Overcoming Controversies with Love

With so many Christians arguing with one another, it’s enough to make you throw up your hands and ask, “Why do Christians insist on devouring each other?”

There was recently a conference by John MacArthur called Strange Fire in which Pentecostals and charismatics were being challenged as promoting unbiblical pursuits.  For some this was an important area of doctrinal investigation.  For others it was being unnecessarily controversial and divisive to the Christian community.  Strange Fire generated far more heat than light.

How do we know when to hold onto our principles and when to let mere controversies go? 

The Bible encourages us to love God and neighbor by holding to the truth of what is clearly discerned in the pages of Scripture.  To let go of the love for either God or neighbor is an unproductive and fruitless endeavor.  God’s work is by faith, often hidden, and visible only in the spiritual realm.  To argue about what’s not clear in Scripture that we cannot see with anything other than eyes of faith is a waste of valuable energy and time that would be better used to promote the Gospel.

Let us endeavor to do what Paul told Timothy:

 1 Timothy 1: 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work– which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.