I Appeal
I Appeal
When I was in college we often would spend our free time in pick up games of basketball, football, or baseball. They were good times of exercise and stress relief. Having no officials the games were regulated by the players. Offense would call fouls etc. Since these were often stress relief games, and because we were all competitive, sometimes there were verbal fights that lasted most of the game. One time, when we were playing baseball, an argument broke out over something. In the middle of the argument, once voice grew louder than all the others. A sensitive friend of ours was shouting, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be”. It was a general quote from the book of James that exhorted believers to watch their words because blessing and cursing should not be coming out of the same mouths. Needless to say, his rebuke brought many smiles and calmed the situation right down.
Listen to what Paul says to the church at Corinth, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” I Cor 1:10 That is a nice thing to ask but is it really possible? If you get two people in a room, you will have two opinions about almost everything. So, while it is nice to encourage people to get along, we all understand that this kind of unity is impossible. If that truly is the case, that Paul was just saying something nice, I wish he would not have brought the name of Jesus into it. That is kind of serious. We do not throw the name of Jesus around lightly. So since Paul would agree with that, maybe we need to look at this exhortation more closely. Maybe it is not just a nice sentiment.
Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. They were fighting about many things. Churches are full of flawed people who have different opinions. But, should we have different opinions about what is to the be the main teachings of the church? Can we not be clear about the gospel? Of course we can. Accepting the Word of God as the Word of God can bring great unity. We can learn to think as the Bible thinks and we can learn to judge at the Bible would judge. So, if we keep the main thing, the main thing, we can have a unity that is so strong, that there is no division. The things that the Bible is not clear about, well, they are just not as important or essential as the things that the Bible is clear about. Therefore, they do not drive how we think or judge. So while we may differ on those things, they do not ever rise to the level of creating division. The great importance of that which the Bible is clear on, far outweighs any differences we might have.
Here is a silly example. I love my wife. We are agreed on the importance of marriage, our commitment to our vows, our desire for our house to serve the Lord, our belief in the gospel, etc. But let’s say that she is a cat person and I am a dog person. We may debate the merits of both and our desire to have one or the other but that kind of issue cannot and will not divide our united mind and how we judge life because the greater things far outweigh the lesser things. Now, if we allow our debate to escalate to a greater thing, then we create a division that need not be there.
We have been united by the greatest act of love and sacrifice ever seen by man. We have been united by the power of our holy God coming to earth to live among us. We have been united by a work of the Spirit of God that brought life from death. Are we going to allow lesser things to create divisions that need not be there? Keep the main thing, the main thing. Vote.
When I was in college we often would spend our free time in pick up games of basketball, football, or baseball. They were good times of exercise and stress relief. Having no officials the games were regulated by the players. Offense would call fouls etc. Since these were often stress relief games, and because we were all competitive, sometimes there were verbal fights that lasted most of the game. One time, when we were playing baseball, an argument broke out over something. In the middle of the argument, once voice grew louder than all the others. A sensitive friend of ours was shouting, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be”. It was a general quote from the book of James that exhorted believers to watch their words because blessing and cursing should not be coming out of the same mouths. Needless to say, his rebuke brought many smiles and calmed the situation right down.
Listen to what Paul says to the church at Corinth, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” I Cor 1:10 That is a nice thing to ask but is it really possible? If you get two people in a room, you will have two opinions about almost everything. So, while it is nice to encourage people to get along, we all understand that this kind of unity is impossible. If that truly is the case, that Paul was just saying something nice, I wish he would not have brought the name of Jesus into it. That is kind of serious. We do not throw the name of Jesus around lightly. So since Paul would agree with that, maybe we need to look at this exhortation more closely. Maybe it is not just a nice sentiment.
Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. They were fighting about many things. Churches are full of flawed people who have different opinions. But, should we have different opinions about what is to the be the main teachings of the church? Can we not be clear about the gospel? Of course we can. Accepting the Word of God as the Word of God can bring great unity. We can learn to think as the Bible thinks and we can learn to judge at the Bible would judge. So, if we keep the main thing, the main thing, we can have a unity that is so strong, that there is no division. The things that the Bible is not clear about, well, they are just not as important or essential as the things that the Bible is clear about. Therefore, they do not drive how we think or judge. So while we may differ on those things, they do not ever rise to the level of creating division. The great importance of that which the Bible is clear on, far outweighs any differences we might have.
Here is a silly example. I love my wife. We are agreed on the importance of marriage, our commitment to our vows, our desire for our house to serve the Lord, our belief in the gospel, etc. But let’s say that she is a cat person and I am a dog person. We may debate the merits of both and our desire to have one or the other but that kind of issue cannot and will not divide our united mind and how we judge life because the greater things far outweigh the lesser things. Now, if we allow our debate to escalate to a greater thing, then we create a division that need not be there.
We have been united by the greatest act of love and sacrifice ever seen by man. We have been united by the power of our holy God coming to earth to live among us. We have been united by a work of the Spirit of God that brought life from death. Are we going to allow lesser things to create divisions that need not be there? Keep the main thing, the main thing. Vote.
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