I used to be a “camping Christian.” Not a Christian who goes camping–I’m still one of those, but a Christian who divides the Christian community into “camps.”

You know what I mean, you may even use “camping” jargon:

• He’s not in our camp–meaning he doesn’t agree with your interpretation of Scripture, your theology, or your practice of the Christian life.
• They’re a part of that camp–meaning that they just don’t fit into your group.
• What camp are you in? This is a question that determines if someone is on your side.

120 Seconds

I’m too busy and I’m too tired of Christian “campers” to write anything substantive or maybe even profound, so I’m giving myself two minutes, 120 seconds, to say what is on my heart.

I was wrong when I insisted that those who disagreed with me or didn’t follow Christ in the same style I did were outside of my camp.

You’re wrong if you’re doing that now.

Can we disagree? Should we disagree?

Absolutely!

But should we divide into camps?

Absolutely not!

The next time you’re tempted to divide Christians between “us” and “them,” read Mark 9:38-50.

I’d say more, bit my time is up. So I’ll just close with Jesus’ words:

“For He who is not against us is on our side” (Mark 9:40).

One of the reasons I believe the Jesus Movement stopped moving is the same reason most churches lost their momentum:  We didn’t love one another well.

We divide over theology, spiritual gifts, politics, and the  just plain “I don’t like him or her” sins most believers are all too familiar with.

Sometimes our excuse for divisiveness is, “I just can’t get along with that kind of Christian!”

Really?

Peter would disagree. In his first letter he says that when we obeyed the truth of the Gospel by believing in Jesus our hearts were purified (1 Peter 1:22). He uses the perfect tense when he speaks of this purification of our souls. The perfect tense means that the work was completed the moment we believed.

His application?

Our souls were purified so that we could “love one another fervently with a pure heart.”

The next time you begin to think you can’t love that “extra grace required” Christian in your world, picture Peter standing next to you and saying, “Yes you can! God made it possible the moment you believed in His Son!”

Colin McDougall, who serves with me at Church of the Open Door, had an interesting question about Galatians 2:11-21, the account of Paul confronting Peter in Antioch.

He wondered how the people who actually witnessed Paul getting up in Peter’s face felt as one of their leaders excoriated another leader publicly?

You can read about it in Galatians 2:11-21. It’s a fascinating account of Paul standing alone for grace and the Gospel of Christ.

I’m thankful for Paul’s courage to confront and Peter’s humility to admit when he was wrong. Think of what was at stake in this relationship. If Peter had balked to protect his image, it would have devastated an entire church and set Christianity back dramatically.

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