Does God care about Denominational differences? As a Protestant and Catholic household, we are aware of the differences between our two Denominations, but as Christians we are also well aware that we are bonded by a common belief that Jesus death and resurrection is the source of our salvation. We also believe that we will be together in Heaven.

For my part I feel that the God I love and serve would not turn her away at the Gates of Heaven simply because we chose to worship him in differing ceremonial settings, and I am sure she feels the same. We both serve the same YHWH Elohim.

To my feeble mind if  an all knowing God were concerned with this and if it had Eternal consequence, Jesus and God would have made that crystal clear in the Bible. 

In my study the only Scripture in the King James version I find which even remotely addresses this is:


  1st Corinthians 3:5  through 13  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 


AS I read these Scriptures Paul is not saying, that any of these are wrong, as long as they are based upon the salvation provided by Jesus Christ. Please correct me if I have drawn an erroneous conclusion.

As far as the teachings of Jesus himself go, all I find is:


  John 4:21 through 24  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 


Again as I understand the Scriptures Jesus is not telling them that their worship is incorrect, but what is incorrect is that they need to worship God in their spirit and in truth. Again, if I have drawn an erroneous conclusion. Please let me know.

If my conclusions are correct God does not care about,  which church house you worship him in, only that you worship him in spirit and in truth.
What saves a person is God's salvation that He has procured for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the faith that trusts in this grace of God (cf. Ephesians 2:1-10).  That is, we have faith that God, in His mercy, has saved us through Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life (cf. John 11:25-27).  The "Church" is the body of believers which is therefore united in this faith in Christ.  

However, we obviously see in this world that the Church is not visibly united; i.e. there are denominations and differences among these denominations.  

I think the Reformation distinction between the "visible" and "invisible" church is helpful here (see http://bookofconcord.org/defense_6_church.php ).  There is one, holy, universal Church spread throughout the whole world and time; this Church is united in Christ, having been redeemed by his blood and brought to faith in him for her salvation.  Since we can not "see" a person's faith, however, this Church is "invisible."  God knows who are His, though.  

This "invisible" Church is also an article of faith, because we don't see unity in the Church on earth.  Instead, what we see on earth is the "visible" Church that is often divided, has non-believers in it, and possessed of various faults.  Denominations are an unfortunate result of the fact that we are fallen creatures and remain sinners, even though we have been redeemed and saved by Christ from this sin.  

Thus, we of the Church are both saints and sinners at the same time (the Reformation phrase is "simul justus et peccattor").  We are members of the "one holy catholic and apostolic Church" that we confess we believe in through the Nicene creed.  Yet, at the same time, sin still intrudes into our relationships with each other in the Church, creating divisions. 

When Christ returns, though, all these differences and separations will be undone and we will be truly united.  Adam and Eve's original sin introduced separation between humanity and God, among humanity, and between humanity and creation.  When Christ returns all these fallen relationships will be completely restored, even as they are now partially restored in the Church.  We will then have perfect communion with God, each other, and all creation (cf. Revelation 21:1-5).

So, the question naturally arises: "Why belong to a denomination at all?"  I would answer that if we believe that we are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ, then we tend to congregate with other Christians who we feel best proclaim and teach this Gospel.  This is another reason why there are denominations: we have differences of opinion as to how to best do this.  We all seek to be "orthodox" (i.e. proclaim a "right praise" of God), yet we are not perfect in this life.  So, I am a Lutheran of the LCMS (www.lcms.org), yet I am still united in Christ with Catholics, Methodists, ELCA Lutherans, Baptists, Greek Orthodox, etc...  But, when Christ returns we will all perfectly sing his praises together (cf. Rev. 19:6-8).  



A short article about how Martin Luther and John Calvin's thoughts on the "visible" and "invisible" Church derive from St. Augustine's thinking is at:  http://www.augnet.org/?ipageid=2196

A great hymn that speaks to the unity we have in Christ and touches on the "visible" and "invisible" Church is "The Church's One Foundation" (http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/LSB2006/644 )