“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” – Romans 16:17
You will encounter Christians who seem to regularly drive a wedge between you and other believers, even your oldest and dearest friends in Christ. These individuals may be smart, well-educated, and charismatic. They may sound very wise and compelling. However, if they’re regularly giving you reasons to separate from fellow believers in your church, avoid them! If they’re complicating your faith with additional rules or requirements beyond what the Bible teaches, avoid them!
Such people may be theologically persuasive, particularly if you aren’t a deep Bible scholar yourself. However, if they’re routinely criticizing your brothers and sisters in Christ, they should be avoided. No Christian is perfect – it’s easy to find fault with every believer. Those who habitually do so with the purpose of diminishing your love and respect for fellow church members must be avoided. The unity of the local church is unimaginably precious to Jesus, the Lord of the church. Unity in the church is infinitely more important than you think! That is why Jesus prayed for our unity before He was arrested. That is why Scripture repeatedly commands us to be united in the church.
Recognize those who create division in the church. See them for what they are. Warn them and try to reason with them from Scripture. However, if their negativity, critical spirit, and efforts to divide won’t stop, avoid them and embrace your brothers and sisters in the church. Our love for each other is supposed to be our sign to the unbelieving world, not our division! #FollowJesus