- This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Hi Everyone!
To be honest, I’m not sure how to say this, but I’m a believer in doing all we can to build up the strength of other believers. So I have something I wanted to share with all of you.
I was raised in the Seventh-Day Adventist denomination all my life. My family has been Adventist three generations back. I attend a Seventh-Day Adventist church and Seventh-Day Adventist school. But I myself am not an Adventist.
I am a Christian.
Since we all worship the same Jesus, why are we divided into different groups (denominations) as Christians? The early church was not divided. In fact, they were warned against it:
“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1 Corinthians 11:17-19).
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
I also do not believe that certain days of observance matter. We all worship Jesus.
“You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain” (Galatians 4:10-11).
“One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since she gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Romans 14:5-6).
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).
“And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath'” (Mark 2:27).
I don’t want to offend anyone by anything I’ve said! I just believe we should all be of one mind and one body. I pray we can be united as Christians! Thanks for listening, my Kingdom friends! 🙂
@joy-caroline
Awww, girl, this was sooo BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for sharing these AMAZING thoughts!!! I COMPLETELY AGREE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!!!!!!!! I have been raised in a Baptist church. All of my family members from way back are Baptist. But I don’t think of myself as Baptist. I’m a Christian!!! There’s no need for those other things. All they do is make Christians divide ourselves!! Everything should ALWAYS go back to what the Bible says!! What God says!! If we wanna fight over something then we should go back to God’s Word and see what He has to say!!!!!! He defines truth not man! I LOVED THIS!!!!!!! <33
God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Thank you so much, Issa! I’m really grateful you found something valuable in what I had to say. Thanks for the encouraging response!
@joy-caroline Amen, sister!
Like Issabelle, I was raised in the Baptist church, as was my mother (whose father is Primitive Baptist and mother was Methodist), but my dad was raised Church of God. We now attend a Church of God, but I’ve discovered that I can’t put a “label” on my faith.
Division within the church, from denominations to music preferences, is the devil’s way of tearing us apart from the seams, besmirching God’s glory, and halting the harvest of souls. (I actually wrote a blog series about all of this…)
Thank you so much for sharing this! I wholeheartedly agree!
@issawriter7 Amen, amen, and AMEN!the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
THANK YOU!!!! <33
God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com@joy-caroline
Great stuff!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!!! 😃😃😃 I was raised in a Presbyterian (Reformed Calvinist) church, and though I agree with what they believe, but I agree with y’all in that denominations SHOULD NOT create division among Christians. I have experienced division since I moved (5-ish years ago) and we still haven’t found a good church family. It makes me so sad that Christians allow separation when we are supposed to be united in Christ!!! I LOVE what you said!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000This is SO TRUE and so needed in the Christian world today. People can get so stuck on labels and being prejudice against people who believe a little different. But if we all worship the same Father, Son, & Holy Spirit then why do the other things matter so much?
Love this, @joy-caroline !
I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.com@joy-caroline, this is so true! Where I grew up there weren’t many believers, and those that were there were from all different kinds of denominations. If our core beliefs are the same, when we can show a unity to the world that other religions don’t have the ability to do. Because we are united in Christ
WIP - Decisions
Kapeefer til we're old and grey- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Amen!
That actually sounds kind of similar to my own family. My Abuela (on my mom’s side) was raised a Roman Catholic, but she and my Abuelo (who was agnostic) converted to Adventism when they were dating. My grandmother on my dad’s side was always Adventist, but my grandfather was raised in a family with a mixture of Mormons, Christians, and atheists. He didn’t become Adventist until later.
But I really don’t think any of that matters. My family may identify as Adventist, but I don’t. I believe I was baptized into the name of Jesus, not the name of Adventism. It’s awesome that you wrote a blog series about that! It’s so important to address.
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
I totally agree! Like, in the Seventh-Day Adventist church we observe the Sabbath on Saturday, and while I also observe Saturday in honor of God, I believe in the truth of Romans 14:5-6. It doesn’t matter whether that day is Saturday or Sunday. As long as we worship on Saturday to honor God, and worship on Sunday to honor God, it’s a beautiful thing! All that matters is we’ve found Jesus.
I will be praying that you find a church family! My church community is so tight, and my school is affiliated with the church, so we’re all really close and know each other really well. Fellowship is one of the best parts of being Christian. I mean, we’re one body, so we’re supposed to be close!
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Thank you so much! I could not agree more. It makes me sad how many Seventh-Day Adventists are so judgmental of other Christians who believe a little differently. Like, what does it matter? I love when everyone is just a brother or sister in Christ!
@joy-caroline
Thank you!! That’s amazing that you guys have such a close community!!!!! That’s exactly how it should be!!!!! 😃
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Amen! It’s so beautiful when Christians come together instead of drifting apart as the religions of the world do.
@joy-caroline
Hey, JC!!! I was just reading this to my dad ’cause he’s been saying the exact same thing for years and thought he’d really like to hear these thoughts!!! He told me to tell you that he completely 100% agrees with you!!!!!!!!!! (I think he REALLY enjoyed it!!! This really was SUPER AWESOME!!!!!)
God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Oh, I’m so glad! Thank you for telling me! I’m really glad this got such a positive response, because I was honestly nervous when I posted it.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
