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A church in Georgia has had 47 splits in its history. One split was over whether to have flowers in the church. Another was whether members should check their email on Sunday. Obviously, this church ignores what the Bible says about how to treat those who differ with us. The Apostle Paul wrote this in Romans Chapter 14: “We don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…. Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.” Paul spells out four reasons we ought not to judge others on nonessential issues: 1) God has received both of us on the basis of faith in His Son; 2) Christ is our Lord—not the other person; 3) God is the One who sustains both of us; and 4) Christ will judge both of us at His judgment seat. Of course, moral laws like killing and stealing are absolute. But when we create other rules and elevate them as absolutes, we violate the principle of love.
