Cheryl Schatz

I have seen some blogs/web sites/discussion boards that claim to be Christian and they delight in abusing those who do not believe the same way as they do on secondary issues.  I am thoroughly amazed by this.  We are told in scripture that we are to strive together for peace.  We are commanded to show love for one another by none other than Jesus Christ himself.  In fact John wrote that the love of the brethren that we are commanded to show is proof that we are truly born again.

1 John 3:14, 15, 18 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him…Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

The truth of the matter is that no one can see our heart.  We alone need to judge whether there is love within us.  But others can see the fruit of our heart by our deeds.  Those who rip at the sheep and take pleasure in hurting other Christians, calling them heretics and deceivers for merely having a different secondary doctrine of faith are in danger.  These are not acts of love.  I have personally seen many hurt, many called names and many dismissed as if they are the scum of the earth by none other than those who state that they are Christians.  What I have also seen is the love of Christ coming through the ones who have been called horrible names.  I have seen them respond in humility, return respect for the anger and disrespect leveled at them, and generally show a Christ-like attitude.  I have been in awe of some of the kindest and most gentle Christians that I have seen who are egalitarians, and who are living the command to love.

I have also seen a few complementarians try to show a level of respect and love even in the heat of the dialog.  I commend them as well for their love of the brethren.  I am also honored to be known as their sister in Christ as I see the fruits of love in their lives.

What we all need to remember is that when we love each other and show respect because we are all in the same body of Christ, we are actually showing love for Jesus.  The one question that I have asked of hierarchists who are acting in anger and separating themselves from their brethren, is if they love Jesus?  The interesting thing is that when I have asked this question, while they are acting in anger, I haven’t had an answer at all.  Do they love Jesus?  We can never really know except to see how they tend to the sheep.  When the love of Jesus and the love of the Father lives within us, we cannot help but LOVE the sheep.

Let me ask a direct question to hierarchists that may read my words – Do you mock other believers?  Do you speak derogatory words about the appearance, the manner of speech or the “style” of communication of other believers merely because they disagree with you on the non-essentials?  Do you fail to walk in forgiveness and take the wrongs that have been done to you that you have forgiven them for and turn around and use the same thing that you have forgiven, to question the character of the other brother, their salvation or their place in the body of Christ?  No one can make you repent of these things.  You must do it yourself.  When we walk together in repentance and the forgiveness that follows repentance we will not only have fellowship with one another, but we will have fellowship with the owner, master, Savior and Lord of the sheep.  Those who refuse to do that must consider what proof do they have that they belong to this special flock?  Again I repeat that “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.  He who does not love abides in death.”