"Jesus wasn't Baptist, Jesus wasn't Catholic, Jesus wasn't Adventist, Jesus wasn't Presbyterian, Jesus wasn't Mormon and Jesus wasn't Methodist. What does an enemy do when he can't conquer? He divides."
The above was a Facebook status update I composed about a year ago which, as you can safely assume, didn't get very many "likes". People like their religious titles and people like to think they are the best. And, they really don't like it being implied that Satan's sneakiness has penetrated any kind of breach in their holy ways.
It wasn't meant to be a judgmental statement, just one that made people stop and realize that there is a division in the Christian church. If there wasn't, we wouldn't have different words on the signs out in front of them.
You see, I grew up thinking that Catholics weren't going to heaven, that some Lutherans weren't (particularly the ones who sprinkled their babies instead of dunking their grown-ups) and that pretty much only the Baptists had things entirely figured out. Maybe some Presbyterians. (The ones who didn't drink alcohol, at least.)
I don't know why, as a child, I thought these things to be true. Whether I assumed them, was explicitly told them, if it was preached to me or if I simply just dreamed these rules up on my own. I didn't even wholly believe it in my heart. Most of my school friends were Catholic! I just for some reason thought, to be a "good" Christian, I was supposed to train myself to feel that way. And, it's very embarrassing to admit to it decades later... let me make that absolutely clear!
***Also let me slip in this disclaimer before the hate mail floods in: This is not Baptist church doctrine. Just something I misunderstood as a youth and knew many others who misunderstood this as well.***
Do you ever stop and wonder if Christ is sitting on the right hand of our Lord right now, wondering what in His name did happen to His church?
"The church" in biblical days was simply the body of believers as a whole. Somehow, over the centuries, the bones of this body have splintered off into too many fractures to count. One building disagreed with another building and formed their own title to separate themselves from the others. One preferred to focus on confession, one preferred to be solely evangelistic, while another decided that speaking in tongues was the bees knees. This congregation will be drinking grape juice, not wine with their communion. That congregation thinks unleavened bread tastes like flesh. These pews have hat-wearers, those pews have covered knees and that auditorium has no pews, but folding chairs occupied with denim and tattoos.
Some tweak the doctrine to suit their own needs. This group, omitting Scripture that is no longer politically correct. Others, using that same Scripture (via megaphone) as a vessel for judging and condemning the politically correct. This group is angry, that group is blissful, this group will protest, another group will meet at the bar after services. Some meet on Sundays, some meet on Saturdays, others are overly ambitious and show up every morning or night. And, too many think that all the others are wrong.
On my ride to teach my niece and nephews Sunday School each weekend, I can pass no less than a half-dozen churches in my fifteen minute drive. All Christian, all different denominations. This could be thought of as a sad thing; that these believers, all living in the same community, can't agree enough on what the Bible says to meet under one large communal roof. But, instead I choose to be grateful that, in this day and age, people are still choosing to read the Bible at all.
It's great that believers can select a place of worship of their choosing; one where the music and preaching style suits their learning curve best. We just have to be careful to stop saving one another from the others' congregation. There's no bigger religious pet peeve of mine than other churches showing up on my doorstep and trying to convince my family that we're not truly saved, because we haven't been saved by their church yet.
Christ commissioned that we, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel..." (Mark 16:15) Not that we should seek out those who say they already believe, tweak their convictions ever so slightly so they believe more correctly, and then transfer their tithes to your own church's building fund.
Division is not of God. Christ made that clear in John 18:20-23. The biggest confusion about the devil is believing that he's an Atheist. He believes in God, he's just opposed to God. Satan knows of God's existence. He's met Him. He knows that Jesus is God's son. He can quote Scripture better than most humans and proved this when tempting Christ in the wilderness. Christ was perfect and strong enough not to be fooled by twisted theology. Many humans are not and that's when the enemy claims his small victories.
When the numbers are too large an enemy's best strategy is to divide. So he whispers to the weak, making them feel stronger in the misbelief that they are better then the rest of the pack and need to break away. He convinces the self-righteous that they're allowed to judge the holy and publicly condemn them. He deceived our ancestors long ago into splintering the bones of the body of the church and left them in hundreds of piles to oppose their own. And, it was to the enemy's delight when a little girl cast doubt that her friends might not be really believers because they went to catechism during the week instead of to Sunday school.
Children create big ideas out of small impressions. Sending them to Sunday school (or catechism) is not enough. Be sure to lead a non-judgemental example in the home as well. Children, as well as new or immature believers of age, need to be milk fed before given meat, as I Corinthians 3 implores.
Put whatever sign you want on the front of your church, but remember that all churches teaching God's Word is what makes up the body of Christ. Be on the same team whether your head is covered, your knees are showing or your denim is torn.
