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Before He
surrendered Himself to be tormented and crucified, the Lord
Jesus prayed to the Father:
I have
given them your word, and the world has hated them because
they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to
the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world,
but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not
belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. Just as you
sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may
be sanctified in truth.
I ask
not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who
will believe in me through their message, that they may all be
one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also
be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent
me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so
that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me,
that they may become completely one, so that the world may
know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you
have loved me. (John 17:14-23)
All true
believers are already one in Christ, and this unity is by the
one Spirit that we’ve all received. Yet sometimes our
attitudes toward other believers are not Christian at all. We
too often see other brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ as
our enemies.
The body of
Christ has two legs, not just one. The body has two hands,
two eyes, two ears, not just one. The reason we have two of
these various members is that we need balance and perspective
as a body.
If God
accepts a person or a group of people, who are we to reject
them in our ignorance and stupidity? Shall we choose to
remain superficial in faith and obedience toward God? Shall
we continue to remain weak and isolated when Christ has
already made us one with every other born-again saint of God?
Too many
believers spend very little time actually sharing their faith
with Christians from other churches. Too many “leaders” in
Christian denominations are jealous of each other, competing
for members. They see others as doctrinal enemies. Instead
of being godly spiritual leaders, they act more like military
commanders urging God’s people to war against their own
brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
There is a
very real war going on in this universe, and on this planet.
But as long as Christians are wasting their time and resources
fighting against other believers, they never threaten the real
enemy, and the battles they do fight only help to weaken the
faith of God’s people. In the mean time, the darkness
remains, and souls in need of God’s perfect light in Jesus
Christ will never see it – because the believers are too busy
attacking each other.
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A very sincere pastor told me once that
he'd been taught in seminary that any real Christian
fellowship must be centered on doctrinal unity and purity --
you can only fellowship with those who think like you do.
Thankfully, the Spirit of God had opened his eyes to the truth
of God.
The
differences in perspective that often separate Christian
groups are often given by the very Spirit of God, as He does
His own work of grace in the body of Christ and in each local
group of believers. We must learn that doctrinal difference
is not a reason to hate or fight. The differences are given
by God to help us keep our balance as the larger body of
Christ.
If we have
Jesus Christ in common with other saints of God, then we
already have everything in common we will ever need. It is
foolish to think that every believer will have the exact same
insights that we do.
But isn’t
this idea of Christian unity the same as the ecumenism found
in the world’s thinking?
Absolutely
not. Anyone really familiar with the ecumenical principles
and practices of liberal and modern religious organizations
knows that they are aimed at removing any and all doctrines,
statements and convictions from member organizations that
differ from those found in other members. In other words they
are working, through dialogue and reeducation, to make
everyone say and believe the same things. True Christian
unity does not require every group or every believer to say or
think or feel the exact same things on every issue.
I say this
even though Paul writes to Corinth:
Now I
appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there
be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same
mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by
Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers
and sisters. (1 Corinthians 1:10,11)
Why would
Paul say such a thing? Because the group he was writing to
were essentially one group of believers. And among any one
group, there must be unity of mind and purpose. There should
not be division.
So then, if
you’re a member of a Baptist church, you should preach, teach
and believe as the Baptists do. To say, think or do otherwise
would very likely cause trouble. And if you are part of a
Pentecostal church, you should be a Pentecostal believer from
the inside out. If you are a Roman Catholic, then speak and
behave yourself as a true Roman Catholic believer in Jesus
Christ. And so on.
Real
Christian unity is the unity of the Spirit of God. It does
not begin with the human brain, the human ability to
understand anything, so it cannot be based on human
reasoning. True Christian unity is not about specific
doctrines, so long as our faith is centered squarely on Jesus
Christ as He is presented to us by the Holy Spirit and
revealed for us in the Bible.
Continue to part 2 |