I’ve seen a disturbing trend as I scrolled through my blog lists, twitter feeds and facebook updates the last few weeks.

I’ve seen Christians spending their efforts attacking other Christians.

We’re attacking each other because of our doctrines, our activities and our liberties.

We’re destroying each other instead of helping each other up.

Let’s see if we can change that today.

Why Do We Battle Each Other?

I can tell you first what isn’t the reason we’re fighting each other. It’s not because one of us is right and one of us is wrong.

When battle lines are drawn among Christians, there are often times good points on both sides of the argument, but each side only sees their own points as legitimate.

The Bible paints a different picture as to why there is infighting in Christianity:

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

James 4: 1-4 NKJV

I hope you read that.

We’re fighting each other over things because we desire pleasure.

That pleasure can come in the form of anything from wanting a license to sin to just wanting to be right when everyone else is wrong.

Let me give you an example.

In 1st Corinthians chapter 1, Paul had to discipline the church, because it had been reported to him that there were contentions there. What were they fighting over? Their favorite teacher!

Can you imagine today if the body of Christ was fighting over who they thought was their favorite teacher?

Oh, you say we have hundreds of denominations that often think they’re the only one that has it right?

Shame on us.

How Do We Correct This?

We need to unite together as a church by the cross of Jesus Christ.

Do you think that it’s important to spread the Gospel? You’re right.

Do you think that it’s important to help the poor, needy and outcast? You’re right.

Do you think that it’s important to have sound doctrine? You’re right.

Do you think that it’s important to separate ourselves from sin while encouraging sinners to repent? You’re right!

All these things are correct. One is not more correct than the other, they are all completely correct!

Has God called you to a ministry that focuses on one of these? Great!

Perhaps you are the mouth of Christ, teaching others the truth. Maybe you’re the foot of Christ bringing the Gospel to foreign lands. You could possibly be the hand of Christ, feeding the hungry.

Awesome!

Just don’t get mad when someone else is doing the other thing. Let’s help each other out instead. I confess I’ve done it the wrong way. I hope you can fess up too.

We are the body of Christ, can we please start acting like it? Tweet This!

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