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Christian Immaturity and Wisdom For Unity

Three years ago, a parent spoke to me with deep grief, recounting how her daughter had embraced some “new teachings.” These teachings, rather than enriching her faith, had severed the family bond, causing division and fracturing the family. Having known this family for a while, this came as a shock to me.

A year later, during a visit to Rwanda, I encountered another troubling story. A young man was openly calling his father, who is also a pastor, a heathen. This accusation was made directly to his father’s face, stemming from theological disagreements. A few months after that, I attended the baptism of one of my cousins. During the event, a man passionately tried to convince me of how a person called Paul Gitwaza is not save on the grounds of their theological differences

Then, during a gathering with high school friends, one of them declared, “Unless you believe in the five Solae, you will not see the gates of heaven.” When I asked whether the Ethiopian eunuch or the thief on the cross would inherit heaven, she launched into a 30-minute rant, attempting to prove her point. On another occasion, someone defended their decision not to pray with their parents during family devotions by citing Matthew 10:34-39. In doing so, they stripped the text from its context and ignored its connection to Micah 7:5-6.

I could recount countless similar stories, but these few suffice to illustrate a troubling trend: something is profoundly wrong. Many Christians fail to distinguish between theological differences and Gospel differences.

As Christians, graciousness should define our character in all our interactions, whether with fellow believers or unbelievers. When relating to other believers, St. Augustine’s timeless words serve as a guide:
"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

The Big Question: Essentials and Non-Essentials

What are the essentials? And what are the non-essentials?

I could write a list, but Scripture carries more authority than I do. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, defines what is of first importance:
*"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."*

It is all too convenient to create theological boxes, categories, and caricatures. But it is far better to remember this: every person who genuinely believes in the Trinity, the incarnation, the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is your brother or sister in Christ, whether you like it or not. Our Father in heaven expects you to treat them as someone with whom you will spend eternity.

A Call for Gospel-Like Behavior

Am I suggesting that you discard your cherished theological convictions? Not at all. But I am reminding you that these convictions are subservient to the Gospel. Our behavior toward those with whom we have theological differences must be Gospel-like.

Non-essentials are anything that does not compromise the Gospel. This includes matters such as when you pray, who preaches, the style of music in church, or whether you speak in tongues. In other words, anything that does not place the Gospel at stake falls into the category of non-essentials.

As Vincent of Lérins so aptly put it:
"We must hold what has been believed everywhere, always, by all."

Let us, therefore, major on the majors and minor on the minors. The Gospel unites us, and theological maturity is found not in uniformity but in unity, humility, and love.

Below is a picture from Holy Joys to illustrate the point made in this article.