Do You Love Christians Who You Disagree With? - Jesse Barrington

How you respond to that person

who disagrees with
your doctrinal position;

how you respond to that person

who comes to a different conclusion

on how you should educate your children

or what premarital relationships
should look like;

how you respond to that person

is the evidence and depth of your love

in the local church.

You see, if we just keep
surrounding ourselves

within the church

with little subcultures -

well, we're the homeschooling group.

We're the courtship group.

We're the amillenial group.

We're this group. We're that group.

And anyone who doesn't
agree with you in those areas,

although you do have
union with them in Christ,

that's not good enough
for fellowship anymore.

I won't let my kids be around anyone

who doesn't homeschool.

What are you teaching your children?

That homeschool is more important

than union in Jesus Christ.

I think some of us are
going to wake up one day

and realize we put all
of our hope and faith

in educating our children at home.

Homeschooling doesn't save anybody.

It's Jesus Christ that saves.

And I homeschool my kids.

Listen, I'm not implying

that the love you have

with the group of people
you've surrounded yourself with,

that hold to those same convictions -

I'm not saying it's not love.

It is love. I think it's love.

What I want us to look at is this:

But what's the depth of my love?

And Paul seems to think

the depth of your love is revealed

not with those you've gathered

around yourself who affirm you all day,

but the one who doesn't
see it the same way

and how you treat that brother or sister

is the reality of the depth of your love

for the local church.

Let's look at it in v. 4.

Paul says, "Love is patient."

"Love suffers long."

Assumed in this first characteristic

of love is offense.

He assumes that there's provocation here

between two people.

He assumes there's differences

and disagreements here.

Why do we say that?

Because know this,

you don't have to suffer long with people

who agree with you in
every point of doctrine

and live out the same way you do.

You don't suffer with those people.

You just sit around and affirm each other.

Look how spiritual we are!

Look how unspiritual they are.

I don't suffer long

if you just build me up all day

and agree with me in every area.

That's not suffering.

But Paul says genuine love suffers long.

Genuine love is revealed

in the face of adversity;

in the face of disagreement.

So how long are we suffering

with those who disagree with us

or have offended us

because they haven't come
to the same conclusions?

Well, that's the reality
of the depth of your love.