Peter Sammons explores the question of true – and false – unity amongst those who call themselves Christians. A three part article. PART 3…..
Witness
In our first two articles, we queried what unity means and what we should be aiming for in seeking true unity – a broad church that yet treads ‘a narrow pathway’, in Jesus’ own words. Now we turn to think about those outside the traditional churches, the unsaved. We cannot avoid the supremely important question of witness to the unsaved.
Possibly this is the most pressing question of all. If the unsaved perceive your church as being in-hock with other “churches” which “preach” theologies and live out praxis widely divergent to the witness of the Spirit and of Scripture, then they will likely be confused and (probably) led to wrong conclusions. Potentially, they will reject Christ on the basis of the evident confusion and double-standards caught up with false teaching. Paul alluded to such confusion in 1 Corinthians 14:8
if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?
Indeed! If the institutional ‘churches’ are sending out blended messages, compromising on Scripture, grieving the Spirit and ‘parsing’ the truth, then people beyond the church will rightly reject it.
Incidentally, where the institutional ‘churches’ have compromised on truth by “listening to” the world, has this arrested its decline – or accelerated it? We do not have to think too long about where the institutional churches have, in recent decades, adopted the world’s norms on e.g., interfaith-multifaith, divorce and remarriage, abortion, carnal proclivities, gender politics, environmental politics etc. Yet these churches’ progressive decline remains steady. Not so the remnant church, but that is another matter entirely!
How ironic, perhaps, that whilst the institutional churches in the West have tried ever more desperately to become seeker friendly and culturally ‘relevant’, and yet experienced only decline, by contrast the religion that is wholly counter-cultural – at least in the West – has enjoyed steady growth. Being culturally- normative and seeker-compromised (which is what ‘seeker friendly’ can easily become) has simply not worked. It never will.
(Are the institutional churches a bit like the European Union?! Whenever the EU suffers a major political reverse, the cry goes up, the only answer is more Europe – at a time when this seems to be the one strategy and outcome that electorates across Europe have largely rejected. The institutional churches equivalent cry seems to be more compromise under the thin guise of intensified “listening” to “the experience” of those opposed to the gospel).
Big Issues
There are essentially three issues where an honest appraisal of the present trajectories of differing institutional “churches” suggests (if not demands) a consequent parting of their ways sooner or later. First, and simply, is the melding of the religions. This is a favoured policy of Pope Francis and, coincidentally, of some other “church” leaders. The term I use for this is “Godism” and the growth within the institutional churches of Godism (or perhaps, to be more correct, of Godist philosophy) is today pronounced within the various denominations.
The second is the whole question of mankind’s carnal proclivities versus God’s one flesh ordinance.
The third issue is the more traditional question that rejoices under the technical term sacerdotalism – but really this question boils down to the imposition of “priest” between Man and God. Moreover, sacerdotalism represents a fundamental rejection of the Lord Jesus’ victory on the Cross and the specific symbolism of that torn curtain in the Jerusalem Temple (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). If you are unaware of the question of sacerdotalism then this free resource will be helpful: https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/BibleStudent/30_SACERDOTALISM.pdf
In terms of Churches Together many believers are on the back foot. Do they believe in and acknowledge the Pope as Christ’s representative on earth (and in his policy of melding with the world’s religions)? Of praying to the saints? Of ‘absolution’ by the ‘priest’, and of purgatory? And what did Jesus mean when He said “call no man on earth father” (Matthew 23:9)? Is this Jesus’ anticipation of, and warning against, the imposition of ‘priest’ betwixt Man and God? What indeed are the dangers of sacerdotalism?
The three big issues are not ones that can be swept under the carpet as though they are unimportant. They are absolutely foundational to what it means to be a Christian, a disciple of Christ, and the fundamental proposition of God to Mankind – summed-up in two simple words – gospel, and grace.
Where differing “churches” follow different pathways on these issues – rather than the single, narrow pathway that leads to life – then it is fair to say that they are offering to a needful, sick, broken and rebellious world “another gospel” and a false gospel (Galatians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:4). This is a serious charge!
Good News!
So why do we seek “unity” with such churches? Why do we pretend we can paper-over the cracks on these fundamental questions, and what message(s) do such compromises send out to a world in desperate need of Jesus?
The good news is that the good news is – good news! It is not the “bad news” that the world at large persuades itself that it must be. It is the good news that Jesus really has laid down His life for His sheep as The Good Shepherd. Jesus has accepted the punishment that should have fallen on me (and you!) and paid the debt that we owe. All we have to do is to believe on Him and follow Him. No false unity needed – I am forever unified with my Saviour AND with my true brothers and sisters.
Be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit, but even more assuredly be eager to fulfill Jesus’ “great commission” to His church (Matthew 28:16-20). Praise God!
Peter Sammons is commissioning editor at Christian Publications International. Relevant to this article his books “The Empty Promise of Godism” (2009), “Rebel Church” (2013) and “The Prince of Peace” (2015) are freely downloadable:
https://christian-publications-int.com/default-65.html?ID=78
https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/RebelChurch.pdf
https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/PRINCE_20141110_FINAL.pdf
Recent Comments