We should love our family and our friends.
Does godly love mean we support their misbehavior, quietly endorse their doctrinal errors, and choose a church based on relationships?
Certainly not! That kind of love is a recipe for spiritual and doctrinal disaster. Supporting, endorsing, and acquiescing to error dishonors the Lord, and we ought to love the Lord more than this.
We love our family and friends, but does this mean we eat exactly how they eat? No, of course not.
We love our family and friends, but does this mean we dress exactly like them? No.
We love our family and friends, but do we choose a doctor, career, college, or house simply because it is the same one they chose? Ridiculous.
Then why would we go to a church simply because our friends and family are there? Church is not a family reunion. (More on this)
Yet, this is the main reason why people excuse themselves for going to churches that teach error: their friends and family are there.
Whatever happened to our beloved mother’s advice about not jumping off a bridge just because your friends are doing it?
“If my family comes to my church, am I socially obligated to go to theirs in return?”
Of course not!
Just because your drunk uncle spends a sober dinner with your family, does that mean you are obligated to spend a night sloshed with him? Nonsense.
We love our family and friends. We should love them enough not to support their churches that teach doctrinal error.
In loving them this way we are speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15), and loving the Lord more in the process.
Choose a church based on right doctrine and support it. This is how you communicate truth to your family and friends. Avoid their churches that teach error.
Love your family and friends without compromise and deceit.
For His glory,
Justin “family man” Johnson