How important are our differences?

1 John 1:8-10

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."


Not long ago God revealed to me that I have spent the majority of my Christian walk judging others who are not walking the exact path that I have been walking as not being as close to God as I believe I am. I have looked at other denominations and have had this prideful belief that because they may not worship in the same manner that I worship they are "missing" something and couldn't possibly know the Redeemer as I do. How arrogant I have been. It has humbled me and sickened me to think that for all these years I have actually believed this. In all reality all that it has done is pushed people away from wanting a relationship with Him.
Whether a person worships silently, with hymns, with contemporary music, with a traditional liturgy or dances up and down with their hands raised should not matter. Our Lord has created each one of us differently and takes the greatest pleasure in any manner in which we worship Him; as long as our hearts in the right place.
Whether you are Baptist, Assembly of God, Catholic, Christian Missionary and Alliance, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Church of God or one of the many other denominations let us focus on the fact that Jesus died for our sins and not on the differences within our denominations.

My sincerest apologies to those of you that I have judged so harshly and like the above Scripture says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

In Him.