One of the most urgent ways for Christians in India to grow in grace is to navigate theological differences between us. In my interactions with friends over my opinions of the theological views of others, I have learned to be careful, respectful, and prayerful.
Sometimes I have put my views across aggressively, only to undermine the value of the person who holds them. I can easily recall instances when my unfiltered rants left me red-faced, embarrassed, and convicted of sinful attitudes. But growing in grace means that we can learn to work through our theological differences in the light of the gospel and let the grace of God lead the way. Here are some ways to love people who disagree with us.
Acknowledging Our Divisions
Sceptics often accuse followers of Jesus of harbouring more divisions than unity. Sometimes, we resort to name-calling, gossiping, and harshly criticising those with whom we disagree, especially on matters of faith. In truth, there is much to disagree about. Here are simply some examples.
- Worship Service Liturgies: Should we design our Sunday services with a formal or free-flowing structure?
- The Gift of Tongues: Do we believe in it, and should we practice it in Sunday services?
- End-times Views: Do you belong to the pre-millennial camp or the amillennial one?
- Interpreting Genesis: Is Genesis 1 literal, or are there different interpretations?
- Baptism Practices: Should we perform baptisms at birth by faith, or should they be a volitional choice at the age of accountability?
- The Sovereignty of God in Salvation: Are you Calvinist or Arminian?
The list is endless, extending to things like clothing, dancing in church, and lifestyle choices.
Common Responses to Theological Differences
Faced with these differences, even Christians can respond unkindly or sinfully.
- Attacking: Speaking out against the denomination they disagree with, often accusing them of “not getting it.” This is common when traditional and charismatic churches debate, each side claiming the other misunderstands Scripture.
- Passive Aggression: Being outwardly nice while gossiping or speaking poorly about others behind their backs.
- Gloating (secretly): When a denomination struggles, using their difficulties as ammunition to claim we foresaw their failure. All these and many other responses betray Jesus’s prayer in John 17:20-23 for unity among his followers.
Pursuing Unity in Diversity
Jesus knew what a group of broken, selfish, and sinful people learning to love each other through their differences would do. It would send a clear message to a fragmented world that reconciliation and harmonious living is possible in the gospel. Through the power of God, we find grace to bear with one another in love (Col. 3:13, Eph. 4:2). So how do we navigate our theological differences?
1. Seek Common Ground
There is more that unites us than we realise. Do we share common beliefs in salvation by faith alone, the Trinity, original sin, and the infallibility of Scripture? These are the essentials of our faith that provide a solid foundation. It is important to distinguish between essentials and non-essentials. Questions like this can help: “Is this violating the core doctrines of the Nicene Creed?” and “Is this belief essential to salvation?”
Through the power of God, we find grace to bear with one another in love.
2. Embrace Diversity
Unity does not mean uniformity. We serve an amazing God who created different languages, cultures, traditions, and expressions. Our differences invite us to listen to people’s stories and understand why they prefer different styles of worship and expressions of faith. Empathy, rather than antipathy, is crucial when discussing non-essentials. Different expressions reach different kinds of people, making it important for all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people.
3. Resist Idolatry
It is possible to love our doctrinal positions more than we love God. You can be right about what you believe and still be wrong about how you treat someone else (Matt. 23:1-3). Often, when we respond to people without love, it exposes that we love a position in Christ more than we love the person of Christ. Only the gospel can heal such idolatry. It helps us regard it as of first importance without letting anything else replace its primacy in our hearts and lives (1 Cor. 15:3-4, Col. 2:6-7).
4. Bound in Love
Ultimately, God reveals his love to us in the gospel. It makes it possible for people from different backgrounds to unite in Christ. This love, which rescued the vilest of us, breaks down walls of hostility (Eph. 2:14). Moments of disagreement can become opportunities to grow in love, patience, kindness, and gentleness. In a world that triggers anger easily and quickly builds barriers, God invites us to live for a larger purpose—to love one another as Jesus has loved us (John 13:34-35).
Ultimately, God reveals his love to us in the gospel.
Like I said earlier, I have often seen disagreements expose my limited view of how God works in the world. They reveal my lack of empathy and love for others. I am grateful God uses people unlike me to change me and shape me into the image of his Son. While I come from a more charismatic tradition, I have recently come to appreciate the historical liturgies, the discipline, and the rigour of the monastics. Their lives draw me to seek God more earnestly.
The Gospel and Unity in Diversity
One of our country’s mottos expresses this desire for unity well: Vividhata Mein Ekta. It means unity in diversity. In Revelation 7:9-10, John gives us a beautiful portrait of multitudes worshipping Jesus as one: “After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'”
May the Lord unite the church in India to rise above its differences, strive together as one for the faith of the gospel, and worship the one who offered himself to the cross, to call us to eternal union with himself and with one another.
