March 25, 2010

• Does oneness in Christ mean . . . ?

  Does oneness in Christ mean . . .

  we all have the same gifts?

  we all wear the same clothes?

  we all eat the same foods?

  we all listen to the same music?

  we all join the same political party (or not join a party)?

  we all vote the same way?

  we all have the same mind regarding a piece of legislation?

  we all have the same view of war?

  we all school our children the same way?

  Is the Church not one Body with many members?

  I Corinthians 12:12  For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

  Is not the Body of Christ a reflection of God: one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit?

  Does unity in Christ mean uniformity?

  No. We are all one Body yet we are many members who have all drunk of the same Spirit.

  Doesn't our essential unity come from and reflect the perfect unity in the Godhead, where there's unity but not uniformity? The Father, Son and Spirit: the triune God, one God – yet three Persons. We as individuals and the Church as a whole are to reflect the character of God. As God's Spirit fills us with love for one another, we bring glory to God, for we show His perfect unity in our diversity.

  Though there are three separate Persons, the three Persons of the Godhead are united in a single purpose: to glorify God through exalting Jesus Christ. However each Person has different roles and functions.

  The Father planned salvation.
  The Son enacted the Father's plan.
  The Spirit appropriates salvation.

  So, what is it that makes each one of us a member of Christ's Body?

  Is it our eating habits, our dress, our school choices, our political parties, our view on war, etc., etc.?

  What makes each one of us a member of Christ's Body?

  Is it not our relationship to God the Father by grace through faith in His Son by the work of the Holy Spirit?

  Ephesians 4:1  I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4  There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

  Whenever we are tempted to begin to put down our brothers and sisters in Christ because they hold different views on nonessential matters (and yes, we all will be tempted in that way at one time or another, that's another unity we share...), I pray we would be united in this: that each one of us would stop and pray and open up our Bibles so we might remember the unity we have in Jesus Christ...rather than opening our mouths or our keyboards...

  Since we are many members in the one Body of Jesus Christ, all of us will hold many different views on nonessential matters. That's a truth and it's something to be expected. Look through the New Testament epistles. You see differences. It's a problem that was going on then, but the particulars are a bit different today.

  For example, open up Romans, Ephesians or Colossians. Those letters start off with reminders of our position in Jesus Christ, after which there are specific exhortations as to how our position in Christ will affect our practice, our behavior, how we live our day to day lives, i.e.- how we treat one another. Position → Practice. Our essential position in Christ is that we are one in Christ for the glory of God. The life we share in Christ should and must lead to a love that bears with one another and is able to overlook differences on nonessential matters. In other words, God's Spirit desires to work in us so we might welcome one another for the glory of God and not be divided on nonessential matters.

  You'll also find those "one another" exhortations sprinkled throughout the New Testament: love one another, be kind to one another, bear with one another, forgive one another, etc. Are we to ignore those commandments? Or do we disregard those commandments when our pet project is on the line? Do we love our politics more than Christ? Do we love our opinions more than Christ? Are we willing to divide from our brothers because of our views on nonessential matters?

  In Ephesians 4 right after we've read about the wonderful unity we have in Christ and the reminder for us to be solidly rooted in doctrine, we get those exhortations to speak the truth in love, to be kind to one another and to forgive one another, plus that one telling us not to grieve the Spirit. Have you ever noticed the context there? Many of us say, "Don't grieve the Spirit," but look how the context has to do with unnecessary divisions in the Church, divisions that are not a result of false doctrine. (False doctrine is something we must stand against; that's an essential matter. If our doctrine is wrong, all the rest is certain to go wrong. We have no essential unity if we aren't united on doctrine.)

  We have the Spirit of Christ given to us so we might love one another in spite of our differences. That's a truly supernatural thing! And when we don't love one another as we ought (and as God enables us to do), we are grieving the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.

  How exactly we grieving the Spirit?

  First off, the Spirit dwells in us, so when we are not obeying Christ's command to love one another we are grieving the One who dwells within each of us.

  Second, consider this: Doesn't the Spirit of Christ dwell within all who believe? Therefore, if you're not loving your brother or sister, how can you say you are loving God (see I John), after all the Holy Spirit is God, is He not? If you're not loving your brother or sister for Jesus' sake, you are grieving the Spirit. And yes, if I'm not loving my brother or sister for Jesus' sake, I am grieving the Spirit. *ouch* Yeah, that 2 x 4 hurts. That plank is pretty big, isn't it...far bigger than the speck... *sigh*

  I'm not saying we won't differ on nonessential matters (after all that's the definition of an nonessential, isn't it?), but let's be careful how we hold our differing viewpoints. We are certainly welcome to differ (and we certainly will), but let's remember that as we hold those differing viewpoints and espouse them, let us do so in love and not in a way that causes unnecessary offense. In the end Christ alone should be preeminent, not our own opinions on nonessential matters. As Christians we ought to be know first and foremost for this: that we are lovers of Jesus Christ and His Gospel and our love for one another and our neighbor. The other matters are all secondary. They must be. Christ alone is to have the preeminence in our lives and in the Church. That's what we've all been saved to do: to lift up Christ and Him crucified: the glorious Gospel which saves and apart from which we would have no hope.

  If we begin to litmus test our brothers and sisters on nonessential matters, we've fallen into the trap of legalism. Many of you are evangelical to the core...I know it. I've read some of your posts and comments. I know without a doubt you would never ever insist someone else would worship on a particular day or veil or anything like that...but yet I pray you would examine yourself as I must examine myself. If you're insisting another believer is a fool because their politics are not the same as yours, or because they don't school their child as you might school yours, you're on a very slippery slope there...I don't want you to slide any further...(Yes, you may not actually be saying they're fools, but that's really what some of you are thinking, isn't it? The Spirit knows the thoughts and intents of the heart...We are all prone to these temptations; I'm not exempting myself here by any means.)

  Let's not succumb to the temptation to draw lines where they should not be drawn. Yes, there are times and places to draw lines. Lines must be drawn between the world and the Church. Lines must be drawn between true doctrines and false doctrines. Lines must be drawn between true teachers and false prophets. But when we begin drawing other lines, we're in very grave danger of erecting the walls Christ died to bring down so we might be one in Him. I can't imagine how much it grieves God when He's done all to break down the wall of hostility between us and Him and the wall of hostility between us and one another, and then to watch as we begin taking our bricks and work hard to rebuild that wall! Christ shed His blood and had His flesh ripped to tear down that wall! We've been saved to love God and love the brethren to the glory of God. May the peace and love of Christ rule in our hearts so we might allow one another the liberty in Christ we wish to have ourselves.

  Here at Xanga I've been reading a lot of ugly and unloving words written by Christians regarding nonessential matters. I'm not going to get into specifics because there's a bigger principle at stake. I'm being purposefully vague here. All I know is that there's been a lot of slamming fellow Christians for holding different views, all but lording it over them, i.e.- "How can you be a Christian if you don't ....?" or "How can you be a Christian if you do ...?" I'm not saying you shouldn't go out and address those issues and discuss them, you are certainly free to do so, but you are not free to do it apart from a sanctified heart and tongue. May we all watch how we conduct ourselves here...because know full well that the world is watching us! We're in the agora. We have a real opportunity to shine for Christ here. What are we doing with that opportunity? Xanga is full of unbelievers: teeming with unbelievers! We are in the harvest field, brothers and sisters! These needy souls are not only reading about our doctrine but they're reading between the lines...they're watching how we live our lives and how we treat one another. We are to let all our things we done in love and humility. When our conversations with one another end up so judgmental so that we look upon those who differ from us with contempt and pride, when we insinuate any who differ from us are incompetent or foolish, it's gone far too far. May we have the mind and heart of Christ in these matters. And of course, know this: when our conversations deteriorate the devil has a heyday and the world has every reason to mock us and to mock God as well. "If this is what Christianity means, I want none of it!" The Gospel is offensive for sure, but our dealings with our brothers and sisters in Christ ought never offend the world but rather should mesmerize the world by showing them the love that is truly possible for those who are in Jesus Christ. We have been made new creations in Christ, we are partakers of His nature, given the ability to love one another from the heart, the new heart God has given each one of us in place of our rock-hard hearts. We have no excuse. We ought to desire to love one another more and more, and unnecessary divisions in the Body of Christ ought to grieve us more and more.

  I will say that I have friends whose views on nonessential matters differ from mine (and that certainly stretches and challenges me!!!), but by the grace of God I'm not going to let that get in the way of the fellowship we share in Jesus Christ. I hope you will do so also.

  A few years back I could see that my relationships with a couple friends were being threatened by my holding to certain nonessential beliefs. I still hold many of those beliefs, but for the sake of the unity of the Body, I have decided I will not hold so tenaciously to those views in my discussions with them (and others). They know how I feel and I know how they feel about those things, but I'm not going to beat a dead horse just to have my say. I'm on this earth to lift up Christ and Him crucified, not my views on nonessential matters.

  If we're making something else central besides Jesus Christ, then we're in big trouble. When we insist something else is central and keep insisting, we are tearing at the essential unity God gave us in Jesus Christ.

  Can anyone who is truly Christ's truly put anything else before Him? We cannot serve God and mammon, whatever form mammon might take.

  That said, I know some of you have a calling from God to work in the public arena and in government. I hope and pray you will walk worthy of the calling of Christ first and foremost, that you would reflect Christ in your words, deeds and attitudes. No, it's not an easy calling, but I am praying and trusting God will equip you with all you need so your lives might be to His praise, honor and glory as you work with an eye first and foremost to His glory. I pray you would have no other master and wouldn't sell your soul for your party but stay true to Christ, that He alone would be your Master. In the end all of us are here to proclaim Christ's praises. May God give us all wisdom, grace, humility and love in these matters.

  As I've already written, those of us who are in Christ can and will disagree on certain things. We may shake our heads at one another and wonder, "How could she ever believe that?!" (And of course, remember that the other person is thinking the very same thing of us!) Yet the bottom line is this: that sister is Christ's sister, He died for her, and He chose us in Christ and placed us both in His Body by grace through faith. Therefore as His Spirit works in me, I'm going to do all I can not to undermine the unity we have in Him and to fulfill the Biblical mandate to love one another and to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And I hope and pray you will do the same. And no, it's not easy! Not at all! In fact, it's impossible with us, yet possible with Him, through the Spirit who dwells in us, the Spirit who first placed us into Christ gives us the power to love one another in spite of our differences. I do think that's why Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples if we love one another. Honestly, it's sometimes easier to love unbelievers, isn't it? But if we put aside those nonessentials which clog up and hinder our love for Christ and one another, we can put aside the labels we like to put on one another: Republican & Democrat, home schooler & public schooler, vegetarian & non-vegetarian, and so on, and no longer consider others after the flesh but consider one another as covered with the blood of Christ and see them as God sees them: His beloved children! If God is loving them, we must be loving them. If God is accepting them, we must be accepting them. We are in the same family, adopted by the same Father, purchased by the same precious blood, filled with the same Spirit. Our main concern must be this: Are we loving one another as Christ loved them?

  Remember we ought to be building one another up, not tearing one another down. Ripping and shredding others over nonessentials does nothing to build up the Body.

  We've all been tempted to elevate the nonessential matters to the place of the essential, primary matters of our faith.

  As Jesus prayed for our oneness in John 17, was He really praying we would be one in terms of nonessentials?

  Does God expect us to be united on the nonessentials?

  By definition, no. That's why those matters are nonessentials.

  Are we to be of one mind about the nonessentials?

  Again, by definition, no.

  What are we to be of one mind about?

  The glory of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life. The fallen state of man. The helplessness of man to save Himself. The gift of salvation through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ freely offered so that whosoever believes may not perish but have everlasting life.

  Aren't we in the Church divided enough as it is? Aren't the devil and his minions working in concert to bring harm to the cause of Christ in the world and tear down the Church? Why do we in the Church seek to continue to find more and more ways to divide ourselves rather than endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? I wrote last week about how we are separated much like Israel was as the wall was being rebuilt (Nehemiah 4). When we adamantly insist our brothers and sisters hold a certain view regarding nonessentials aren't we being dupes of the devil and aren't we really working against Jesus' prayer for unity and allowing the devil to get a foothold?

  Can we afford to disagree over nonessentials? Should we really be dividing over nonessential matters? Can't we agree to disagree on nonessentials?

  As I've looked back over the past couple years I can't help but ponder that if there were but a tenth or even a hundredth of all the energy, enthusiasm, effort and excitement of the people of God going into guarding the Gospel, proclaiming the Word of God and prayer for revival that has gone into so many other secondary matters, the Spirit of God would already have come and brought world-wide revival! It makes me sad to see Christians get fired up about so many other matters, but seem to remain more or less silent or lackadaisical about their faith, or at least not to have anything close to the same intense passion burning for Christ that burns in them for so many other earthly pursuits... 

  Are you passionate for Christ as much as you are for these other things? What consumes your time here on earth? Are you passionate to see God's glory cover the earth? Where is your heart? Are you willing to take a bullet for a nonessential matter but not for Christ? Are you guarding your mind, your tongue and your words so they might build up your brothers and sisters in the household of faith and witness of the glory of God to a dying world?

  The church is in ruins and she has been for a long time now. The dry bones are needing new breath and new life. The land is barren and dry. I've written much about this (e.g. - please check out my posts here and here). Do you care about the state of the Church as much as you care about the state of your own government? Does the condition of the Church grieve you? Does it bother you that the Gospel is being tossed aside in more and more denominations, even those that were once strongly evangelical?

  

  We are needing a movement of the Spirit of God to revive us. How much time do you spend praying for God to rend the heavens and come down? Are you seeking first His Kingdom? May the grace of God allow all of us who are in Christ to put aside our nonessential differences to unite together in concerted prayer and focus on God and seek His face, so we might be a praise in the earth once more and give Him the glory due His Name!

  May God have mercy on us, His Church, for Jesus' sake and the sake of His blessed and holy Name! Amen.

  ---

  If God is leading you to pray for revival in the Church, please visit tent of meeting, my site dedicated to prayer for revival.
  
  

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  • 6:39 PM
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