Title: The Danger of the Exclusive Heart.

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Scripture focus: 
"Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand." Romans 14:4
"If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."1 John 4:20

Reflection: True Faith Builds Bridges, Not Walls. It is one of the greatest heartbreaks in the Body of Christ when religion is used as a weapon to tear families apart. Across the globe, and notably within vibrant Christian communities like Nigeria, we occasionally see a dangerous trend: sects or denominations that build an altar of exclusivity. They claim a monopoly on salvation, viewing any believer outside their specific fold as "impure" or an "unbeliever."
  When a ministry refuses to fellowship unless they are leading, it ceases to be about Christ's kingdom and becomes about human pride. Even worse is the fruit this mindset produces in the home. When a family member joins such a group and suddenly views godly parents, spouses, or siblings as wretched sinners—cutting off communication and abandoning sacred family covenants—something is fundamentally broken.
  Jesus explicitly warned against this attitude. In Luke 9: 49-50, the disciples came to Jesus, proud that they tried to stop a man casting out demons because "he was not one of us." Jesus immediately rebuked them, saying, "Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you."
  The Bible teaches that the ultimate badge of a true Christian is not a denominational label, a specific dress code, or an isolated doctrine. The true badge is love. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
   If a doctrine teaches a child to honor their sect but dishonor their parents, it violates the Commandment. If it causes a wife to abandon a husband simply over church attendance, it ignores the explicit counsel of 1 Corinthians 7. God's truth brings conviction and righteousness, but it never produces a spirit of arrogance that fractures the home. We must guard our hearts against the temptation to play the judge, remembering that we all stand by the very same grace.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we bring before You the fractures within Your Body. We pray against the spirit of spiritual pride and exclusivity that divides families and breaks relationships. Lord, heal the homes where children no longer speak to parents, and where spouses have turned away from each other in the name of religion.
   Open the eyes of those who have been caught up in doctrines of isolation. Grant them the humility to see Your image in other believers. Help us to stand firm in truth, but let our truth always be clothed in love and humility. May Your Church be known once again by its love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Share your thoughts on this here and please feel free to share this with your contacts. 
©Dr Joel Olanrewaju gbemide09@gmail.com.

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