What Plan Should We Follow to Unite People
Religiously?
Men have invented many plans
to achieve religious unity and fellowship, yet division continues. What plan
does God have to unite the church? Should we accept unity in diversity and the
ecumenical movement? How important are love and proper attitudes? Should we
compromise with doctrines and overlook practices that differ from the Bible, or
should we rebuke and oppose error and seek unity based on truth?
Introduction:
Most people would agree that religious unity is important.
Many plans have been proposed to unite people religiously, yet the
religious world remains tragically divided. World religions are divided from
one another. So-called Christian denomination are divided. The Lord's
church has suffered major divisions in the first century and since.
The purpose of this lesson is to study the Bible teaching about unity
and division.
We will see that the Bible has both a plan for unity and a plan for
division, and we will contrast these plans with various human plans for unity.
This study is not intended to answer every question people might ask, but
it should establish a foundation as the basis for further personal study.
I. Human Plans for Unity
A. Examples of Human Plans
Men have invented and promoted various methods designed to unite people
religiously. Consider a few examples:
Earthly headquarters or central governing bodies
Most religious groups have a central organization. They claim this
promotes unity because the central organization can settle disputes, define
doctrine, etc.
Man-made creeds
Most religious groups also write official, authoritative statements of
faith. These are supposed to promote unity since members can appeal to the
creed when differences arise.
Miracles & Direct Revelations
Some teach that living apostles and prophets produce unity, since people
can appeal to "inspired men" to settle disputes.
The ecumenical movement or "unity in diversity"
This is basically unity by compromise: differences in belief and practice
are ignored. People with contradictory beliefs agree to participate in joint
activities but never rebuke one another. There is little effort to seek
unity based on Scripture. Instead, people just "agree to disagree"
without telling one another that they need to repent and change.
In the 1970's this concept was championed in the Lord's church as a
"new unity movement" initiated by Carl Ketcherside, Leroy Garret,
Charles Holt, and others. They first taught that, if anyone was Scripturally
baptized, we should not object to his form of worship, church organization,
etc. So, they fellowshiped people who used instruments, supported church
institutions, premillennialism, etc. Eventually they concluded that even
baptism does not matter, so they could fellowship denominationalists.
Universalism
The ultimate conclusion of "unity in diversity" is that everyone
will be saved regardless of doctrine or practice. Most ecumenical advocates
will not go this far, but only because they are inconsistent. If people can
disregard some of God's commands and still be saved, why not any or all of
His commands? Where do you stop? Those who imbibe the "unity in
diversity" spirit invariably become looser and looser in whom they
accept.
B. Consider a Basic Truth: Every Plan for Unity Automatically
Results in Division.
In practice, no plan will ever produce complete unity; instead, every plan
always contributes to more division!
Consider the plans we have listed. Have these plans resulted in complete
unity?
Central headquarters and creeds: Most denominations have them, but have
they united the religious world? No, groups divide about which creed and
headquarters to accept! And most denominations continue to splinter as they
argue about what the creed should teach!
Prophets and miracles: Many groups claim to have them, but are they all
united? No, they just divide over
which prophet to follow
(Smith, White, Eddy, etc.). Even groups who accept a particular prophet
eventually splinter among themselves (various groups of Mormons).
"Unity in diversity": People who advocate it are divided among
themselves about
how much diversity to accept: homosexuals,
Jews, Buddhists?
Division remains because, no matter where you draw the
line, some one is always on the other side of the line!
Every time two groups "unite" to form a new group, there are
people from both the old groups that refuse to accept the new group. So the
old groups still remain, plus there is now a new third group! People have
produced division in the name of unity!
The fact is that
every time someone invents a new plan for unity,
there will always be some people who will not accept that plan. So the result
is more division! In practice, no one ever will invent a plan that
will achieve complete unity, because there will always be some people that
will reject the plan!
So, every new unity movement is inherently self-defeating. The more unity
plans you have, the more reasons you give people to divide! Every plan for
unity automatically becomes a cause of division.
Specifically, every "unity in diversity" movement in churches of
Christ creates and justifies division!
Many churches have been divided by those who spread new "unity"
concepts.
When members of a local church accept some new theory of unity, strife
results between them and other members who reject the theory. The result often
divides the congregation! There are people with whom we were once united in
the Round Lake church, till they began advocating new concepts of fellowship.
Now we are divided from them.
Loose views of unity gradually lead people to seek unity with almost
everyone
except those who reject their view of unity. The
practical end result is: "Nearly everybody is all right, except those
people who deny that everybody is all right! We tolerate almost everyone
except those people who say we should not tolerate everyone." They claim
that division can be solved by being open minded and listening to one another.
But watch how long they will open mindedly listen to you, if you try to tell
them doctrine does matter and we have to obey the Bible!
The result is that followers of the new unity theory become alienated from
those with whom they were formerly united, and a
new division
results in the church - a
unity sect! And again,
every
plan of unity results in division!
Further, in the name of condemning division, these plans really justify
division.
They say that diverse and contradictory practices should be overlooked. But
this fails to recognize that doctrinal differences actually do produce
division. Ignoring the differences actually justifies a root cause of
division.
Division is not caused just by improper attitudes. It is also caused by
real doctrinal differences. Even if you believe the two go hand-in-hand, the
fact remains that, to solve the division we must eliminate wrong
doctrines
as well as wrong
attitudes. Otherwise we are not really
condemning division; we are overlooking the cause of it.
Denominationalists do this regularly. They say, "It doesn't matter
what you believe as long as you're sincere, so just join the church of your
choice. We're all going to the same place, but by different roads."
This is just an extreme form of unity in diversity views of some in Jesus'
church.
Such views have not united denominations, so how can they unite the Lord's
church? The approach cannot produce unity because it ignores the root causes
of division.
Note: I am not criticizing these ideas simply because they have failed to
produce unity. I criticize them because:
(1) They are not
Scriptural. We will see that the gospel
teaches a plan of unity that differs from all these plans.
(2) In the name of condemning division, they actually
justify
division. They say we should ignore doctrinal differences, even though these
differences have always been a major cause of division. They attempt to
achieve unity by justifying people who are cause division.
(3) Those who hold these doctrines are
self-contradictory.
They claim that we cause division because we reject other people's beliefs,
but then they cause division by rejecting our beliefs! What's the
difference? Ultimately they are guilty of exactly what they accuse others of.
II. The Scriptural Plan for Unity
A. God's Plan for Unity Is: Everyone Should Love God and Other People
Enough to Learn, Preach, and Practice the Truth and to Oppose Error.
Those who do this will be united with everyone else who does it.
Note
that Biblical unity is based on faithfulness to truth and opposing error.
Consider these passages:
John 17:20-23
Jesus prayed for all who believe in Him to be
one. This
means we have the Father and Son
in us and we
in
them. How should we be one? As the Father and Son are one! If we can find
out how
They are one, and how we can have them
in
us, we will know how to be united. Did Jesus do this by overlooking
disobedience and not rebuking sin? Let us study other passages in John to
see (and see the notes on 1,2,3 John below).
John 8:26-32,40-55 - Jesus
preached the
truth
that the Father taught Him (vv 26,28,40). He
practiced what
the Father taught, so the Father was
with Him (vv 29,55). Note
vv 40-47,54,55 - He
opposed teaching that was not according to
truth. Those who would be His disciples must
hear God's
words,
know the
truth,
abide in and
keep
His words (vv 31,32,47,51).
John 12:48-50 - Jesus'
word will judge us, for He
preached
the commandments of His Father, whose commands are life eternal.
Note: He spoke just as the Father told Him (v50). [cf. 7:16]
John 14:21-24 - Father and Son will make their
abode with
us if we
love them enough to keep their
commandments.
[v31; 5:19]
John 15:4-6,10 - If we do not
abide in Jesus we are cast
forth and burned. We
abide in His love if we
keep His
commands, just as He
kept the Father's commands and
abides in His love. [cf. v15]
John 17:14-17,20-23 - Jesus gave us the Father's
word
(v14) so we could be sanctified by
truth, which is the Father's
word (v17). Then the world will hate us like it did Jesus (vv
14-17). But it hated Jesus because He
testified that its works
were evil (John 7:7). This is how we can be one as the Father and Son are
one (vv 20-23). [Cf. v8.]
So to be one with other believers, we must be one with God like Jesus
was: we must love God enough to preach and practice the truth and to oppose
error.
1 Corinthians 1:9-13
God called us into fellowship with His Son. We should not be divided, but
have the same mind and judgment. Is Christ divided? No! But the Corinthian
church was very divided. Paul was writing to help them overcome division. To
know how to do this, consider what he told them:
1 Corinthians 1-4 - Paul rebuked division over preachers and human
wisdom. He
preached the gospel, which is God's
power
and wisdom - (1:17,18,24). He
opposed following
human wisdom because their faith should stand in God's power (the gospel),
not in human wisdom (1:19-2:5). Specifically, he
opposed going
beyond what was
written - 4:6.
1 Corinthians 5 - Paul commanded them to
oppose sin in
the church and withdraw from those who were guilty (5:7,8,13). Church
discipline is essential to proper unity.
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - Paul did not praise them for their division
regarding the Lord's Supper (vv 17-22). He
delivered to them
what he had received from the Lord. He insisted that they should
do
as the Lord taught, and he
opposed any changes in this
practice (vv 23-29).
1 Corinthians 12-14 - He rebuked their division over spiritual gifts.
There should be
one body, and no
schism in that
body (12:12-26). They should care for one another, practice
love,
and understand that the gifts were temporary (chap. 13). Their assemblies
should
practice the gifts in an orderly, understandable,
edifying way (chap. 14).
Observations: Paul opposed division by
opposing the false practices
and the improper attitudes that caused the divisions.
Some advocates of new unity theories point out that, despite the improper
practices in Corinth, Paul still called it a "church of God." So
we should overlook differences in
practice.
But note that Corinth was also called a "church of God" despite
the fact it was horribly
divided! If the fact Corinth is
called a "church of God" proves we should stop opposing false
practices like they had, then in the same way the fact that Corinth was
called a "church of God" would prove that we should quit opposing
division
like they had.
The truth is that Paul opposed the division and sought to correct it by
opposing the wrong attitudes and the wrong practices. That's what we
should do.
[See also 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 7:8-11; 11:13-15; 13:1,2]
Galatians 5:20
Those guilty of division will not inherit the kingdom of God. The book
discusses a disagreement within the church about the Old Law. This was a
major cause of division in the early churches. How did Paul teach the
churches to deal with this disagreement?
He
preached what had been revealed from
Jesus
(1:11,12; cf. chaps. 3,4).
He
opposed anything different, saying those who taught
differently were accursed (1:6-9).
He refused to submit to false teaching (2:5).
He
opposed one who did not walk uprightly according to the
truth of the gospel (2:11-14).
He said that those who followed false teaching fell from grace (5:1-6)
[cf. 5:7-12; 6:1]
Again, this division was caused by a
doctrinal issue. Paul's
dealt with it by teaching proper attitudes and by opposing the false
practice and false teaching that led to the strife.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Note that
not every form of unity is the unity of the Spirit. The Spirit wants a
certain kind of unity. What does it involve?
Practice
love and meekness (v2).
Recognize 7 things of which there is only
one each that
pleases God, including
one body (the church -
1:22,23) and
one faith (4:4-6). We should not
tolerate many different faiths any more than many different Fathers. [Cf.
Jude 3]
Ephesians 4:13-15 -
Oppose doctrinal error and
speak
the truth in love. This produces the unity that Christ the Head
desires.
Ephesians 5:7-11 - Refuse to
practice sin or to
fellowship
it, but rather
reprove it.
Again, true unity requires us to speak in love to oppose the error that
leads to division.
1 and 2 John
1 John 1:3 - John wrote so we could have
fellowship with
the Father, Son, and other Christians. So, John writes about proper
fellowship. How he tell us to have this fellowship?
1 John 1:5-2:2 - We must
walk in the light as He is in the
light,
avoid sin, and
confess sin when we commit
it.
1 John 2:2-6 - We know Him and are
in Him (cf. John 17:20f)
if we
keep His commands and walk as He walked.
1 John 2:7-11 - To abide in the light we must
love our
brethren. [Cf. 3:11-18; 4:7-21]
1 John 3:3-10,24 - If we abide
in Him (v6) we must
not
practice sin, but
purify ourselves,
practice
righteousness, and
keep His commands.
1 John 4:1,6 -
Oppose false prophets who are not from God.
1 John 5:2,3 -
Love God and others so that we
keep
God's
commands.
2 John 4-6 -
Walk in truth (cf. walking in the light),
according to God's
command, loving one another. [Cf. 3 John
3,4 - Walking in truth]
2 John 9-11 -
Abide in Jesus'
doctrine and
do not
share with those who teach otherwise because they have
not God (cf. John 17:20,21).
Note again that to have fellowship with God and one another we must teach
and practice God's true doctrine in love and oppose error.
[See also Philippians 1:27; 2:2-8; 4:2; Luke 11:17,18; Romans 15:6; 12:16;
Galatians 3:28; Acts 1:14; 2:1; 4:24,32; 8:6; chap. 15; 1 Peter 3:8; 4:1-4]
B. Observations about God's Plan for Unity
We have unity with one another when we are all united with God.
Unity among Christians requires being one as the Father and Son are one,
being "in the Father and Son," having "fellowship" with
God. But being united with God requires loving Him enough to obey His will.
So, Biblical unity is achieved through obedience, not through ignoring
disobedience!
We displease God when we follow a plan for unity that differs from His
plan.
Galatians 1:8,9; 2 John 9; Matthew 15:9; Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12;
Colossians 3:17 and other passages teach us not to follow practices that
differ from God's word. But God has a plan for unity, just like He has a
plan for forgiveness, worship, etc. Following a humanly devised plan for unity
would be just as displeasing as following a humanly devised plan of salvation,
etc.
But we have discussed a number of plans for unity that are human plans and
that
differ from God's plan! This is the main reason we must
oppose them.
God's plan for unity requires us to love God and other Christians, to
learn the truth, preach the truth, practice the truth, and to oppose error.
This requires proper attitudes. But it also requires obeying truth and
opposing error.
"Unity in diversity" defenders often object to preaching that
rebukes sin. They say it "drives people away and causes division."
Ketcherside once told me he would never debate his brethren because he
"loves them too much." But he would debate an atheist or infidel. I
ask if he loves the atheist or infidel! If love means you don't debate, and
he loves the atheist, why debate them? But if you can see how you can debate
an atheist whom you love, why can't you debate your brother whom you love?
Many Scriptures command us to rebuke sin. To oppose the practice of
rebuking sin is to oppose a divine command. But our point here is that
rebuke
is part of God's plan for unity. Rebuking sin in love does not
violate unity; it is an act intended to produce unity, because a sinner who
will not repent alienates himself from God's people. And that is division.
If by rebuking him we can lead him to repent, he will be saved and unity among
God's people is restored!
To oppose rebuking sin in the name of unity is to
violate God's
plan of unity. If we believe in God's plan of unity, we will see the
need for sin to be rebuked in love.
[See Revelation 3:19; Galatians 6:1,2; James 5:19,20; 1 Thessalonians 5:14;
Ephesians 5:11; 2 Timothy 4:2-4]
III. The Scriptural Plan for Division
Many people speak as if unity is always good and division is always bad.
But the fact is that unity and division are like love, faith, and many other
Bible concepts: they are neither inherently good nor bad. Whether love is good
or bad depends on what we love. Whether faith is good of bad depends on what
we believe. Whether unity and/or division are good or bad depends on what we
are united with or divided from.
Note a number of passages that show what God teaches about division, and
what happens when God's people apply God's plan for unity.
A. Consider the Example of Jesus.
Luke 6:22:23 - When your stand for Jesus leads men to hate you and
separate
from you,
rejoice because you have great reward in heaven.
This is the same way men treated the prophets. When the prophets rebuked
people for error, often the result was separation between them and others.
The same will be true of us.
Luke 12:51-53 - Jesus did not come to bring peace but
division.
Jesus' word will divide families and set them at variance with one
another. Matthew 10:34-37 adds that, if we are not willing to accept this
consequence and remain loyal to Jesus, we are not worthy of Him.
John 7:7 - The world does not hate those who do not follow Jesus (v5),
but it hated Jesus because He testified that its works were evil.
John 7:40-43 - Jesus' preaching led to
division because
some people believed in Him and some did not.
John 9:13-16 - The Pharisees were
divided because Jesus
healed on the Sabbath.
John 10:19-21 - The Jews were
divided over Jesus'
words.
Note that Jesus' teaching led to division, but not because He had an
unloving attitude nor because He did not want unity. Division occurred
because He stood firmly for the truth and opposed error, but many people did
not want to accept the truth and repent of their sins.
[John 6:66-68; 11:45-47,53; 9:22; 12:42; 16:2]
B. Consider the Example of the Apostles.
Acts 14:1-4 - People at Iconium were
divided over the
preaching of the gospel, because many believed but many others were
disobedient.
Acts 17:1-5 - When Paul reasoned from the Scriptures at Thessalonica,
some were persuaded but others became jealous and persecuted him.
Acts 17:32-34 - At Athens Paul preached the resurrection. Some mocked,
but others believed.
Acts 19:8,9 - Paul reasoned in the synagogue at Ephesus. When some were
hardened and spoke evil of the way, he
separated the
disciples.
Acts 28:22-25 - The gospel was everywhere spoken against. Paul
testified to the Jews in Rome about the kingdom. Some believed, but others
disbelieved. They
agreed not among themselves.
In every case, what was it that caused the people to be alienated from
one another when the gospel was preached? It was always because some people
accepted the message and others rejected it. That will always be the effect
of gospel preaching. There will never come a time when everyone accepts the
gospel, so those who reject it will be divided from those who accept it.
[Acts 5:14-18; 6:7; 7:51-59; 18:8-12; 20:20,26-32; 23:7; 24:5,14]
C. Consider the Teaching of the Inspired Epistles.
1 Corinthians 1:18-24 - Paul rebuked division at Corinth and urged them
to achieve unity by following just the gospel. But doing this will cause
separation because some think the gospel is the power of God, while others
think it is foolishness. The very passages, that teach how to pursue unity,
show that when we do so, the result will lead to separation!
1 Corinthians 10:16-21 - If we are in the one body and have
fellowship
with Jesus' body and blood, we must
not have
communion
(fellowship) with idols. Unity with Christ demands separation from sin!
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 - We must not have fellowship, agreement, etc.,
with darkness, idols, iniquity, etc. If we do this, God will dwell in us;
remember, this is the unity Jesus prayed for - John 17:20-23. So to have the
unity that Jesus taught, we must
separate ourselves,
come
out from among, and not touch what is unclean. We must cleanse
ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. Unity with God and His
people requires separation from sin!
[Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 5:20,22; 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:13-4:4; Titus 3:10;
Hebrews 7:26; Jude 3; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 18:4]
IV. Observations about God's Plan for Division and His Plan for Unity.
A. The Bible Has a Plan for Division Just as Surely as It Has a Plan for
Unity.
God's plans must be respected, whether it is His plan for salvation, for
worship, for church organization, for unity, or for division. We may no more
disregard His plan for division than we may disregard His plan for unity or
His plan for salvation, etc. Many people talk much about New Testament
passages that require unity, but say little or nothing about the passages
showing that God requires separation!
Is it right to refuse to fellowship people who are serving God faithfully?
No! To condemn other people when we cannot prove by the Bible that they are in
sin, is to violate God's plan of unity. We must love God, love others, and
love the truth so much that we do not allow our personal opinions and desires
to hinder our unity with those who are following God's will.
But it is equally sinful to promote unity by refusing to rebuke that which
is really sinful! It is good to emphasize God's plan of unity. But God's
word is just as clear in requiring us to separate from sin as it is in
requiring us to be united with righteousness. [Proverbs 17:15]
To seek unity, without rebuking and opposing sin, is to violate both God's
plan for unity and His plan for division. Yet, that is exactly the effect of
the unity-in-diversity approach.
B. The Bible Plan for Unity Also Results in Division, Just
as Surely as Other Plans For Unity Do.
No plan will achieve total unity unless everyone is willing to accept it.
When Jesus, His apostles, and other Christians practiced God's plan of
unity - when in love they preached and practiced truth and opposed error -
the result was
division in almost every city! God's plan for
unity
is one of the most
divisive forces on earth!
Like other plans of unity, God's plan results in division because some
will accept it and some will not. God knew this and intended His plan to
produce separation. As long as sin remains on the earth, the gospel will
separate righteous people from sinners. We have seen that this truth is
clearly stated even in passages that require God's people to practice unity.
Some people criticize the gospel and the Lord's church because we are
divided from other religious people.
Sometimes this division and these criticisms are so discouraging to
Christians that we are tempted to compromise to achieve peace. We tend to
become ashamed and feel guilty because our stand for truth produces
separation.
(1) But remember that all other plans of unity also result in division!
Ketcherside said that, by strict doctrinal preaching, we "build
walls around ourselves," exclude other people, and put ourselves
"in jail." But Ketcherside also has walls. Outside his walls are
atheists and infidels, idol worshippers, Jews, Moslems, hypocrites, and
immoral people. He is in jail too; he just has a bigger cell!
Those who criticize God's plan because it results in division need to
face the fact that their plans also result in division.
(2) Also remember that unity is an ideal that should be pursued,
but in practice only a minority of people will achieve it.
We should preach that all men ought to be united, just like all should
believe, be baptized, and live faithfully. That is the ideal of the gospel,
and that is what we should preach. But in practice
most people
will not be obedient to God, and this is why absolute unity will never be
achieved by any plan.
The only way to have total unity would be for everybody to be united on
the truth or everybody to be united in error! As long as some people persist
in doing right and some people persist in doing wrong, we will have
division!
(3) Then remember that, when we preach the truth in love but division
results, we have done exactly what God intended. This is in harmony
with His will and He is pleased with us.
If others reject His will, He wants us to separate from them; but they are
the ones that He is displeased with. Not all separation is bad. God requires
us to be separated from error, just as surely as He requires us to be united
with truth. We need to grieve for those who displease God, but do not grieve
for the fact we are separated from them. The only way we could be united with
them would be for us to leave the truth and practice error like they do!
2 John 9-11 - If we want to have the Father and Son (be united with
them), we must abide in Jesus' teachings and not
partake with
those who fail to do so. Unity requires separation!
The people who should be ashamed are those who follow human plans of unity.
Their plans not only promote division, but they also displease God because
they are not the plan God authorized.
Other people conclude that, whenever division occurs, both sides must be
wrong so they refuse to stand with either side.
It is possible for both sides to be wrong. But it is also possible that
one
side is wrong and the other is
right.
Were Jesus and His apostles wrong when their preaching divided them from
other people? Had we lived then, would we have been wrong to stand with them,
even though that would divide from those in sin? No, what we should have done
then - and what we should do now - is to decide who is right according to
God's will and take our stand with them in love.
When two groups are divided, if we refuse to stand with either party, that
just creates a third group - that means more division! If both
groups were wrong according to the Bible, this is what must be done. But
creating a third group does not solve the problem of division.
C. Scriptural Unity and Scriptural Division Are Both Achieved by the Very
Same Plan of Action!
For many, the issue of unity vs. division is a dilemma. They see the
concepts as contradictory. If you stand firm for what you believe, you are
condemned for causing division. But if you compromise truth, then you are
condemned for encouraging error.
But when you speak the truth and oppose error in love, you are following
God's plan to achieve Scriptural unity and Scriptural division at the
same time!
Examining what the Bible says about unity that pleases God and division
that pleases God shows that what we do to achieve the one is exactly the
same thing we do to achieve the other! There is no conflict.
We should study till we know God's will on the issue in question. Then
teach and practice God's will, and oppose what conflicts with God's
will. You will then be working for Scriptural unity and Scriptural division
at the same time!
The most basic considerations are neither unity nor division, but rather
truth and love! Stand for the truth in love, and the issues of
division and unity will resolve themselves. You will be united with those
who stand for truth and you will be separated from those who do not. [cf.
James 3:17]
This does not mean it is always easy in practice to know the truth on any
given issue or to have the courage to stand for it. But it is possible to
stand for the truth in love, and doing so will tend to resolve both the
issue of unity and the issue of division.
It follows that preaching and practicing truth in love, while opposing
error, simplifies the question of "whom should we fellowship."
Unity and division are both byproducts of standing for the truth in
love.
Some people are very concerned with formulating rules about whom we
should or should not consider ourselves in fellowship with. These questions
are worthy of study, but practicing the Bible plan of unity and division
will make them far simpler in application.
In practice, we should never even attempt to decide the question of
whether we are or are not in fellowship with a group of people until we know
they are in error and their error has been plainly rebuked. Historically,
this has already been done with various denominations, and with issues such
as instrumental music, missionary societies, church support of institutions,
etc.
As new issues or controversies arise in the church, if we will teach and
obey truth and oppose error in love, fellowship will eventually become
obvious.
* Some people will repent and correct their errors, so we will be united
with them.
* Other people will resist the teaching and make it clear they have no
intention of changing. Often they refuse to even discuss or consider Bible
evidence. Often they break the relationship and make it clear that they don't
want anything to do with us anymore.
In short, people's
reaction, when we stand for the truth
in love, often helps resolve the issue of fellowship.
One of the main problems with new unity theories is that they seek to
"re-open the lines of fellowship" with people in error without
rebuking the error!
We do not oppose the fact people desire unity.
The problem is that some
are willing to fellowship people who continue to practice error, yet the error
is never rebuked! The result is unity by compromise - by failing to
stand for truth and oppose error.
Ephesians 5:6-11 - This book commands unity (4:3-6) and tells us to
"walk as children of light." Remember, walking in the light is
essential to have fellowship with God - 1 John 1:5-7. But it also demands
that we not partake of sin, have no fellowship with it, but rather reprove it.
All of us should be willing to discuss our differences with those from whom
we have been divided
provided those people are willing to
honestly consider the teaching of the Bible as the basis of unity. But this is
not the "unity" that many today are advocating. Many want to
"dialog" with those from whom we have been divided, treat them as
brethren, participate in their worship, write articles in their papers,
but
never rebuke their false practices.
If such people would speak out against error like Jesus and the apostles
did, they would not find themselves in fellowship with error for long. Either
the people in error would repent, or they would soon let it be known that
those who are rebuking them are not welcome!
[Revelation 3:19; Galatians 6:1,2; James 5:19,20; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 2
Timothy 4:2-4; 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:10-13; Proverbs 28:4]
D. God's Plan For Unity Will Never Unite Everybody, but It Will Unite
All Who Are Willing To Humbly Submit To Him!
God never anticipated that His plan for unity would unite everybody on the
face of the earth. The only way that could happen would be if everybody would
turn from sin and humbly submit to God's will. But Jesus plainly stated that
would not happen - Matthew 7:13,14.
When God formulated His gospel, He knew there would be people who would be
willing to obey and people who would not. He provided a plan whereby all
people could be forgiven and united in Christ
provided they were
humble enough to submit to God's will. But He also provided that people
unwilling to submit to His will would reject the plan and be lost. The result
would separate the righteous from the unrighteous.
Mark 16:15,16 - Jesus commands us to preach the gospel to the whole
world. This will result in some obeying and being saved but others
disbelieving and being lost. So those who obey are saved and become united
with God and will all who serve God. But those who disobey are lost, which
separates them from God and His people.
So, God's plan for unity is not a plan that we should expect to unite
everybody on earth or even all religious people. God's plan for unity is
designed to unite all who are willing to turn from sin and humbly submit to
God's will. In doing so, it will simultaneously separate God's people
spiritually from those who persist in sin!
So since every plan of unity results in division, why not just accept God's
plan? Accept it, not because in practice it will unite everybody, but because
it is the only plan that pleases God. If you follow it, you will please Him,
but you will be separated from those who do not follow His will.
Conclusion
Good attitudes are necessary to unity, but there is much more to God's
plan for unity than just our attitudes. And a willingness to compromise Divine
requirements is not a good attitude!
Let us pursue unity, and let us separate ourselves from sin, but let all be
done in love according to God's plan. Let us accept that which pleases God
and make sure that all our practices are according to His will. Let us speak
from motives of genuine concern for the lost. But let us also love the lost
enough to tell them when they are wrong and urge them to repent.
When we do this, we will simultaneously accomplish the following things:
(1) We will respect and obey God's commands.
(2) We will diligently work to save lost souls.
(3) We will follow God's plan for unity among His faithful servants.
(4) We will keep ourselves pure and separate from error.
Whether unity results or whether division results, either way we will be
pleasing to God.
Post-modernism's
veneration of tolerance is its most obvious feature. But the version of
"tolerance" peddled by post-modernists is actually a twisted and
dangerous corruption of true virtue.
