The good, the bad

& the ungodly

-6-

choosing the lord’s side in the current christian civil war

In concluding this series of articles, I have to pick up where I left off in our last meeting; the matter of truth. On this knife edge is balanced our integrity. If you or I violate the truth that binds us to The Gospel & its Christ, we abandon a holy standard. Let me speak for myself for a moment. I know that my conscience will not allow me to seek a unity with anyone or an affiliation to anything that blasphemes YHWH, The Holy Spirit or Our Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ. I can only hold to a biblical doctrine; a true Christology; a clear orthopraxy. I cannot pretend that the obvious, glaring differences between myself & others, do not exist or matter. They do. I say this concerning primary fundamental matters. I don’t actually care about carpets, accoutrements or curtains. But I do care about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. I do care about believer’s baptism. I do care about the inspiration of The Scriptures. I do care about The Incarnation. I do care about The Trinity. I do care about eternal punishment. I do care about God’s purposes for Israel, without whom we Gentiles would have no access to The New Covenant. To those who suggest that these elements can be swept aside, as if they were secondary, in favour of the appearance of a united front, I would say this; how dare you attempt to arbitrarily dismantle the work of Christ at the cross with such casual abandon? It is an insult! Hebrews says, ‘He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ (Hebrews 10:28-31). My conscience will not allow me to do this. I thumb my nose at hollow ecumenical efforts in the same way that they spit in the face of Christ, His Apostles & those who earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. In the words of that great theologian, Luke Skywalker, to his nemesis Darth Vader; I’ll never join you! Pah! ‘But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.’ (Jeremiah 10:8).

You would be forgiven for thinking that God was a sad but benevolent father, looking down on The Church at large & asking why His children aren’t getting along. Such is the subtle & insidious nature of ecumenicalism. It is nothing more than the assumed fatherhood of God & brotherhood of man. Unfortunately, we cannot simply put our differences aside & pretend that they don’t matter. They do!

I have been asked whether or not I believe that The Lord wants His Church to come together. Emphatically yes. As long as it is His Church. Denominational lines do not concern me. Doctrinal lines do. Whatever we believe will lead directly to what we practise. It is not enough to pay a nominal lip service to the faith. We must be born again (John 3:3-7, 1^st Peter 1:23).

Any church, movement, group or denomination that is Christian in name only, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

Any church, movement, group or denomination that promotes demonstrably false Doctrine, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

Any church, movement, group or denomination that possesses an aberrant Christology, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

Any church, movement, group or denomination that openly rejects The Scriptures, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

This narrows the field significantly. Not because I say so, but rather, because this was the teaching of The Lord Jesus Christ & the Apostles. Despite this, there are still those who will twist The Scriptures, to their own destruction. Let’s look at some of their favourites.

¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. ¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body? ²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. ²² Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ²³ And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. ²⁴ For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: ²⁵ That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  ²⁶ And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1^st Corinthians 12:12-27).

‘You see..’, they say, ‘..we are one body, therefore it doesn’t matter which part of The Church you belong to; we are simply different members of the body of Christ & didn’t Paul say “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” (Ephesians 5:29-30)?’. I strongly disagree on the grounds that it is wholly unbiblical. You & I are members of the body of Christ if we are born again. Paul is speaking to believers, not unbelievers. Paul is admonishing those who have believed the true Gospel, not a false one. Paul is teaching the Doctrine of Christ, which he & the other Apostles received from The Lord Himself, not the doctrines of demons. Despite this, there are still those who will twist The Scriptures, to their own destruction. Let’s look at another one of their favourites.

¹ I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, ² With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ³ Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:1-7).

‘You see..’ they say ‘..God wants unity, not division. Paul uses the word “one” several times in order to emphasize that point. Therefore, all churches must come together’. Oh please; will you go & read Ephesians chapters 2 & 3!! 

Paul says, ‘For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.’ (Ephesians 3:1-7). Paul is highlighting the fact that we are to make every effort to maintain a unity that only God can established through The Gospel, uniting believing Jews & believing Gentiles in Christ.

Paul says keep the unity. He doesn’t say create it. Paul uses the word one several times in order to highlight the fact that there aren’t two or three or four bodies. There is one. Are you listening, you ecu-men? This applies to born again believers, Not every Tom, Dick & Harriet.

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵ Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶ And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷ And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:13-22). 

Despite this, there are still those who will twist The Scriptures, to their own destruction. Let’s look at another one of their favourites.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:14-16).

The Lord was not speaking about denominations here. He references those sheep who are His & those sheep who need to come in. This is Ezekiel 34. Ecumenicalism proports the falsehood that this is Jesus bringing The Church together. ‘We’re all His sheep’, it is said. That is a lie; some of those who promote this movement are goats.

⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. ⁶ Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. ⁷ Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, ⁸ And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1^st Peter 2:5-8). 

¹⁴ And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful (Colossians 3:14-15). 

⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Romans 12:5).

⁶ That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: ¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ¹⁶ From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:13-17). 

I encourage all those who truly believe, to resist ecumenicalism as a doctrine of demons. Take a stand against it. If we look again at what The Lord Jesus Christ said & know what He meant, we will recoil from any endeavour to partner with immoral, idolatrous, blasphemous heretics who have their own agenda. Today we are told that we should all come together as one in Christ. Tomorrow we will be told that we should all come together & buy the world a Coke. The true Church will remain distinct, doctrinally pure & faithful in its practise. God bless.

 

 

 

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