I am an expert in practicing division. I am a child of the 1950s and 1960s.

Unfortunately, the vocabulary of division is deep in my DNA. Like prejudice, it takes a lifetime and growth in Jesus to cleanse my vocabulary.

Denomination true church; liberal conservative; us them; faithfu unfaithful; expedient sin; heaven hell; saved lost; disobedient obedient; biblical unbiblical; all make familiar labels for the conversation about church.

For the greater part of my life—the good words—true church, conservative, us, faithful, expedient, heaven, saved, obedient, and biblical are ‘me’ words. Denomination, liberal, them, unfaithful, sin, hell, lost, disobedient, unbiblical are ‘they’ words.
My vocabulary betrays me.

I am beginning to learn that I am a poor judge of true pedigree papers. It is as if I am color-blind, and where I should see the blood of Jesus staining the pedigree papers of others, I miss the color red.

Perhaps this problem is unique to me. I like everything to be in its place. To make others true Christians or Mistaken christians, (capital “M” little “c” intended) inflates my pride and gives order to my sense of church. Obviously, I belong among the true Christians.

Jesus and the New Testament writers show little concern with the dots and dashes that divide Christians today.

New Testament gospels and letters chastised people and churches for allowing greed, for disbelief in the divinity of Jesus, for placing law keeping on the throne in the place of divinity, for practicing immorality, and for dishonoring widows and orphans.

New Testament sins were heart issues, not preference issues or law keeping issues.
I want to purge my vocabulary of divisive words. Jesus reminds me that my speech will betray me.

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

It’s not an insignificant or little habit to practice division.

It’s time to clean up my act. Jesus saves people with obedient hearts who live out His values. That’s who I want to be.

Stay Tuned. – Gary J. Sorrells on Cross-Church