“He’s Not One of Us”

There is perhaps no quicker way to put someone on the defensive today than to use the word bigot. Christians have heard the accusation hurled at them from outside the Church, often for holding convictions the surrounding culture rejects. Before dismissing the word as another external attack, however, we should allow the Word of God to turn the examination inward.

Religious bigotry is not simply disagreement. Christians can disagree strongly about doctrine while continuing to love one another. The trouble begins when theological difference becomes spiritual superiority—when they believe differently from us becomes they are not one of us, and when that distinction becomes justification for treating fellow believers as spiritually lesser, refusing fellowship with them, or dismissing what Christ may be doing among them.

The disciples themselves fell into this trap. John told Jesus about a man ministering in His name and explained why they had tried to stop him:

“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
— Mark 9:38

The man was not denying Jesus. The objection was simply that he was not identified with their group. That little word us can become a very large wall.

Who Is the Standard?

Christians have accumulated many names over the centuries: Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Reformed, Wesleyan, Adventist, and countless others. Those labels may tell us something about doctrine, history, or practice, but none of those names saves.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
— Acts 4:12

That name is Jesus Christ. Calvin cannot make that claim. Wesley cannot make it. Luther cannot make it. Paul, Apollos, and Cephas could not make it, and neither can I. At our very best, we are signposts pointing toward the One who can.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
— John 3:30

Every Christian teacher eventually has to decrease. Every theological system must remain subordinate to Christ. Every denomination must resist the temptation to become the destination rather than a place from which people are pointed toward Him. Paul confronted this problem when believers began defining themselves by favored teachers: I am of Paul. I am of Apollos. I am of Cephas. His response was devastatingly simple: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?” The question still stands. Was Calvin crucified for us? Was Wesley? Was Luther? Then why would we make disciples primarily identified by their names when Jesus commanded us to make disciples of Christ?

None Righteous, No, Not One

Religious superiority becomes especially difficult to defend when we remember what Scripture says about all of us:

“There is none righteous, no, not one.”
— Romans 3:10

Degrees do not change that. Seminaries do not change it. Ordination certificates do not change it. Centuries of theological tradition do not change it. Paul places Jew and Gentile alike under sin and then points both toward righteousness through Jesus Christ. He leaves no room for boasting.

This does not mean truth is unknowable or doctrine is irrelevant. Scripture gives us truth precisely so that we can walk in it. But there is an enormous difference between saying, “The Word says this,” and saying, “Our denomination understands everything correctly; therefore everyone else should be measured against us.” We are not the standard. Christ is.

Put Down the Stones

Consider the woman caught in adultery. Religious men dragged her before Jesus and presented her sin for judgment. Jesus did not redefine adultery as righteousness, but He turned the examination back upon those holding the stones.

There is a powerful application here for the divided Church. Suppose the woman standing in the middle represents the church across the street. We know everything we believe they have gotten wrong. Their worship is wrong. Their baptism is wrong. Their understanding of spiritual gifts is wrong. Their theology is deficient. Their tradition has added something or removed something. Perhaps some of our criticism is even correct.

Very well. Let the denomination without error cast the first stone. Which Christian tradition has understood every verse perfectly? Which group has never allowed pride, personality, politics, ambition, or human tradition to contaminate its witness? Which congregation looks completely like Jesus? The stones suddenly become rather heavy.

There is one Lawgiver and Judge. Our responsibility is not to pretend error does not exist, but neither is it to enthrone ourselves as the righteous standard by which everybody else is condemned.

If They Are Wrong, Restore Them

Scripture does not leave us without a response when a brother is genuinely wrong:

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
— Galatians 6:1

That is considerably different from throwing theological stones across the street. If we truly possess greater light, then perhaps that light should help somebody else see Christ more clearly. If we genuinely believe our brother has wandered, the spiritual response is restoration in meekness, not superiority. We should want him walking rightly with the Lord, not merely walking correctly with us. Religious bigotry makes another person’s error evidence of our superiority. Christlike love makes his restoration our concern.

What If the Houses Have Steeples?

The early believers shared life together, publicly and from house to house. Acts describes them breaking bread together with gladness and sincerity of heart. So let me borrow that picture and bring it forward: what if some of the houses have steeples?

What if one house says Methodist on its sign and another says Presbyterian? What if another says Baptist, Catholic, or Pentecostal? If brothers and sisters in Christ are gathering inside, why should the sign outside prevent us from loving, encouraging, praying with, or serving the people inside?

We have become very good at inviting everybody into our own house: come to our church, hear our preacher, attend our class, become one of us. Jesus gave a much greater invitation:

“Come unto me…”
— Matthew 11:28

A congregation can invite people into fellowship, but we dare not confuse “Come to us” with “Come unto Me.” The destination is not the building, the membership roll, the denomination, or the pew. The destination is Christ.

The Church Across the Street Is My Neighbor

Jesus told us to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. He then gave His disciples an identifying mark the world would recognize:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
— John 13:35

Perhaps we need to ask a painfully simple question: Does the church across the street qualify as my neighbor? When was the last time we prayed for the pastor down the block by name? Two congregations can stand within sight of each other. Both claim Jesus Christ. Both open the Bible. Both worship God. Both claim to be serving the Lord, yet they rarely pray together, fellowship together, encourage one another, or cross the street to serve one another. Each lives within its own religious enclave while professing membership in one Body. Something is wrong with that picture.

Love does not require doctrinal compromise. It does not call error truth. But love refuses to turn disagreement into contempt. Love crosses the street, restores, encourages, and recognizes that the brother on the other side of the wall belongs to Christ before he belongs to a denomination.

Loosening the Stones

Religious bigotry begins when theological difference becomes religious prejudice—when they believe differently becomes they are not one of us, and when not being one of us becomes grounds for treating people Christ loves as lesser. The problem is not conviction. The problem is making ourselves the standard.

The Catholic is not the standard. The Protestant is not the standard. The Calvinist is not the standard. The Wesleyan is not the standard. The Pentecostal is not the standard. Neither are you nor I. Christ is the standard.

Perhaps we should spend less time comparing the church across the street with ourselves and more time comparing ourselves with Jesus. That comparison has a remarkable way of loosening the stones from our hands. When our doctrine divides the Body Christ died to make one, something is wrong—and Jesus is not the One who is wrong.

So let Christ increase and let us decrease. Open the Word, preach the Word, love the brethren, restore the fallen, and point people toward Jesus Christ. If the Word ministers to them, thank God and keep pointing them toward Him. There is only one saving Name, one Head of the Body, and one rightful destination: Jesus Christ.