If someone were to ask you what distinguishes you as a Christian from everyone else? Maybe your reply would be, “I believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior of the world. He died for my sin so that I might live.” Ok, that’s great. Good for you. You have received eternal life, but does anyone really notice? Are you really any different from your well-intentioned neighbor? There is something to be said about living what you believe and there is an essential quality of conduct that is mandated in order to be a real “Christian.” A lot of people talk big about their faith but they don’t walk very far with it. We like to act like we are pious and hold the truth and proclaim the good news and teach others the way of righteousness, but we are failures at abiding by our own lessons. Our old man tendencies do not quickly die and they can be resurrected with the greatest of ease.

We have forgotten what is most important, what is at the very foundation of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote concerning this very matter. When addressing the spiritually zealous Corinthian church he said,

It did not matter how spiritually inclined, spiritually zealous, or spiritually enlightened the believers in Corinth had become. All forms of spiritual piety (e.g. speaking in tongues), words of prophetic wisdom (e.g. prophecy), and sacrificial services (e.g. martyrdom) was like a discordant sound of clattering metal because they were contending against each other. Their pride had blinded them from seeing the error of their ways. They cared more about themselves than the building up of the church.

I find a lot of similarity with this problem in Corinth in the way that many Christians act toward each other today. A. W. Tozer’s comment cuts to the heart of the issue: “The very truth that makes men free may be and often is fashioned into chains to keep them in bondage. And never forget it, there is no pride so insidious and yet so powerful as the pride of orthodoxy.” I am not sure one could make it any clearer, more distinct, and yet more horrifying. The very truth that Christians profess to uphold is often quickly turned into a sparring match fueled by the pride of thinking they are right (“the pride of orthodoxy”).

We set up camps against each other. “Outsiders” are no longer designated as those who don’t believe. No Sir! It has now become a colloquial term for those who do not agree exactly with “us”…those who are not on our side of the river, those who do not subscribe to our teachings, and those who are not doing what we do. The most insidious attitude is the prideful spirit who boasts in themselves and raises their doctrines to a level of almost divinely inspired. They may not have to even speak a word against those they call “outsiders” and yet they sneer under their breath and hurl great contempt with a flicker in their eyes. Like a silent destroyer, this pride cripples and sometimes desolates the health of the church.

We insult Christ when we exalt our “camp” in the name of orthodoxy. Such pride undercuts the very fabric of the gospel and unknowingly we find ourselves fighting against Christ rather than for him. We attempt to tear apart what he has joined together all for the sake of pointing at ourselves and allegedly laying claim to truth. Do we do it intentionally? Likely not. Do we care that we do it? Probably not so much so because we feel we are in the right and we have the truth and that is what is most important. This poisonous charade of false Christianity is the toxic waste oozing from the pride of orthodoxy. Very little is more damaging and hurtful to God’s people than the sting of pride. As John Wesley said, “There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him.” Remember, we very well might be right on some account, but we still can be dead wrong. Don’t act like we know all the truth and parade ourselves (and our camp) around acting so haughty. Don’t make that mistake! ~JW