Disagreement is nothing new. From Genesis 4 onward, people have experienced conflict with one another. Cain and Abel. Jacob and Esau. Paul and Barnabas. Jews and Gentiles. Even the early church wrestled with disagreement. Human beings will always have differences of opinion, personalities, backgrounds, levels of understanding, and convictions. God has not made us carbon copies of one another. Each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” in God’s image (Psalm 139:14), which means we each reflect Him in unique ways.
However, Jesus made one thing unmistakably clear: our greatest goal is not to be right but to love others. He summarized the Law and the Prophets with these words: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart… and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). Later, He told His disciples, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love is not optional for the follower of Christ—it is essential. If love is absent, we fail to demonstrate that we truly belong to Him.
Today we live in a culture divided by political ideologies, social issues, sexuality, socioeconomic differences, and differing interpretations of Scripture. Sadly, an alarming number of Christians have allowed these differences to become more important than the Gospel. Friendships are ruined. Families are torn apart. Brothers and sisters in Christ attack one another.
There are certainly times when we must stand firmly for the truth. The Bible never asks us to compromise our convictions. But neither does it ever permit us to insult others, make cutting remarks, publicly embarrass people, or celebrate winning an argument at someone else’s expense. We are commanded to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and we are reminded that “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20).
If we find ourselves taking pleasure in criticizing, condemning, or tearing others down, we need to examine our hearts. In Jesus, grace and truth were perfectly united (John 1:14), and they must be united in our lives as well. A follower of Christ will never sacrifice biblical truth, but neither will they sacrifice biblical love. The Spirit of the living God is not displayed by how loudly we argue, but by how faithfully we love.
In Christ,
James