Unity or Conformity

I hope I can wrap up on the subject of unity this week.  It has been a couple of weeks since my last post due to the sickness and death of my wife’s mother, please keep her family in your prayers.

Little did I know when I started on this subject it would cause such a stir.  Thank you all for the feed back and comments.  I guess the subject of unity is a lot tougher than I thought.  Even those who are Bible truth seekers seem to struggle with this as well.  I think by some of the responses posted my points were proven, that often we still let the little things divide us.  So if I may, please let me share my heart one more time on this subject.

In my growing up in church, I have come to a basic conclusion of what many churches call unity.  One, many religious groups, denominations feel that to be in unity, everyone must conform to the same things as all others.  They even ask you to sign such statements of faith.  Now I am not naive to think we don’t need some unmovable foundation beliefs we agree on (I will deal with this a little later).  Second, I have had many spiritual leaders and fathers who made it their mission to change everyone to fit their thinking, as if they are the only one right.

Many groups, churches, and denominations do not allow room for others to think independently, or different than them.  They are quick to condemn any one who brings up a different thought, using words such as heresy, or disruptive.  There just seems to be the ideal in religion that to be in unity means we all conform to the same mold.  Biblically we are only asked to conform to the likeness of Jesus, not to a man made ideal. (Rom.8.29, 12.2, Phil. 3.10, 12, 1 Peter 1.14, 15)

I am sorry to admit, that being raised in church and under such thinking I too acted much the same way.  I was hard in my heart towards others who did not fit my mold, or lived up to my standards.  Even though I was searching for truth and did not like what I was finding in our churches and leaders, I was being much like those I questioned.   I even found myself struggling with who I was and what I believed.  When I struggled I found myself playing the game doing whatever was needed to get along.  I knew I was called to serve the Lord in ministry.  I loved to teach and preach the Word of God, and just wanted a place to fit in.  Looking back there are many things I wish I could take back, but I can not live in the past and just thank God for His mercy.  I learned to speak the things others expected us to speak even though I myself did not believe them.  That is compromise and I do not want to go back to such a place in my life.  I feel I have grown in truth and my faith and feel very confident in what I believe, and will not change just to fit in. 

Now, I have not reached perfection, nor feel I am the only one that is right.  That is why I love to ask questions and like talking about the Word of God.  There is always more room for spiritual growth. Look at what Paul tells us  (Phil 3:12-16 NIV)  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. {13} Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, {14} I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. {15} All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. {16} Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Let me say this, I have not arrived, but thank God I have left.  I am not where I used to be, but I am striving to get where I am going. 

Let us look at the words unity, and conformity in Webster’s dictionary.

Definition of UNITY

1 a : the quality or state of not being multiple : oneness b (1) : a definite amount taken as one or for which 1 is made to stand in calculation <in a table of natural sines the radius of the circle is regarded as unity> (2) : identity element

2 a : a condition of harmony : accord b : continuity without deviation or change (as in purpose or action)

3 a : the quality or state of being made one : unification b : a combination or ordering of parts in a literary or artistic production that constitutes a whole or promotes an undivided total effect; also : the resulting singleness of effect or symmetry and consistency of style and character

4 : a totality of related parts : an entity that is a complex or systematic whole

5 : any of three principles of dramatic structure derived by French classicists from Aristotle's Poetics and requiring a play to have a single action represented as occurring in one place and within one day

        

 Definition of CONFORMITY

1: correspondence in form, manner, or character : agreement <behaved in conformity with her beliefs>

2: an act or instance of conforming

3: action in accordance with some specified standard or authority <conformity to social custom>

I feel so many times in our human finite minds we do not see the big picture.  In 1Cor. 12 , Paul uses the picture of a body and how there are many different members making up a whole body.  The picture he uses in not that everyone is the same but different, and that we need to respect and honor each other.  Then I can’t help but say we have to include chapter 13 in this subject because Paul was still on subject when he writes in chapter 13.  I truly feel nothing in all of Paul’s instructions works without chapter 13.  None of the spiritual manifestations, leadership, or working of ministry truly works without God’s love. 

 Let me use a couple of pictures for you.  God’s purpose for the church could be like a big puzzle.  When put together it makes up a big picture, but it is made up of many small pieces.  Not one piece is like another, each one has its own purpose and place.  They all have their own character, shape, and look; by themselves they do not make a complete picture.  When fitted together with others that are all different in themselves, it makes a complete picture. 

I do not feel any one piece of the puzzle has compromised its self to be joined with another.  It stays true to itself and must do so to help make up the picture. Its only conformity is not to another piece, but to the whole.  I have found those who often fear compromise, often do nothing and walk alone.  Our history is full of such people and most basically died off never passing on the good they did have.  It was those who were bold and stepped out in the truth they had, often giving their lives for what they believed. Those are the ones you find reaching out to others, passing along the truth and not worrying about the little things.

I remember a teacher I learned from some years ago ask “Is this mountain worth dying on, or is it one you can let go”.  I have been in services where just the word of a song upsets others.  We let so many little things divide us.  Yes you may feel it is a truth to you, but are you the only one who carries truth.  Maybe we have not found what you have found, or maybe we are right.  Let’s look at some of Paul’s writing on such matters.

(Eph 4:3-6 NKJV)  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {4} There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The foundation we all need to agree on is right here in this scripture.  I want to be on record to say we should be able to talk about the rest with out hatred or division.

(Eph 4:13 NKJV)  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Maybe we need to look at Romans 14 and 15 and learn how to get along.  We need to stop thinking that we can only fellowship with those that are just like us.  The world that needs the gospel message needs to see us stand in unity and love.

(Rom 15:5-6 NKJV)  Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, {6} that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I celebrated 34 years of marriage.  Now those 34 years have been great and I would do it all over again, yet it has been filled with grief and struggles.  We both have done things that needed forgiveness, and lots of love.  We are two completely different people; we do things differently, think differently, and even have different spiritual levels and truths.  For us to make it this far we have had to work at our unity in living together, raising our children, handling our money.  It is the true love we have for each other that helps us let go of our differences and forgive each other.  We live in unity and hope to pass this on to our children.  To me it is not a compromise but a coming together on one foundation and building a life, and family together.  Can God do this with his church?

Let me use another example if I may.  I love to golf and there are times I just have to go by myself.  I do however often play with man I met that is a Muslim.  I do nothing to make it my mission to change him; I let my life do that.  One day the subject came up with him knowing I was a preacher; he thought I would hate him because I knew he was a Muslim.  I reassured him I did not hate him and we only talk on such matters when he brings it up.  I just want the love of God to speak to him, and open opportunity to share.  If he never receives what I believe I will still love him.  You see on those times I go to the golf course by myself, I rarely play the course by myself.  You always meet another golfer or group that will ask you to play with them.  They don’t ask how good I play or who I like best in golf.  They don’t even ask what kind of clubs I play with, they just ask me to join because we have one thing in common; we all love to golf.  It is after some playing we find our style of play is different or one is far better than the other, but I have never been asked to stop playing with them just because we had some differences.  I have even learned some valuable tips from others because we respected the playing of each other. I never met another golfer just like me but I have met many who just love the game.

Can we be like that in the Church of God?  Can we learn to worship together, love each other, just because we have something in common, a love for God?  Yes, I know there are those who are struggling in their faith, but they do love God.  I know there are those who have not overcome their flesh and sins, but they do love God.  Maybe, what they need is someone to come along side with godly love and show them the way.  It’s no fun being a alone and having no fellowship.  I do understand at times it is hard to go to church where they don’t understand you.  It is hard to sit and listen to messages we disagree with, but we need the fellowship of others.  I am not asking you to put up with things that are clearly divisive, or false.  I am not asking you to sit under a ministry that is controlling and spiritually abusive.  Just stop thinking you are the only one that is right, learn to love others, and find grounds to fellowship with others. By this the world will know we are His by our love one to another.  Let’s stop looking at what divides us and build on what unites us.  I know we risk getting hurt, but God is the healer.  Can we stop fighting over how things are done and said and look at the heart of others.  They may not have the truth as you see it, but they do love God with all their heart. Two wrongs never make a right.  You may be right in letter but wrong in spirit.  Let’s check our own hearts in this matter and pursue things that build unity.

We are Divided!

I am not sure where to start this week on this subject.  Considering all through church history there have been so many wars and battles over things we disagree on in the Bible.  Christianity from the fourth century on has been filled with violence and blood shed.  Sometimes it makes me ashamed to be called a Christian.  Growing up in church, there are countless stories I could tell you about Christians fighting and church splits. (Maybe next week I will share a few) I could even share of some personal events that have happened to me, just because I may have believed something a little different or conducted a worship service differently.

This last weekend I attended a wonderful conference in Austin, TX.  One of the speakers, whom I enjoyed, shared some early church history and the shaping of church doctrine.  Early church history was filled with violence and mayhem.  Leaders were corrupt, thugs, and murderers, and the church today puts their trust in what these men came up with as orthodox doctrines?  We have blinded ourselves to the truth and refuse to take a fresh look into the word of God, maybe to find that we might have been wrong all these years.  I know that would take a lot of courage to do so.  A book I read last year was display of such courage, as the author admitted he was going against everything he knew before and what his own father had preached.  Yet, in a search for truth he admitted he had been wrong.

Today, Christianity makes up 33% of the worlds population.  Now, that includes every group that may be called Christian, even though there may be a few some would dispute wither they are Christian or not.  That 33% comes to about 2.1 billion Christians.  Of that 2.1 Billion Christians there are a little over 38,000 verified denominations worldwide.  This number does not include all the independent fellowships and affiliations.  This also does not count the thousands of organizations, and unaffiliated independent churches and ministries.  With about a major majority of these they can not get along with each other over some kind of believe and scriptural interpretation.  No wonder the world scoffs at us and think Christianity is a joke.  We all say we have the love of God but we hate each other.  What did John have to say about this?

 (1 John 4:20-21 NIV)  If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. {21} And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 I thought about the brief list I gave last week and considered talking about them, but after some thought and prayer I think it would be best served to leave my own thoughts about some of those things alone.  I am not writing this to get any person angry towards me over what I would believe to be right or wrong.  For at the very core of the matter many of the things that have divided us through the centuries has not been worth the heart ache it has caused the body of Christ.  Instead I want to stir your mind with some thought and scripture to lay down the weapons we have used on each other.  Tear down the walls that have divided us, and let’s be willing to peaceably talk these things through.

First let’s take a fresh look at the word of God and see what it has to say on this subject.  We will let Paul show us how he dealt with divisions.  At the core of all the church problems is one common element, us humans.  It is an amazing thing, all through history God does a wonderful thing and gives it to man, then man messes it all up.  I guess until that day comes when that which is perfect has come (I Cor. 13.10) there will always be flaws in what we do.  I know that is hard for a lot of us to admit, but none of us has it all figured out, that is why we must put our trust in the one who does, God.

(1 Cor 3:1-4 NKJV)  And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. {2} I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; {3} for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? {4} For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

In my experience in church, I have found that every person I have met is still a human.  I would tell each and every one of you, run as fast as you can from people who try to make out that they have it all figured out.  If they say they have been given a special revelation, run.  Our history is full of people with special revelations that birthed cults and destruction.  Gather to those who are humble and willing to admit their human failings and are still on a path searching for truth.  The other thing I have learned in church is power corrupts humans.  Never give a person power over you; it will always lead to yours or their corruption.   

Let’s look a little further into what Paul had to say about our subject:

(1 Cor 1:10-13 NIV)  I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. {11} My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. {12} What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ." {13} Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

(1 Cor 11:17-19 NIV)  In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. {18} In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. {19} No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.

Notice what Paul was saying to the church at Corinth.   There must have been power hungry leaders in the Corinth fellowship trying to prove to everyone they were approved by God.  These kinds of leaders have power by making everyone around them feel less approved than they.  I have seen this done over and over in churches.  The greatest fuel to this kind of thinking has been the misused and improper teaching of the five fold ministry. Notice the following verse.

 (Rom 16:17-18 NIV)  I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. {18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites (for Power). By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. (for power, added by me)

(Jude 1:18-19 NIV)  They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." {19} These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

In the context of Paul’s subject from the beginning of 1 Cor. through most the book you could even say the core reason for chapters 12- 14 is still dealing with divisions and the things that were causing them. Even the use of the spiritual manifestations and of the gifts may have been causing divisions in the church.  Right in the middle of him teaching about spiritual things he deals with divisions even more. 

 (1 Cor 12:13-27 NIV)  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. {14} Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. {15} If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {16} And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {17} If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? {18} But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. {19} If they were all one part, where would the body be? {20} As it is, there are many parts, but one body. {21} The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" {22} On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, {23} and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, {24} while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, {25} so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. {26} If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. {27} Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Then Paul stops to say that Love must be at work in all we do, this is how true ministry should work.  Should we be able to celebrate each other and not fight over our differences? Yes and many times yes.  Should we be able to talk about our differences and allow a true flow of ministry?  Yes and many times yes.  Could this be what is stopping a true flow of God’s spirit and ministry in today’s churches, us not getting along with each other?  I think it is a strong possibility.  We all have been hurt and seen many of God’s truths misused, but that should not make us afraid to step out and set a new standard for others to see.  Actually it should be a return to the old standard, the teachings of Jesus.  

The true church of Jesus Christ must come together in unity of the faith.  Like I said last week, our main faith must reside in the knowledge of who God is and who Jesus is. 

 (John 17:3 NIV)  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

(Eph 4:1-6 NKJV)  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, {2} with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, {3} endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {4} There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord(little L, authority, added by me) , one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

(Eph 4:13-17 NKJV)  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; {14} that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, {15} but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; {16} from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

It’s time for the church to grow up.  Put away our childish behavior and build the church of Jesus.  What is at stake?  This lost and dying world is what is at stake.  We have been told that the world we live in is just its fallen nature.  They tell us we have to accept the changes in our world and let what is sinful and ungodly be. The only ones interested in church are church goers.  What if we started showing true unity and love first among ourselves, then to others?  What do you think might happen? What if all believers got on the same page as to who God is and who Jesus is?  What if we all shared the same true gospel message instead of all the junk we see in many churches and television?  What if we were able to start reducing the number of denominations, organizations, and fellowships there are?  Do you think the rest of the world would maybe start paying attention to the church of Jesus Christ?  I read in the book of Acts that this is what exactly happened and what an impact it made on the whole world. 

Let’s stop majoring on the minors and minimizing the majors.  Let’s come together on what is most important, who God is and His son Jesus the Christ.  Then let’s let God deal with all the rest.  Let nothing be between us but love.  Don’t let the human side of you and Satan divide us.  Unite for the Kingdom!