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By Matthew Sorenson
Guest Columnist

I can’t wait to join the church around God’s throne in heaven. There will be no more divisions – no Catholics, Baptists and Lutherans. Just the children of God worshipping God. Along those lines you’ve probably heard it said that all that really matters is that you believe that Jesus died for your sins. That you’re a Christian. While there is some truth to that statement there is also great danger. Allow me to explain. All that will really matter on the last day is that you believe that Jesus died for your sins. That is absolutely true. Full stop. End of discussion.

But all the other things that you believe related to Jesus will impact your walk with Jesus today. That’s really important to understand. Satan introduces false beliefs into our faith to lead us away from God (it worked with Adam and Eve). His goal is to gradually lead us away from Jesus so that on the last day we no longer believe that Jesus died for our sins. 

Our belief system also impacts the people around us. Our false beliefs may not damage our faith but it may destroy the faith of the next generation. Kids are great at spotting our hypocrisy and calling us out for it. Our false beliefs absolutely matter. They’re a danger to us and the people we love!

That’s why the apostle Paul chastised the Corinthian church. Not only were they aware of a brother’s sin they accepted it. Paul writes, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.” (1 Cor 5:6) Do you now know that a little false teaching destroys the whole church? Therefore, Paul tells us to get rid of the false teaching that we may be a new church – without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that we may be holy and without blemish!

Paul even tells us how to do that. “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor 5:7-8) We confess the leaven of malice and evil – our false beliefs – and give those sins to Jesus, our Passover lamb, who died for them so that we can be forgiven, holy and righteous. So that we can celebrate the festival in sincerity and truth every day.

No church has an exclusive claim to the truth. That’s why we need God’s Word. Only God’s Word teaches us the truth that our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). Our hearts divide us. Only under the blood of Christ do we find unity as sinners who have been forgiven. The truth matters.

MATTHEW SORENSON is the pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church. He can be reached at pastor@stjohnsfarmville.org.