“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” ~ Psalm 133:1
“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” ~ Romans 14:4
One of the benefits of my rural northern up bringing is that it wasn’t vastly different from country living in the south. Even though my lack of a southern accent is a dead give away that I am not a “native” of the Carolinas, I am just as comfortable with “country folk” as I am with “city folk.” To be honest, country folk are less stressful to hang out with for the simple fact that they tend to be more genuine, (not trying to impress), don’t put up a facade, and they don’t seem to care what I drive, where I live or who I know. They seem more interested in am I friendly, honest, respectful and welcoming; more interested in my inside character than my externals. That is not always the case and there are some very gregarious “city folk” that share this trait, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule in my personal experience.
It is not much different in Christian or church circles. We tend to be sized up by where we went to school, (or where we send our kids), what Bible translation we prefer, what label we claim, (not designer labels but “religious” labels), what we wear, what side of the tracks we come from, what personal “standards” we adhere to, or what Christian leader or demagogue we follow. My own children experienced this in the past when their own church youth group had four circles; Christian school A, Christian school B, home schoolers and public school kids. I guess they were just following the examples set by their parents.
As an aside; it is one of my warped pleasures to introduce myself to someone “known” within a specific subculture in local circles. I am out of the loop for the most part of the identity of the local who’s-who and “intelligentsia”, and it is priceless to see the look on their face when I ask them their name. You can see the surprised look when you don’t know they are doctor so-and-so, associated with such-and-such an institution or hold some “lofty” position in their group. It is priceless…
The Apostle Paul faced the same type of sectarian tendencies in the 1st Century church and even then the early believers would choose sides or form their cliques. There were fierce loyalties to men in the church at Corinth. Some were saying they were followers of Paul, or followers of Peter, of Apollos (an eloquent and gifted speaker), and even some claimed to have a special relationship to Christ. They felt that they had a higher view of Christ and that the other three groups were neglecting something that they had received by way of special knowledge or revelation.
Paul repeatedly preached about unity in the local church; unity based on doctrine and not on externals or associations. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Paul warns against shallow sentimentalism, superficial harmony and disunity and he declares that the source of unity is God’s Word and His Word alone. John MacArthur states that it is; “…the standard of truth on which true unity rests.” MacArthur goes on to state; “No human leader, not even an apostle should be given the loyalty that belongs only to the Lord. Such elevation of leaders only leads to contention, disputes, and a divided church. Christ is not divided and neither is His body, the church.” Paul’s true view and how little he mattered in the grand scheme of things is on display in verses 13 and 14, and he is very self-deprecating.
Where do we really derive our identity? What do we consciously or unconsciously think sets us apart from our fellow believers? If we agree on doctrine and we have been justified freely by His grace do we view ourselves or our subculture as “more justified”? Are we guilty of the sin that because our subculture is more separated or set apart we have license to judge all others who don’t have as high of a view of God as we think we do? Do we so strongly disagree with someone over a non-doctrinal issue that we demonize them rather than look for evidence of grace in their lives?
Recently my Pastor started a series on Matthew 5 which is known as the Sermon on the Mount, and he mentioned one of the wrong views of Jesus Christ’s most famous sermon. He mentioned that some people view this sermon as preaching about an “optional elitism” which he explained as the misconception that there are two types of Christians; the regular/average believer (nominal in our local vernacular) and the elite or extraordinary ones. These are those that think that living out the Sermon on the Mount makes them “higher life Christians”, but they miss the point that Christ’s words apply to us all.
We need to echo the words of Peter in Acts 10; “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” If someone, anyone has humbled themselves and accepted the free gift of grace that brings salvation they ARE from around here. If they have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world they have been pardoned by God, so why can’t I do the same?
“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” ~ Romans 14:10-11
Living out all of Romans 14 in real life is not as easy as we think…
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” ~ Ephesians 4:1-6
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