Whoever is not against Us is for Us

“Teacher”, said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said: “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”

Mark 9:38-40 (TNIV)

We have many different denominations in the Christian church today, many different styles of worship, many different mediums of communicating the Gospel – some contemporary, some very traditional. We have traditions in the Christian church that focus more on God’s Grace; some that focus on helping others; some that are wired simply for evangelism and some that react to a corporate call for justice and peace. We have some churches that excel in music and spend a lot of time and resources on praise and worship songs and some that just sing to God with their own a cappella voice. We have churches where the primary focus is on healing and some that are anchored in the consistent and quiet reverence of tradition and conservatism. Sometimes it is easy to discount and judge other churches that differ from the style of worship in which you and I are most comfortable and enjoy. This verse in Mark is a good reminder to all of us today that the main link that joins all of these sects and denominations together is Jesus Christ and whoever is for Him cannot be against Him. So, as you meet other believers in this world who may be a little different than you in their style of worshiping and celebrating and acting out this wonderful gift of love in their own way; don’t ever judge or look down on them for the way that God is using them, rather, know that if they are not against Jesus then they are for Jesus and that we all are for sharing this great love of God to world who is in desperate need of a Savior.