Killing Our Own Wounded

Disunity in the church has always irritated me... people getting riled up over the most trivial of issues. One group wants the church carpet to be blue; another group wants it red. One group thinks we shouldn't have any instruments in worship except piano (You know...that verse in the book of Hezekiah that says 'Thou shalt not play the guitar or drums, but only the piano'... *repressing the urge to get up on my soapbox about this topic... maybe in a future blog! lol). Another group believes that Scripture teaches joyful worship of the Lord with many instruments (go read the Psalms if you don't believe me *again repressing the urge*) One group thinks that the pastor should be 'warm and fuzzy'; one group simply wants a shepherd who preaches the Word of God in a way that challenges us to change our lives and become more like Christ (*repressing another soapbox urge* lol)

Several people over the years have dubbed Christianity as the 'only army that kills its own wounded'. And yet, we really need to clarify that title...American Christianity is the only branch of the army that behaves this way. We don't see that in the Church in other countries, with the exception of maybe Canada and European believers. "Coincidentally" these areas are the areas where Christianity is having the least impact. Believers are flooding churches in Africa, the Middle East, Asia... we're talking millions here... not the 100 new converts per year that we're satisfied with here in the States.

Due to some recent events in my own church, I have become absolutely fed up with disunity among believers, and I decided to find out what God says about it. What I am discovering has absolutely stunned me... I don't know how we've missed it all this time. Loving each other and living in unity is very important for many reasons, according to the verses I've found so far.

*It is one of only two great commandments, as described by Jesus. ("And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."--Matthew 22:39)

*It is essential to being right with God. ("If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen."--1 John 4:20, also see Matthew 5:24-25, 6:15)

*Harboring unforgiveness, bitterness, and/or anger toward someone destroys any possible power in our prayers. ("And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."--Mark 11:25, see also Psalm 66:18)

*Bitterness, discouraging words, anger, etc. grieve the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30, which tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit shows up right in between two verses warning believers against saying anything that doesn't build up others and against bitterness, anger, slander, malice, etc. Context is important!)

*Our effectiveness in evangelism is directly connected to loving each other and living in unity.

This is where I want to camp for a few minutes. Christ's return is undoubtedly closer than it was when the New Testament was written, and while we don't know 'the day or the hour' we are called to always be ready. We don't have time to waste arguing with each other about things that have no eternal significance when people are dying and going to hell. There are so many verses that I've found about this. I don't have room to type them all out, so please look them up on your own. If you don't have access to a Bible, you can check out the "Bible Study Tools" link over there on the little sidebar thingy.

John 13:34-35 tells us that the world will distinguish us as Christians by our love for each other. Is that a scary thought to anyone besides me? If we don't love each other, how will they see any difference in our lives? Matthew 6:9 reminds us that we are to seek the hallowing of God's name. The opposite of hallow is profane, which means to make common or to bring shame. When the world doesn't see us hallowing God's name by loving each other, we make Christianity common, nothing special, nothing that would make it desirable from the outside looking in. John 17:21-23 is probably the most sobering verse to me... Christ prayed that we would be one so that the world would see that He loves them. The whole point of unity is to impact our culture!!

Most of us, sadly, don't even know what a church looks like that is impacting its culture. I've seen a few, but the greatest picture of is found in the book of Acts. A look at the New Testament church should make us crave that kind of power in our own churches. Read Acts 1:14, 2:42-47, 4:31-32 and you'll see the characteristics of the early church.

*devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer

*sold anything they had when they saw another person in need

*met together in some fashion every day

*broke bread together in their homes and ate together with 'glad and sincere hearts'

*praised God

*prayed powerfully

*filled with the Holy Spirit

*spoke the Word of God boldly

*were one in heart and mind

*shared everything with each other

*no one claimed anything as their own (including the church itself! This whole 'It was my church first and I'm not leaving' business is dangerous--it's not anyone's church but God's, for starters)

And what kind of results did this kind of church generate?

*everyone around them was filled with awe

*many wondrous and miraculous signs occurred

*all the believers were together and 'had everything in common'

*enjoyed the favor of all the people

*God added to their number daily those who were being saved

*the place they met in was shaken (sounds like a book I've heard about, Mom *wink*)

*testified of Jesus with great power, spoke the Word boldly

*much grace was upon them

*no one was in need among them

May we as Christians become the kind of soldiers that stand alongside our fellow believers, despite any differences of opinion we may have. The kind of soldiers that pick up the wounded and carry them to the feet of Jesus. The kind of soldiers that learn to 'be still and know that He is God'... believers that impact the world around us. We don't have time to be killing our own wounded anymore.

*steps off this soapbox and eyes a couple more interesting ones for next time*