What Denomination Are You?

by

Anthony Valasek

This is one of my favorite subjects. I'm grieved, everytime I hear a person of one denomination literally fighting with someone of another denomination. If we can't love our brothers and our sisters in Christ Jesus, how can we expect anybody to believe what we believe?

Please take a second and consider what Paul says to us in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:10-11
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Do I really need to clarify this for anyone?

Though I go to a Southern Baptist Church, I have no ill feelings towards anyone of any other denomination. In fact, if you read my other articles, it's plain to see, that I don't agree with everything the Southern Baptists believe either.

The Bible tells us to prove all things through the scripture (1 Timothy 5:21). We as Christians, have to realize that not any particular denomination is superior to another. Though I believe what I believe to be true, does not make it necessarily true. That goes for everybody else too. God reveals his truth to individuals as he sees fit, and he does not give understanding of all doctrine to all people.

It seems to me, that each denomination thinks that it has the whole truth as it pertains to scripture and God. Their members tend to get tunnel vision by thinking that they are right, and everybody else is wrong. When this happens, we tend to start judging others, and questioning their salvation based on their works, which the Bible clearly tells us not to do. Go back and read the passage from Corinthians again.

Let me throw this by you. There is only one Jesus Christ right? Right

There is only one infallible word of God right? Right

If Christianity is the following of Christ, there can be only one truth right? Right

If there is only one truth, then there can at most be only one totally correct denomination, right? Right

Yet we have numerous denominations that differ on one or more doctrinal issues. Who is Right? Are any of you so bold as to say that you understand every verse in the Bible? I hope not

Can we not all say that we are all probably wrong in some way or understanding? Probably

My bet is, that since there can be at most only one correct version of the truth, that there are currently no entirely correct versions of the truth. This isn't to be taken as if nobody is saved, for we all should have a common thread, and that thread is the means by which salvation is attained, by faith and belief in Christ Jesus.

Instead of building walls between ourselves, we should be conversing and proving our beliefs between denominations. I think that if we all did this, we would all come to the truth, because Christ would see our faith, eagerness to serve, and search for the truth, and he would supply us with that truth. Our goal is to serve the Lord, and our mission is to help the unsaved attain salvation.

Look at Christianity from the unbelievers standpoint, he or she is looking at us arguing with one another and failing to find solutions to our disparities. They can't help but say to themselves, "If these people can't decide what is correct or incorrect, then their God is a hypocrite since God gives them their wisdom and understanding, they claim a single truth but are divided amongst themselves on what that truth is, they preach love one another, but argue between themselves, their battle cry is do as I say, not as I do, why would I want to be like them?"

Here is my suggestion, let's study the book of James a little harder.