“38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”

39 “Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name who can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of My name, since you belong to the Messiah — I assure you: He will never lose his reward.”

Mark 9:38-41

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One of the things I like most about being a part of the Restoration Movement churches is our open admission to be Christians only but not the only Christians. We acknowledge that there are others who follow Jesus and who honor God with their efforts. I also know that there are some, even within the bounds of the Restoration Movement,  that make claims otherwise.

The divine prayer, in John 17, is one of the greatest indicators to me that Christ desires unity within us. His desire that we would be one just as He and the Father are one is what plants that idea, that understanding, solidly in my heart. We may disagree over little things, we may operate in ways that are slightly different. But if we are in pursuit of Christ, acknowledging Him as Lord, baptizing in His Name, making disciples that make disciples and sticking to the inerrant truth of God’s word in the essential doctrines of the faith, then those second and third tier issues can still be debated, But with the understanding that we are operating from the same Christ-based foundation. 

We do need to be mindful of divisive issues and issues that undermine key, essential points of doctrine. We need to teach, correct, rebuke and train where that lack manifests itself. But that is to be done through constructive dialogue, honest discussion and with a deep heart of love. Infighting among churches and Christians, ugly debates that take place over ‘things’, orders of operation and organizational philosophies, that are not key doctrines, these are some of the things that give the world the wrong impression about us. We are allowed to disagree on certain things, that’s okay. What we are not allowed to do is to operate in anger, to speak from disgusting or to slander one another “in the name of Jesus.” 

We must be mindful of what we say, the attitudes we carry, because that other church down the street that is faithfully teaching the truth is not our competition or our enemy. They are brothers and sisters in Christ, our co-laborers in the kingdom, and should be spoken of with respect.

On the other hand, when a body of believers begins to tear down those foundational doctrines, we are called to stand up for the truth, and to defend what is right. But even then, we must still speak from love. 

Beyond them, branching into cults like Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses, we train and teach our own people to understand and identify false doctrine, and we teach them to rely on the Word first and above all else. ‘Prosperity Gospel’ teachers, like Joel Osteen and others of his ilk, are also to be warned against, for the misuse of Scripture, and the degradation of the truth for comfort and “the American dream.”  We must also be cautious of those for whom truth is pliable. Those who try to change doctrine in accordance with secular, worldly social views. Those who would twist truth to justify living in two worlds. They desire to honor self and the flesh above honoring God and his truth.

We should applaud the efforts of those who honestly, and truthfully follow Christ as we GoLove others in His Name. Jesus Himself said that the world would know that we were His disciples by the love that we had for one another. So we should do our best to live out that love with each other as we walk in His perfect truth.