"Excuse me--your fruit is showing"

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“Excuse me—your fruit is showing” By Diane Webb

Colossians 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

Paul is explaining to the Colossians the danger of accepting rituals and traditions as a replacement for Jesus Christ. Paul is emphasizing Jesus alone is needed for salvation—not rituals or ceremonies. In Leviticus, God gives the children of Israel specific and lengthy instructions for worshiping him which includes rituals. Over time, these rituals and ceremonies of worship became the focal point rather than God. The book of Moses is called “the law” by Jesus (Luke 24: 44). The law includes all the rules and regulations set forth in Leviticus for the Israelites to follow in their worship of God and in seeking atonement for sins. Jesus fulfils “the law” (Matthew 5:17-19) which means the purpose of the law has been concluded. Jesus atoned for our sins once and for all. God encouraged the Israelites in the use of ritual, and ceremony to enhance the experience of worshipping him and to set forth the reverence for God’s presence. It was also important for the Israelites to have a visual representation of the consequences of sin. Once God is present, in the flesh through Jesus Christ, the purpose of the rituals, ceremony, and tradition has been fulfilled. Jesus became the physical manifestation and fulfillment of the consequences of sin—for us. This is not to say beautiful and structured worship services are wrong. With the focus on God, these things can add to a sense of worship and respect. As is true for anything, if we lose our focus, the rules and regulations of worship can become a distraction rather than a means for worshipping God. There is a scene in Angela’s Ashes (a book by Frank McCourt) describing a communion service during his childhood in Ireland. The host (the bread which represents Christ’s body) got scattered and it greatly upset the Priest. It appeared to the young McCourt rather comical because he did not see the bread as the actual body of Christ which the priest did. The young McCourt did not understand why the priest was treating bread crumbs as if it were God himself scattered over the table and floor. Forms of worship vary within the Christian community. Many individuals get upset, angry, or self-righteous over the differences instead of focusing on the common ground—a belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God, who came to the world in the flesh, to save sinners. Perhaps there are so many styles of worship because there are so many types of people. Maybe the Lord, in his infinite wisdom, recognizes the cornucopia of personalities he created. The world is full of the creativity, variety, color, and differences God made. It is logical there would be the same variety, creativity, color, and differences among his worshipers. The division among Christians is one of the greatest victories of Satan. Looking at Paul’s letters to the early churches, there is a theme of unity being encouraged and supported. In the early days of Christianity, the believers lived, fellowshipped, and worshipped together as a family. The body of Christ is the church (Colossians 1: 24). If one part of the body is injured or separated, it will affect the entire body. Try as you might, if one tiny part of your body is injured, you will be aware of it and it will affect the way you operate as a whole. As a Christian, promote unity among the body of Christ. Do not encourage conversations that put down another Christian denomination or individual who attends a church different from your own. Be careful not to judge who is “right’ and who is “wrong” in their style of worship. Avoid the temptation of feeling superior to other churches or other members within your own church. While churches and denominations bicker among themselves like young siblings, the work of Christ is affected. Many differences are not related to the essential gospel of Christ. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are evident among members of all Christian denominations. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are clear evidence of Christ’s presence in a person’s life regardless of the denomination they chose to worship in. Let these signs show you who your brothers and sisters in Christ are rather than a title, label, or style of worship. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

My heavenly Father, help me today to overcome the human tendency to focus on unimportant details. Lead me to a greater understanding of Christ and his church—his body. I pray desperately to never be a tool of division or tearing down of Christ’s church. In Jesus’ name I ask and pray—Amen.