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Would you stand up and walk out on me? If my particular dialect of religio-babel not be familiar to you, will you judge me as heretic and not sister at the verbal expression of my faith? If my words sound too harsh, too smooth, too lofty, or too common, will you listen for the voice of Jesus in them or push me away? If I like John McCarther and you Rick Warren will you separate yourself from me and go looking for only those who harmonize with Warren?

Some believe they have chosen Jesus and they are saved. Others believe they were elected to be saved by Jesus. Still others believe that they were elected for Salvation in Christ that God might at the end of time return all things to Himself. The common denominator among all of these folks is, Jesus. It is not our understanding of how He saved us that saves. Jesus saves, period, the end and our understanding changes nothing regarding that fact. Doctrine does not save, period, the end and though sound doctrine is important for spiritual growth, there is no eternal Life in doctrine. Knowledge of the Bible, which is sound doctrine not the interpretation of any theologian, is given that we might better share what Jesus has done for us on the cross and what He is doing in us through the resurrected Life that He lives in those who have been brought to repentance and belief in His Holy Name.

None of us will pursue God of our own accord. None of us come to repentance by the strength of our ability to make good choices. God pursues each and everyone of us by the power of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus the only one begotten by that same Holy Spirit. As He was sired by the Holy Spirit, so too are we, when God's pursuit of us is finished, reborn in the spirit. As each of us has been run down and brought to repentance so too is God in long suffering pursuit of all women and men. He knows fully that which it will take to bring each of us to the point of self-surrender as He brings all to the point of bending the knee and confessing Jesus as Lord. All women and men are equal in Christ and the fulfillment of His desire is that all be brought to repentance.

Since Christ Jesus shed His blood for all what reason is there for division? I can find only two in scripture. The first, sexual immorality on the part of a brother or sister; and that too is born from God's desire for their repentance. That thereby, Satan may sift them and cause them to be sickened by the sin that is certain to destroy them. The other is that of a false prophet, one who desires a following for himself and attempts to place himself between Jesus and others. In all others instances, if Jesus is being preached, even in terms that differ from our own, then we have unity in Jesus. Spiritually, we are separated from the world in Him and we have no need to separate ourselves physically from those who have yet to be brought to repentance. In Jesus there in no room for elitism.

Since God has been long-suffering in His pursuit of me, I pray that I also be made to be long-suffering towards others, as Jesus is being formed in me. In all my brothers and sisters, I will listen for the voice of Jesus in the things they do and say. In Jesus only do all the various voices of believers harmonize.

Lord Jesus, make us patient to listen for Your voice in the words of one another and may each of us follow Your voice only. By Your work in us, may we be slow to pass judgement and quick to willing love those who are not like ourselves. I pray that you would open our eyes that we might see You in each other and discontinue bickering over our own limited and growing understanding of You. Continue to mold us and perfect us as in You we continue to grow and find our very being only in You. In Your Holy Name,Jesus, Amen.