One of the biggest things I've seen rising up in the church of late is both disputations in general (ie, infighting over petty things) and about specific things like spiritual gifts.  For example, in regards to spiritual gifts some, like myself, claim that the bible says that no gift is for everyone.  Some have greater numbers of users than others, and some less, depending on the needs and maturity of the believer and the body as a whole.  Others believe that some gifts are for everyone, such as helps, tongues, leadership, etc, while others say that all gifts are for everyone.  Some say that sign gifts died in the first century as they're no longer needed, others that they're around today.

Some say that all spiritual gifts are given at the moment of salvation while others disagree and say they must be earned, and some say it's a blend of the two with some given at salvation and others earned later.  I have a simple answer for this.  And this isn't the only thing people in the church argue about.  Some argue about clear cut doctrine listed in the bible that speaks of full immersion baptism vs sprinkling or infant baptism.  Others try to shove camels through pinholes in regards to doctrines that have one, perhaps two verses attached to them.  In some cases they don't even argue about things in the bible.  They have great big fights and church splits over what color to paint the chapel.  Well, I have one answer to this problem.

STOP ARGUING!!!!

Seriously.  Stop arguing.  I'm not kidding.  By arguing you are doing the devil's work.  What do I mean by this?  The dragon, the great deceiver, the snake of the garden, the demon of all demons, the great Satan himself, Lucifer, is a divider.  He divides and destroys anything he can get his hands on.  Why?  Well, partially because that's his nature, and partially because he does it to spite God who is the great uniter.  And if you think I'm joking, just look at the church.  Where God is preeminent and supreme in the lives of the believers, even the bitterest enemies have become the greatest of friends.  But where man's ways and man's doctrines (which are really the doctrines of demons) are preeminent, there is divisions, strifes, disputes and much worse.  Namely, rampant sin.

Were you, as a believer, saved out of sin for this?  Were you saved from Hell to be the next Genghis Khan?  Is it your job, like that of Islam, to conquer the whole world and enslave them to your ideology, or your way of thinking!?  Is that what Christ came to this Earth for?  Is that why Christ took your sins upon the cross!?  Is that why He suffered such a horrible, wretched, painful, torturous crucifixion just so we could walk around like a bunch of over stuffed peacocks strutting around like we and our oh so treasured traditions are the most important thing that's walked this Earth since the dawn of time?  Really?  Are you greater than God?  Are you so important that you think you and your "traditions" are above the very God who made you!?

I hate to break it to you, but if you believe that, you are firmly in the camp of the Devil.  Even if you are only casually resting on the edge of that, you are STILL in the camp of the Devil.  Perhaps not in the center, but to be ANYWHERE within its border is to be at enmity with Christ.  We are not saved out of this world to be peacocks.  We are saved out to be ambassadors for Christ, to reach the lost, and to take the gospel to the world.  If you are not reaching the lost, why are you even here?  In fact, I would question if you're even really saved, or merely going through the motions.  There's far too many hypocrites in our pews just "going through the motions", feeling good about themselves, but never ever truly being saved or truly doing the work of God that He gave us.

Remember the great commission?  That's not an optional passage.  That's a standing direct order from God.  If you're not witnessing, and I don't mean just in your walk or your life, I mean literally getting out there, boots on ground reaching the lost for Christ, then you're sinning and blatantly disobeying a direct order from God!  If you're more worried about who is going to make it to the final four, than about all the billions of lost souls that wander this world, you've got a bit problem.  If you're worried more about your bank account than your commission, you've got a big problem.  If you're worried more about the bug stains on your car, or the color of your dress, or the way others think about you, then you've got a big, big problem.

Disputations in the church are destructive.  They make us focus on ourselves far, far too much, and so little on the one who deserves ALL our attention and ALL our praise and ALL our service.  That's why Satan wants us to fight over the little jots and tittles, how the I's are dotted and the T's crossed.  He knows that a united church is a powerful church that WILL destroy him.  But if he can divide it and keep it divided, it becomes weak and he can then easily overthrow it.  In some ways the disputations of today remind me of the church of Ephasus who lost their first love.  God first loved us so much, so beyond measure, that He gave us Jesus to die for us and take away our sin.  Yet we're worried about stupid things that really, in the bigger picture don't matter?

Some might argue and say, "But this is in the bible and therefore we need to obey it!"  I agree.  If it's in the bible, we need to obey it, with one caveat.  When Jesus came He did away with certain things and replaced them with others.  For example, the civil and ceremonial law of Moses was done away with when Jesus rose on the Feast of First Fruits, the day we call "Easter" in the west.  (Easter is actually the pagan rather than the proper name for that day)  So we don't go out and stone people for adultery or being gay.  We don't do an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth.  We love our enemies, and bless those that curse us.  We show what true love is because Jesus truly loved us first.  But how much do you really show your love for others?

Do you go out and witness to others?  Do you go down and feed the homeless?  Do you care for the sick?  Do you sacrifice what you have so that others who have nothing can be given what they need?  Really, ask yourself that.  Then go look at your pocket book.  Where do you spend most of your money?  Is it on video games?  Oh, wait, what about that new iPhone or your 52" TV?  Come on, people.  Reality check here.  This world is NOT our home.  We are just passing through, as the old gospel hymn liked to say.  We're ambassadors for the kingdom of God.  But really we're probably also some of the worst ambassadors in history.  Too many want sugary feel good sermons and fancy cars, big bank accounts, and lots of pleasure.  Yet look at what Paul went through for the gospel.  

2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (KJV) - "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."

That sure doesn't sound like the cushy, sugary, comfort filled life.  That sounds like suffering, pain, sacrifice, persecution, and worse.  If you want the soft, cushy, comfy life, then go back to the world and enjoy your brief season of sin, because it'll be all the comfort you get as you slowly slip down into Hell to writhe and suffer in agony for all eternity.  It also sounds like you love and care more for yourself than for anyone else, including Jesus.  If you can't love others, if you're divisive, prejudice, greedy, selfish, and worse, I would seriously check your salvation, because you're likely one of the tares, a "Churchian" as some have called it.  IE, one who lives in the church but isn't of the church.

Really, if you really are saved, and you really are a Christian, a follower of Christ, you need to start loving others unconditionally just as Jesus loved and still loves you.  All this fighting is pointless.  Yes, we're all going to have disagreements.  We're all going to have disputations on the bible.  But I have a simple solution to that which someone once taught me.  Where there is much spoken, great attention must be paid.  But where there is little spoken, very little must be laid.  In other words, if there's only a couple verses, a little here and a little there, don't go to war over it.  If the bible doesn't speak much about it, then the details are of little value in the larger picture.

Focus your attention on the big stuff and let the little stuff go for another time.  Or as some people aptly put it, let's agree to disagree, because if the bible doesn't talk much about it, then it's probably not a big issue.  For example, people will fight and argue and dispute bitterly over sign gifts, how they work, if they're for today, and the like, and yet there's maybe five verses that covers this, whereas there's 35 verses just on the deity of Christ.  Or for that matter, four entire books on Jesus Christ, not counting all that's in the gospels, or the old testament even.  Think about that.  Half a dozen verses on one thing vs thousands on another.  If the bible is generally silent on something, then it's probably best if we too keep silent on it.  But if the bible is loud, we should in turn be loud.

God has given us His word, and in His word is guidelines for how we should live, both in direct, clear words, and in evidences all throughout it.  So really, let's just stop fighting over the petty stuff, and trying to shove camels through pinholes, and instead focus on the important things, those which Jesus came to this Earth for.  Namely the souls of all men and women on this planet.  Our primary focus should be loving everyone, and our primary mission sharing that love, through the Gospel, to every corner of the globe.  Our time on this world is short to begin with, but as the end days, even the last of the last of the last days draws to a close, the very last seconds of time, we need to work, to reach others for the gospel, to reach out to the lost and bring them to salvation before time runs out and the door is closed to them forever.

So let's not fight, nor divide ourselves.  Let's reach out to the world, to others, to those who need Jesus.  Let us be humble, sacrificial, loving, giving and, most importantly, working for Jesus and reaching the lost of this world, no matter who they are, even your worst, most bitter, most hated enemy, and share the love of Christ and all He did for them, and bring the gospel to every corner of the world.  Let's go in love, united, together, following and obeying the great commission as Christ has called us to do.