend. I recently just wrote on this issue (http://wisdomcriesaloud.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/an-offensive-gospel/), quoting from a book that defends the church, warts and all.
ckroboth
/ July 31, 2010Thanks for the comment Bzaffini
“My question: at what cost?” Was the cost to great for God?
Jesus was all about offending the righteous pharisees of the day. “Eat my Body, Drink my Blood? Take up your Cross. Sell everything” are not the most non offensive ways to say, “Follow me”. My guess is faced with those real choices today… Most would turn the other way…
What is the cost of following the One who died for us? Our lives and dying to self and this world.
Whether we attend an institutional church, non-denominational, or home church, we have to get over the fact that none of us have it 100% right, and start working together to unite the larger body of believers, in complete discipleship to Christ, that transcends the walls of all the church buildings.
bzaffini
/ July 31, 2010Well, I think you may have made my point? Of course the gospel will be offensive, so why should we compromise the truth of its message to keep from offending the Anne Rices of the world?
ckroboth
/ July 31, 2010it seems she is not offended by the message of the Gospel. She is offended by the people who say they are following the message, but instead distorting the message to fit their life.
Jesus did and said the same thing to the so called religious at the time.
bzaffini
/ July 31, 2010Well yes. Some of the things she says are certainly not the gospel itself — like her political concern, for example. However, she also seemed angry with the fact that there is a cost to following Christ (forsaking homosexuality is one example). Jesus spared the life of the adulterous woman, we remember, but He also told her to “go and sin no more.” In Rice’s rather caustic and vitriol filled rant against Christians, I sensed a very real opposition to this basic message. Jesus brought the gospel of love, but He is not some hippie love guru. There is a cost to being his disciple that includes forsaking our old ways.
ckroboth
/ July 31, 2010“There is a cost to being his disciple that includes forsaking our old ways.”
Agreed…
There are some “Christians” however that would say we are to not even interact with the homosexual…Well then we better not interact with any sinner then. That is far far from how Jesus was, he went right to the sinners and even ate dinner with them.
Love in the since of how Jesus loves us is an action not a feeling, and it is his command to love others regardless, without condemnation. We have to understand that every person is worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
bzaffini
/ July 31, 2010Yep, I am with you completely — depending what you mean by “no condemnation.” I think we should not be afraid to condemn homosexuality, and that may entail calling a sinner to flee to Christ. I think you would agree though.. I just wonder what exactly Anne is compaining about? The majority of Christians do not think like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Perhaps she has problem with any condemnation of sexual sins? That was how I took it anyway, but I could be wrong.
ckroboth
/ July 31, 2010We are in agreement.
We may never know what Ann means, unless she comments more.
Peace Brother
Swanny
/ July 31, 2010Personally, I never knew the degree to which Christian unity was possible until I stepped outside the institutional church. Since then, I have been priviledged to be part of a number of different gatherings under the complete unification of Christ. The focus, is entirely one Him. It is about Him, For Him, Is Him.
I understand what Ms. Rice means, but I pray she finds community around the true definition of what God’s Church is… the actual Body of Christ. Imagine gathering where everyone is close, yet they are not overly concerned about one another’s political affiliation. Imagine a church where the members do not know one another’s views on the rapture. Imagine a church where the followers do not know one another’s theories on the millenium, and really do not care to know them. Imagine a Body of Christ that has only one pursuit, one obsession, one goal, and one grand purpose… to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. That is to LOVE one another that are Him.. the Body!!!! All else does not matter.
I hope she is trying to seek that type of community. It is found not in church walls, and not in just one nation. It is an invisible, organic expression of Christ lived through His people all over creation… The Bride!!!!
Swanny
Stop the debate.. Focus on Him.
ckroboth
/ July 31, 2010Thanks Swanny I love your heart and passion for Christ and unity focused on Him alone.
And you are correct about Ann needing to find a community to be involved with.
Love you brother. Peace