A Crippling Case of Misplaced Identity

        Recently, I was talking to a minister about a potential job as a part-time youth minister. During the course of our conversation, he told me that if I was to receive an interview with the church, do not bring up Calvinism in the interview. Don't even mention it. He went on to say that the old Calvinism vs. Armenianism debate is still raging withing the Southern Baptist Convention, and is threatening to tear many churches apart. Ever since then, his words have plagued my mind, and weighed heavy on my heart. Our church body today is wracked with division. The very body of Christ is being torn apart by things that hardly even matter in the greater scheme of things. 

        This isn't limited to the Southern Baptist Convention, but is found, unfortunately, in every facet of our faith. Rather than claiming the name "Christian", literally "little Christ", we hold onto our self-imposed labels with a death grip. We want the world to know that we're Baptist, or Presbyterian, or Calvinist, or Armenian, instead of simply being Christian. We allow our churches to be torn asunder, we allow our witnesses to be ruined, all because we want to put the glory of being right above the glory of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, Paul writes, "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?" The same problem that was dividing the Corinthian church is the same problem in our church today. Like the Corinthians, we say "I follow Calvin", or "I follow Spurgeon", instead of saying "I follow Christ". 

        This is something I'm guilty of as well. Lately I have been putting my beliefs in the teachings of Calvin above the teachings of Christ. I've been seeking that affirmation of being right, or being intelligent, through my knowledge and practicing of Calvinism, rather than seeking to solely claim having identity in Christ. It hurts. It hurts realizing that you're part of the problem. That you've let your own arrogance get in the way of the glorifying Christ. But what can we do? What can I do? In chapter three of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses this, saying "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this is folly with God." We can't afford to be divided. Especially not under the pretense of being wise. Our knowledge doesn't save us. It doesn't guarantee our salvation. We don't get a special seat in heaven. When we get to heaven, and tell God, "God! God! I was right wasn't I!", he will just shake his head. " My son, you studied my word for years. You read it every day. But you missed it. My son, I told you, 'Go and make disciples'. You did the opposite." 

        We can debate. We can study, and learn, and thirst after knowledge, but when it comes at the expense of the glory of God, it becomes sin. It doesn't matter if Calvin was right. It doesn't matter if Wesley was right. It doesn't matter if the carpet is red, or where the piano sits on the stage. All that matters is, are we glorifying God? Are we making disciples? If we can't answer yes either of those, then it's time we evaluate ourselves.

        "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5