Today in the political world the use of titles is done to place one’s opponent into a different light. Things like “Tea party”, right wing and ultra conservative signal a bad person. Once these titles are used and accepted then anyone who is conservative in their views becomes a bad person. Do you believe for example that abortion is wrong? What if you object to same sex marriages? Do you believe the government should just print up money if there is nothing to back it with? Do you believe that the government should be able to confiscate your firearms? Well guess what, you are a bad person.
The trouble we get into is when it moves itself into the religious realm. Jesus promised to build His church before He was ever rejected by men (Matt. 16:18). In fact, His rejection caused His blood to be shed and the blood was used to purchase the church. The church, therefore, is not some afterthought in the mind of God. The next promise by God on that day was that He would give to the apostles, the keys to the kingdom (Matt. 16:19). Those keys used by the apostles would make it evident about what was loosed and what was bound.
The church today in many locations has lost its identity. The pulpits are filled with men whose stock and trade is loosing where God has not loosed. They are guilty of the sin of presumption that led to the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1,2). Such men like their predecessors Hymenaeus and Alexander have made a shipwreck out of their faith (I Tim. 1:19,20). They can engage in any number of sins because “they have found grace, a new toy”. Paul still asks the question, can we continue in sin because of grace?
What if you oppose their use of mechanical instruments in their singing in public worship? You will become known as a “knucklehead” or some right wing ultra conservative. Given enough time they would characterize you as being some poor little Christian who has not grown in your faith. Where does the sin of presumption come from? It comes from an attitude that says God does not care if I tamper with His Word. We can invest a good deal of time and assign such titles as liberal or conservative. Brethren it does not matter if one is on the far left or the far right, none of us have the authority to leave the Word of God.
Do you believe it is wrong to have a common meal in the same building where you worship God? Do you believe if the congregation is served the fruit of the vine out of more than one cup that you are sinning? Individuals who hold to these and similar positions would say then, “Oh, you are a liberal”. The use of titles then places people into a grouping which does not reflect their faith in God. Being called a “liberal” or an “anti” are just titles which may or may not reflect what people are. The actions and doctrine promoted will reveal that one has left the way of God to the left or to the right.
This mindset often will lead one to believe that everyone will be saved as long as they believe in God. This is not what the Bible teaches. One must obey Christ in order to be saved (Heb.5:9). If you bind where God has not bound, I can have fellowship with you as long as you do not bind it on me. If you lose where God has not loosed then fellowship could not be enjoyed.
The reason being that in order to loose you must reject the Word of God as your authority. Whereas, someone who sees the need to bind something in their own life is still connected to the Word of God. If you bind on me you have left the Word of God. Titles place people into groups. It is time for us all to be just “Christians.”