Dever on Doctrines that Should Not Divide Us

A. J. Gibson (at Gratia et Veritas) posted an excellent excerpt from Mark Dever's sermon on Revelation 20 in which Dever with clarity and scriptural confidence declares that “It’s a Sin to Sever Cooperation with Other Believers over Eschatological Issues.”

I don't do this often on the blog, but permit me to share some of my musings on this issue:

As much as sin and schism grieves the Holy Spirit and weakens the Church it amazes me that God can and does bring glory to himself through our failures.

Through division and dispersion, God's people have historically been spread out for the sake of the advancement of the Gospel. Through conflict and disagreement, believers have been afforded an opportunity to evaluate and discuss what is most essential and what is not. Not that we should be content with disunity and disagreement. However, praise the Lord, the story does not end with us! He will heal all our wounds. He will restore all of our brokenness. He will do all of this "in Christ" "by the Holy Spirit" "to the praise of his glory."

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:20-21

Dever on Doctrines that Should Not Divide Us