Look at the history of God's people, recorded in Scripture, and throughout history. Then I look at my personal life.
How does God put up with us?
We get some of it right, but we sure do get a lot of it wrong.
Apply this perspective to our varying forms of doing church. I suspect all 30,000 + denominations are off base in a range of areas. But as I've visited different church traditions, I get a sense that God is active and working in the lives of many of these people. I'm pretty sure each group has got some wrong theology. Many have missed the focus of works, living out their faith, being living examples of who Christ is. Many have traded in a personal relationship with the living God for some form of religion. And many have lost their true love for their Lord.
But within each of these attempts at being Christ's church, I believe God is still present and active.
Why would God bless the work of people who have got it so wrong?
How can God Work through institutions that have wrong teachings, actions, or have lost their love for Him?
How can God work through institutions that maintain and promote divisions within His one body?
I think it's the same grace and mercy that I know God extends to me daily that he also extends to others. God must be OK loving us even when we get it wrong. He must be OK working in and through us, even when we make a mess of it all.
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