by Steve Higginbotham
To many people, Christianity is denominationalism. That’s all they’ve ever known. To many, Christianity consists of “brand names” that identify what “flavor” of Christian you are. But nowhere in Scripture is Christianity presented in such a way. In fact, quite the contrary. Jesus (John 17:20-21) and Paul (1 Corinthians 1:10-13) gave orders not to divide, but to be united. So, is it even possible to simply be a Christian today, nothing more? Can we avoid being entangled in and weighted down by all the trappings and innovations of man which have found their way into religion over the past 2000 years?
The answer is, “yes,” and it can be accomplished by taking an “island approach” to Christianity. What do I mean by that? Suppose there was an isolated island filled with people who knew nothing of Jesus. However, one day a chest washed ashore and contained therein was a copy of the Bible. The islanders began reading this book with great interest. After months of careful study, they came to the point of faith, turned from their sins, confessed their faith in Jesus as the Son of God, were baptized into Christ, and began worshiping God together and committing themselves to the moral standards contained in the Scriptures.
Question: What denomination were these islanders when they obeyed the gospel? What “brand” of Christian were they? It’s a silly question, isn’t it? They would not be a part of any denomination, sect, or party. They would simply be Christians and Christians only.
Now friends, if people on an isolated island can be “Christians Only,” then why can’t we be “Christians Only” in our respective communities? The fact is, we can, and that is our plea! However, it will require that we do what they did…open the Bible, unite on what it teaches, and leave behind all those practices and doctrines that are not found therein.