Salvation is for all who Believe; Sectarianism is a Sin @ A Moment of Eternal News.
Mark 9:39-40 (NASB)
“John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us.”
Nowadays, many believers in Christ particularly those who study the Word of GOD, are behaving like John in the early time of our Lord Jesus Ministry. Majority of the members of religious group believe that their theological or denominational belief and traditions are superior to others because they claim they are based on the Scripture. They claim that they are practicing what are necessary for salvation. Hence, they will belligerently attack other sects and seek converts from other Christian groups in order to prove to them they are the true church or religion . Discord and condemnation builds up continually not only between churches but also between groups in the same church. Sometimes, it results the members to be excommunicated from the church. Not only that, history proves that there were many horrible stories of torture and murder committed in the name of Christ. They burned people alive for believing them to being “heretics,” who are holding to their belief that is different from the precepts of their church which they claimed to be based in the Scripture, and believed to be the truth.
The division which Saint John had observed, continued in time of St. Paul and in our present times. 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 stated how St. Paul stand on what Jesus had underlined to Saint John in our verse today. St. Paul said, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”
The cause of this sectarianism is none other than finding righteousness according to human knowledge, resulting to believe only on their doings and not GOD. Romans 10:2-13 says, “ For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
The moral compass of every Spiritual exploration destined to salvation heads to a question NOT “Who will be saved?” but to a question “Who will save”. If the preaching and teaching leads to; how they obey the law and become righteous and saved through their doings, then Jesus is outside and has no part of them, even they speak in His Name. Jesus will tell them “I don’t know you!” (Matthew 7:21-23). But if the proclamation of GOD’s Word leads to Jesus, “What He had done”, (again, not what we have done), then we will find that Jesus is our Righteousness, and if He is our righteousness, we will end up boasting our adherence to the law or religion or sect that can sanctify us, because the truth is; no such precept or doctrine that requires human doing which will enable salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
But is it contrary to what James 2:26 said? It is stated, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Yes, there should be actions in there. But who’s action that we should talk or boast about? It is clearly stated there, “without the Spirit is dead”. Therefore, it is the action or work of the Holy Spirit in us, not ours that will lead us to the Truth Jesus, our Salvation. Continuing Ephesians 2:10, It says, “ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” The Gospel of Jesus in the New Covenant talks about GOD’s works in us not our works. The truth is in us if we realize how sinful we are not how righteous we are on our own, because when the Spirit of the Truth comes, He will convict us concerning our sin and His righteousness (John 16:8). If we say that we have no sin, which means we are doing everything right, then we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8)
In every inspired teaching, glorifying Jesus is the work of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit disclose to us what was not made known to the disciples (John 16:14). Therefore, those preachers and teachers should not talk about their sects and religious beliefs that would make them Saints. Holy Spirit is the one talking in them if they teach to forgive and love one another and do not seek to glorify anyone but Jesus Christ. It is not about their religion or sect but about how we can love one another as Jesus had loved us, that will unite us, not divide.
Thus, all honor and power and glory be unto Jesus in every teaching or preaching, who had done everything for our salvation. AMEN
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