I just watched a Cheerios commercial that impressed me. 6 people are sitting around a restaurant table ordering breakfast. Each of them order a breakfast with a different healthy aspect. When the waitress returned from the kitchen, she had 6 identical bowls of Cheerios. She put the 6 identical bowls in front of the customers. They all complained that they didn't get the food they ordered so, the waitress shuffled the identical bowls around until everyone was happy. Bottom line, everyone received the same cereal in identical bowls.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"." Galatians 3:28
Personally, I find it odd how many "organizations" honestly believe they are God's favorites or at least have a corner on what God thinks.
Now let your mind take a tour of Heaven. With what you know of God's Word, does it seem consistent that God would have divided Heaven up by denominational preferences?
There is a cemetery in San Francisco that is divided up by religious denominations. My only response is, "Oh good grief".
I want to broach three concepts based on "all are one if Christ Jesus" from Galatians 3:28
#1. 1,000 year rule -- "you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a
thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day."
2 Peter 3:8 -- SO what is the "1,000 year rule"? Slow down, I am making this up as I
go. The "1,000 year rule" is, "After you have been in Heaven 1 day, when you look at
the religious things that divide us, will any of them still mater?"
#2. arrogance -- "I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you
really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by
the faith God has given us." Romans 12:3 -- God has literally hundreds of
verses expressing His opinion on this topic. For Example: "There are six things
the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands
that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false
witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family."
Proverbs 6:16-19
#3. testimony -- of Unity IN Christ -- Jesus prayed in John 17:23, "... May they be
brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved
them even as you have loved me." & "I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you." Philippians 1:27-28.
The Bible never says to create unity with those who do not have God's Spirit inside of them.
Ephesians 4:3 says, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the
bond of peace."
So Christians are to have a unity of the Spirit with other believers.
My Closing thought is:
"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father" Matthew 5:16
So anything I do in my actions or relationships that does not bring God praise & worship, is a sin.
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" James 4:17
