You have heard sermons that preach “God is Love”. How can you understand that? Well, in many ways…we can’t fully understand it because describing the emotion of love, even between spouses, is hard to do. Love as an emotion is very hard to explain other than the dictionary definition of it, and like a picture of something magnificent, even that doesn’t quite do it. If you are a parent or a grandparent you know how you feel about your child or a grandchild and by that human feeling you know what love is. But could you describe it or explain it to someone?
Humanity is God’s creation, we are His children because He created each of us with qualities that nobody else has. Each of us on Earth is an individual with the personality and abilities that God placed in us while we were being formed in the womb. His love for us is even deeper than any emotion that we can feel because His love extends into our Spirit and our soul. That is why when John describes heaven, his words fail to express the completeness of it because all of creation is loved by God. Every blade of grass, every flower, every animal, every person on Earth is infused with God’s love.
We can’t imagine a love of that depth, that is why the colors and the beauty of Heaven completely overwhelms those who have had a glimpse of it and were given a chance to tell us what it looks like. Words just aren’t enough to describe His Love that gives life to everything. It was His love that held Jesus on the cross and it was love that brought Him out of the grave. God’s Love for His Son and for us.
I pray that you will look in God’s Word and see His Love for humanity because He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. We send ourselves to hell when we refuse to see Him for the loving Creator and Savior that He is and has always been.
Our country has so many different religions in it. Most are good religions and some do good things all over the world. But when you cling to a “doctrine” that is written by men and then the religion clings to that doctrine as if it came from God’s…then your “church” has a problem. A doctrine can cause all kinds of problems because it is written by men and many of these doctrines don’t have a foundation that comes from the Bible.
Major Historical Doctrinal Conflicts
1. The Great Schism (1054 AD) – East vs. West
Context: The early Christian church was one body for about 1,000 years, but cultural, political, and theological differences grew between the Greek-speaking East (Constantinople) and Latin-speaking West (Rome).
Key Doctrinal Disputes:
Authority: Rome claimed the Pope had universal authority, but the East emphasized a “council of bishops.”
Creed: The West added the phrase “and the Son” (the Filioque) to the Nicene Creed, which the East rejected.
Outcome: Mutual excommunications — and the permanent split into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
2. The Protestant Reformation (1500s)
Context: Martin Luther and others challenged practices of the Catholic Church.
Key Doctrinal Disputes:
Salvation: Catholics taught faith + works + sacraments; Reformers insisted on “faith alone” (sola fide).
Authority: Catholics upheld Scripture + Tradition + the Pope; Protestants held to “Scripture alone” (sola scriptura).
Sacraments: Catholics had seven; most Protestants reduced this to two (baptism and communion).
Outcome: Europe fractured into competing denominations, sometimes violently (e.g., Thirty Years’ War).
3. Baptism & Communion Wars (1600s–1800s)
Even within Protestantism, differences exploded:
Baptists vs. Presbyterians over infant vs. adult baptism.
Lutherans, Calvinists, and later Evangelicals disagreed on what happens during Communion (real presence, spiritual presence, or symbolic).
These weren’t just minor quibbles — they determined who you worshiped with, married, or even trusted politically.
Modern Examples
Catholic vs. Protestant: Still divided on authority, Mary, saints, and the sacraments.
Evangelicals vs. Mainline Protestants: Clashes over biblical interpretation (literal vs. symbolic), morality, and social issues.
Pentecostals vs. Others: Disagreements over spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues.
Why Conflict Endures
1. Truth Claims: If one group is right, others must be wrong — and “wrong” can mean eternal consequences.
2. Identity & Loyalty: Belonging to a denomination often ties into family and culture, not just belief.
3. Power & Influence: Churches compete for members, resources, and legitimacy.
👉 So, doctrine causes conflict because it’s never just “intellectual.” It touches salvation, authority, community, and even politics.
The Living Message of Christ 