It’s click bait in a sense, but it’s also designed to get your attention. What the word “Catholic” means is universal. What I’m espousing here is a call to look at the entire body of Christ as a legitimate part of the Church. This is not a call to universalism, where all religions lead to God. That philosophy is true in the sense that we are all going to stand before God at the judgment. No, I am calling for the recognition amongst those who are trinitarian Christians to unite as the body of Christ as king as our Christology is the same and we are worshiping the same Triune God. This teaching is reflected in the Nicene, Apostles, and Athanasian Creeds.

What has been holding this back? I believe the enemy has given us a self righteous tunnel vision regarding who the “real Christians” are. We are like one part of the body saying that only our part, or possibly our system, is really attached to the Head. Others are either lost or only saved in spite of their church. We need to increase our altitude and see the whole Body of Christ and then focus on doing what our body part or system was designed to do to contribute to the well being of the whole.

To do this we need to practice a radical obedience to scriptures like 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and Romans 14:1-12.

1 Corinthians 12:27 (CSB)

Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.

Romans 14:10 (CSB)

But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

There are spiritual barriers to this that we must repent of and actively battle against. These are arrogant assumptions rooted in the need for doctrinal perfection and perceived superiority.

Arrogant Assumption #1 – we are the ones who finally figured out the Bible and if people would just study harder and shed their man made teachings, we would all agree on what the Bible says.

Arrogant Assumption #2 – we are the only ones being truly led by the Spirit, because if they were led this way, they would do things like we do. This is usually manifested in the attitude that more formal or liturgical worship styles are spiritually dead. We mistake reverence for sleep instead of depth.

Arrogant Assumption #3 – others are saved, but they have not arrived at our level of higher knowledge or truly spiritual worship style. This is rooted in comparing ourselves with others instead of following the direction of the Lord about where He wants to place us within His Body. Gnostics promoted such a teaching where they thought they had the higher knowledge. None of us want to end up in Gnosticism!

Arrogant Assumption #4 – we are the real thing and they are the counterfeit. Similar to the others, it is based in spiritual pride and the assumption that we get it and others must be wrong. Spiritual pride is what made Lucifer into Satan. You don’t want to go there!

So what I am calling us to is a truly “catholic” Christianity, where we all not only tolerate and recognize the other parts of the Body of Christ, but actually value and celebrate them! Every baptism is a win. Every sinner rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His Dear Son is a cause for celebration! In short, if someone meets the criteria of Romans 10:9-10, they are a brother or sister in Christ! We don’t have to be exactly alike in belief or practice. A body doesn’t work that way. We are all learning and growing. Rejoice in that and have joy in the journey. There are plenty of sinners to go around. Start focusing on reaching the truly lost instead of wasting energy fighting one another. We need to avoid being an autoimmune disease where parts of the body attack each other.

Fight the good fight of faith and contend for the Gospel by accurately teaching who Jesus is and what He has done. Where Jesus places people in His Body, including those He moves around within the Body, is His business. Focus on doing what you were called to do and the body will grow to the full stature of Christ!