1 Corinthians 1:10-17 – “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”  NASB

Most of the time, I am okay with people following different elements within the Body of Christ as their primary worship center or foundation of faith and practice!  Sometimes I wonder how the heart of God is grieved when we separate, alienate, and seek to annihilate others from differing denominations over schisms and points of faith because we believe that we and we alone are right.  They are not only wrong but heretical in their beliefs.

I do not expect everyone to believe exactly what I believe.  I do ask that we faithfully and open-heartedly consider what the Bible teaches.  I ask that we allow the Word of God to be the true and final interpreter of God’s tenets and truths. 

Paul exhorted the Church in Corinth along these lines, urging them to settle differences and move away from divisions and schisms.  Those were not only points of disagreement but points of separation damaging the efforts of the fledgling Church of Jesus Christ.  He reviewed his list of people identifying with a particular personality as their argument and basis for their rightness.  That is no different from the hordes of people who not just proudly but divisively declare, “I’m this or that” regarding a particular denomination or non-denominational denomination.

Several years ago, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, saying, “You are too exclusive and not open to some outside your group or groups, and I want to use them to speak to you.”  I had attended conferences and meetings where men and women spoke, and I had been severely criticized for being in gross error. 

The Holy Spirit instructed me to Listen and that I would discover more to applaud than criticize.  One of the main speakers preached a message that stirred my heart greatly. I developed a series from his message.   God used him to speak the truth to my heart in a very real way, which changed my outlook on many things.  The church he was leading and a part of was putting the principles of the gospel into practice, and while I still do not agree with all he taught or teaches, I will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to me through whatever means He chooses.

I realize that some will say that I am compromising my faith.  I hope that is incorrect.  I do not excuse or wink at sin nor sit in cowardly silence when I hear what I believe to be heresy.  I seek to address the matter with the one teaching the doctrine and with those I have influence or responsibility.  I seek to separate the message from the messenger and identify what I believe the Bible says while refusing to focus on personality.  If that is compromise, then I guess I am guilty, but in my desire to do what the Spirit of God instructed me, I will follow this practice and ask you to disagree disagreeably if you choose.

May God be with you as you go through your day!