Westside Church of Christ

They were just a bunch of spiritual babies. The gifts overflowed, and so did their immaturity. God had not withheld anything from them, but their utilization of it left a great deal to be desired. There was evidence galore that worldly ways had crept, or maybe bullied, their way into the church. There were unresolved issues tugging at the very fabric of the Lord’s body.

Unhealthy allegiance to mere humans was splitting the church. It was contentious and divisive. The pleas of Jesus in prayer to His Father for unity among believers (John 17:20-23) had faded into the background. The crucifixion had been brutal, and the blood was shed to unify. Jesus created one new man out of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14-16). They were joined in unity establishing peace between the two formerly alienated groups. That harmony had dissolved in the hands of humans (1 Corinthians 1:12-13).

This was a congregation acting like children (1 Corinthians 3:1-4), and there was a deep need for this ragtag collection of Christians to grow up. Their fleshly ways had led them to develop unhealthy attachments to men which was tearing them apart. There were other issues that exposed their infantile tendencies, but that was the one that Paul addressed first in his letter. We may not consider division as serious as some other issues, but the Lord sees it differently.

It sheds an interesting light on the broad world of 21 st century Christianity. We see different groups of believers on every corner. They wear names that reveal their unique take on what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Some have their own handbooks, headquarters, worship practices and leadership arrangements. Blood-bought unity is sacrificed on the altar of personal preference. Is this what the Lord has in mind?

His word tells us to put effort into maintaining the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3). It doesn’t simply happen, but it takes a special kind of determination that demands humility on everyone’s part. The problem is that not everyone is going to be humble. People can be cantankerous and demanding of their own way. That type of attitude stands in the way of preserving what the Spirit has established and is inconsistent with the mindset that we are to have. The bigger question is what type of person am I going to be, mature or immature?

It is a challenge to get beyond childish tendencies. Everyone experiences those moments of juvenile feelings, but Christians must outgrow the need to act out on them. Jesus taught His disciples to pray for the Father’s will to be done, and that is what we must seek. That involves putting aside our self-serving reactions in favor of that which glorifies God. The Lord did just that in the Garden of Gethsemane when His life was on the line, “Thy will be done.” We will do that, too, if we are truly following Him.