LET’S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER (Cont.)

There have been many efforts to unify through the years but they were usually beleaguered with vain illusions of a fix without any substantive change.  Without revelation from God conventional thinking rules.  We fail to think outside the proverbial box so our thinking is scripted and static no matter how much rhetoric we dress it up with.  One graphic example of this dates back to 1948 when “eight Pentecostal denominations sent representatives to Chicago to explore the possibility of interdenominational Pentecostal cooperation and fellowship.”  What was the result?  A constitution was adopted with the anemic purpose of giving “expression to the inherent principles of spiritual unity and fellowship…leaving inviolate the existing forms of church government adopted by its members and recognizing that every freedom and privilege by a church or group of churches shall remain their undisturbed possession.”  My oh my that’s substantive isn’t it?  Hardly!  Talk about setting sail with the anchor still down.  This certainly was it.  We want to give the church a new pair of pants and perhaps change its shirt and expect it to act differently.  But the problem is far far deeper than any cosmetic fix.  How do you give “expression to the inherent principles of spiritual unity and fellowship”, whatever that means, without tinkering with the church’s constitutions and so-called “freedoms and privileges.”  Such superficial solutions are no better than the semantics used to describe them; neutered, impotent semantics and nothing more; give the man a pink lapel ribbon for the appearance of concern and let’s move on. There are other examples of such superficiality that always amount to little more than a loud bark with no bite.  Sleep on little doggie!  One writer on unity notes, “The important thing is coming into unity with God through Jesus Christ our Lord, not coming to understand or profess any of Paul’s personal expressions of truth.”  Honestly, what is that supposed to mean?!!  Seriously!  In any true biblical and traditional sense the latter defines the former.  It’s the writings of scripture through such men as the apostle Paul that define what “coming into union with God through Jesus Christ our Lord” involves and looks like.  Outside of that context it is purely a matter of personal opinion and conjecture and we certainly don’t need more of that in the church especially on an issue so vital as this!  

     We have got to come to grips with the  huge areas of insecurity deeply rooted in the leaders of sectarianism, any substantive change in thinking will not only require a change in understanding but character.  Another author makes this interesting remark about the cause of unity, but again is far from substantive.  He notes, “It is not in the further rejection of truth that the divisions of Christianity can be healed, but in the sincere acceptance of what has been discarded; the remedy lies in the return of all dissenters to the Catholic church.”  While this author stepped up to the plate well he struck out like the legendary mighty Casey.  With such misguided remedies as these it is little wonder that this issue has gone unresolved.  Thank God we still have the scriptures!

     Satan is never without his evil strategies; corrupting foundations and undermining first principles he soon owns an entire movement.  Roman Catholicism as a system bit the serpents fruit and came up a loser; altering doctrine and embracing idolatry it was quickly neutralized.  Likewise Protestantism as a system ( Yes we play no favorites here ), bit the serpents fruit and fell prey to division and has been its slave ever since.  Two systems, two strategies; both incredibly successful.  Martin Luther reportedly said, “Do not call this work after my name”, but the Israel of his day wanted a king and they got it in Martin Luther.  This same disgusting sin has pervaded Protestantism ever since.  Like the “high-places” of the Old Testament, it just hasn’t come down.  It’s the leaven that leavens the whole lump and the whole is certainly leavened.  Every time another division of the church is begun, another stripe is laid across the back of Christ.  He suffered to end this, not promote it!

     This is also a matter of faith. There are so many today who refuse to believe that unity is even possible in the church this side of heaven.  Much more will be said about this later but such notions are almost childish in light of scripture.  Jesus Himself prayed, “That they may be one, just as we are one…so that the world may know that you sent me..”(Jn.17:22-23).  Even on a basic level how is the world going to know that Christ was sent by the Father if our unity isn’t seen on earth?  You just don’t have to think very deep to come up with that question.  Even the apostle Paul in writing to the Ephesians spoke of the church having the “unity of the Spirit” and “the unity of the faith” as a result of the ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph.4:3,11-13).  The whole context of that section of scripture implies this side of heaven.  Are we really to believe that this matter of unity was somehow not central to the cross of Christ or that somehow it was overlooked or considered unnecessary to the church’s testimony on earth?  Are we to believe that Christ’s sacrifice was just to weak or God’s grace to small to remedy this matter?  If not, then just what are we to believe?  Many in the world and in Christendom view this matter of the church’s division as shear hypocrisy undermining the integrity and honesty of our message.  Do we just write those concerns off as nonsense and go on pretending?  Do we really think this isn’t a matter of grave concern to God?  And what are the ramifications of all our divisions.  How much fragmentation, jealousies and offense have been set loose throughout our towns as a result of the church sleeping on its watch on this issue? More next article.

Luther Canon
Sola Scriptura