your church can’t save you!
I recently found myself around a couple people who seem to hold denominations a little too high for their own good. Unfortunately, this is a problem that I have seen for years in many local churches. My reaction to these kind of people are always the same – shock and hurt.
Over the years a question that continues to come up in my mind is, “why do so many people hold denominations in such high regard?” Please know up front I pastor a Baptist church. However, I still like to wrestle and study up on questions and thought processes that I hear people around me discussing.
Denomination’s, as I understand them, main differences have nothing to do with fundamental truths of Scripture but about particular points that make no one any more or less Christian to begin with. For instance, to be a Christian, we must admit we are sinners, believe Christ is the Son of God, confess we need/want Christ in our life, and then pursue Christ daily at all costs. Current denominations exist for the “pursuit” process, but it seems as though many denomination’s congregants seem to pursue the denomination more than Christ. And here really lies the problem for me. Why is that?
As I have pursued Christ and researched the Scriptures, everything seems to point to “one” church or “one” body (Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 1: 22; 4:4). And on top of that, Jesus seemed to speak wherever the people would listen, and Paul would travel around preaching in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17). If there were denominations in the First Century, Paul and Jesus didn’t seem to think much of them. I mean Christ kept praying for unity (John 17: 20-26), and Paul preached that we would agree with one another so there wouldn’t be any division (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). Yet people continue to persist that their denomination is most correct and that to lose a denominational name would be to lose one’s identity.
I’m not saying here that denominations shouldn’t exist. I’ll probably always go to and pastor a Baptist church unless God calls me elsewhere. However none of us should allow our denomination or church define us and give us our identity. My prayer is that my family, friends, and church find our identity and hope in Christ and not a denomination. In the end, in the very end, a denomination will send you to hell, whereas Jesus Saves (Acts 4:12)!
What do you think?
I'm right there with you, Matthew. I attend a Methodist church, but am also involved in BSF. The latter has caused me to look not at a person's denomination, but at their heart for Christ. When asked about my 'religion', invariably my answer is that I'm a Christian who happens to go to a Methodist church. To your point, my identity is in Christ, not a denomination.
I agree. The church, especially the church in the US, has a lot of problems and many of them happen among denominational lines. Sometimes I wonder if it's a denominational issue of just a heart issue in general. I've belonged to churches that 'tow the party line' so to speak and get into some of the dangerous denominational segregation that you described. But I have also experienced other churches that use their denominational membership do join together to accomplish really great things like community work and international missions.
Good Discussion!
Bro. Matt,
Kudos for this blog. “Denominationalism” in its ugliest form, is a scar on the face of Christianity, in my opinion. When you have Denoms that say “If you aren’t of ‘my church’, then you aren’t going to Heaven”, in my opinion, that is not of God. In my 26 years I have always identified with The Baptist church, and frankly, I always think I will. But if Baptists ever began saying “If you’re not Baptist, you’re going to hell”, I’d on the first train out of my church.
The Southern Baptist church has done many, many good things in its existence, and will continue to do good things…as will Methodists, Presbyterians and the like…and as long as it continues to be a fellowship of believers I’ll be there. Honestly, I wish we didn’t “have” to have those labels…but we do…and it’s all good! I think the labels run many people off, which has lead to the rise in “non-denominational” churches.
I think people need to realize this isn’t a competition. We’ve been commissioned to make believers of all nations. Sure, Baptists “can’t dance”, and CoC’s can’t have instruments or whatever…but those are simply minor differences that attract some people one way or the other. At the end of the day, I love Jesus and am trying to become a better follower of Him and a better leader in my church. Enough of my rambling!
Hey Michael,
Just met your mom in Ugly Muggs. Super nice lady. She gave me a seat beside her when I couldn't find an outlet for my computer.
Anywho… she told me about your church and I checked out your blog. It's good… what little you've written
. I run a marketing company and serve an event based ministry from East Nashville. Anywho… God bless the work you're doing. And tell your mom thank you for me.
Gresham