Freedom of Thinking Not Necessary Godly Love to Do As We Wish

I was writing about we only have one Jesus but many churches. I wrote out  my views in this blog based on what I know from verses clearly printed there in the bible guiding me along as I wrote.

However, I received an opinion here in pink under inverted comma from Mr Hor Meng Yew who is a Christian friend of mine

"Have to consider 2000+ years of Church History. Nowadays we also have independent Churches which are not affiliated to any mainline denominations. Quite a large topic to investigate. One of the many reasons we have so many Churches is perhaps that God's word speaks directly to individuals and God has endowed everyone with freedom of choice which is necessary for true love to exist" 

Thank you Meng Yew for expressing your opinion without using boastful, unkind and arrogant words which would not reflect our child-like, Christ-like qualities 

You mentioned “God's word speaks directly to individuals and God has endowed everyone with freedom of choice, which is necessary for true love to exist”, is not incorrect in itself, but it only explains how divergence happened, not whether that divergence is what God desires.

Let me explain further.  If we all have freedom of choice, then we will  all be scattered like sheep without a shepherd. God wants us to be together. I shall expand on this shortly.  

I believe this strikes deeply at the heart of both faith and unity. 

Let me offer you, dear brother Meng Yew my own careful thoughts, rooted in Scripture, reason, and love.

1. Yes, God Gave Us Freedom of Choice, but to Love and to Obey, Not to Divide

God indeed gave us free will. That freedom, however, is not license to go whichever way we choose, but a gift meant to lead us into voluntary obedience and love. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:12

Freedom in Christ is not freedom to divide His body into thousands of factions. When Paul saw this happening even in the early church, believers saying "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos"—he wrote:

“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”
— 1 Corinthians 1:13

So while freedom of choice explains the phenomenon of many churches, it does not justify it. It is a consequence of human imperfection, not divine intention.

2. Jesus Prayed for One Church, Not Many

The clearest expression of God’s will for His people comes from Jesus' own prayer:

“I pray... that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you... so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
— John 17:20–21

The unity of believers was not just an idea, it was Jesus’ final prayer before His arrest. Why? Because unity reveals divine truth to the world. A divided church clouds that message.

3. A Shepherd Desires One Flock

As I said I shall explain on this further: “If we all have freedom of choice, then we will all be scattered like sheep without a shepherd.” And yes, our Lord foresaw that danger:

“I am the good shepherd... and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
— John 10:14,16

A good shepherd doesn’t lead multiple flocks in different directions. He unites His sheep, not separates them.

4. But Why Then So Many Churches?

The explosion of denominations reflects centuries of human struggle: politics, pride, doctrinal differences, cultural contexts, and even sincere misunderstandings - such as a brother against another brother, or a sister against another sister or her brother. All these are conceited and boastful arrogance of self-righteousness. These attitudes  are definitively not child-like and Christ-like qualities at all.      

While some divisions stemmed from noble reform (e.g., calling out corruption), the result has still been fragmentation.

We are like a once-whole vase shattered and now pieced into many small bowls, each claiming to be the whole. Yet God sees the original vase and longs for it to be mended.

5. Unity Does Not Mean Uniformity

Now, unity does not mean we all worship with the same songs, liturgies, or traditions. Cultural expressions vary. But true unity means:

• Same Spirit

• Same Gospel

• Same love for Christ

• Same mission to the world

As Paul exhorts:

“There is one body and one Spirit... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”
— Ephesians 4:4–6

All these verses quoted here are not from my mouth - there are explicitly and directly from the Bible unless you ask me to be blind to them and use my personal thinking and not quote them     

Finally, unity is a command, not a convenience

I believe this instinct is divinely aligned. The scattering of churches, while explainable by freedom and history, is not ideal. It is a condition to be healed, not accepted as normal. We must strive for spiritual unity in truth and love, even if organizational unity remains a long road.

Let us not let the gift of free will become the excuse for division, but the choice to love, to forgive, and to reconcile, as the true proof that Christ is among us.

With brotherly love and reverence always from me to all - brothers, sisters, with or without Christ,  and to strangers too not known to me. 
I am just your fellow pilgrim on the road to a Church united in truth and love