Christian Unity

I try to post an article on this blog at least once a week. That is easier some weeks than others. Sometimes it is hard to find the time, due to other pressing issues. At other times, writers’ block gets in the way, as I struggle to think of new and relevant material.

Today, writers’ block is not a problem. Right now I have three topics screaming at me to write.

1) A group in the ICOC has developed a new, much shorter Cooperation Plan proposal. Long time readers will remember that I objected to the original Plan For United Cooperation. The new proposal is much shorter (one page rather than twelve) and appears to have eliminated some of the more objectionable aspects. I will be studying this and discussing with the other leaders in my congregation. Once I have done that, I intend to write an article with my observations about the proposal.

2) This past weekend I attended a seminar produced by Douglas Jacoby and Steve Staten, titled “WHY DO THE NATIONS RAGE? Gospel Solutions to Prejudice and Separation.” This seminar directly confronted the racial issues facing our churches today. These important issues are clearly relevant to our Lord’s plea for unity among Christians.

3) In a few weeks I will begin teaching a four-week series on the book of 1 Peter. As is my custom, I will be blogging on the topic as I prepare for the classes. Due to the fact that I have an actual deadline to be ready for this class, the other topics may have to wait. But I’ll try to work them in.

Mac Deaver and Phil Sanders have withdrawn from the conversation between progressives and conservatives at graceconversation.com. Earlier, Greg Tidwell withdrew from the conversation. With the withdrawal of all of those representing the conservative side of the question, the conversation has now come to an end.

The stated goal of the conversation was to discuss “the disagreements that separate the conservative and progressive branches of the churches of Christ.” The primary two topics that they set out to discuss include whether all doctrinal error leads to damnation (and if not, which do and which do not); and the proper effect of doctrinal error on the boundaries of fellowship.

I have followed this conversation with great interest. I appreciate the willingness and the efforts of all of the five participants to participate in the discussion to the extent that they did. Of course it is unfortunate that some of the men felt it necessary to stop the conversation, especially since the second topic was never addressed. However, I think things went far enough to draw a few conclusions.

1) There is great interest in this topic. A significant community of readers participated in lively discussions in the comments. The range of views in the comments went farther in both extremes than the actual five principle conversation participants. While the comment threads ranged far and wide, and emotions sometimes showed, the commentors added life to the conversation.

2) Neither side persuaded the other. To some that may seem to have been a foregone conclusion, but I hoped for more.

3) Both conservatives and progressives agreed that certain doctrinal errors lead to apostasy. They also agreed that not every instance of doctrinal error leads to apostasy. However, the conservatives were persistently unwilling to state exactly which scenarios lead to apostasy, nor exactly how they determine whom to fellowship and whom not to fellowship. Progressives kept asking the question in various ways but it seemed to be an unanswerable question.

It was interesting to observe how difficult communication was between these two groups. They use the same words but mean different things. They read the same passages but come to entirely different conclusions from them. I think there must be a fundamental set of basic assumptions on which the two groups have radical differences, which lead them to read the scriptures differently. It is unfortunate that this discussion did not discover and illuminate these basic assumptions. Instead, the conversation was on a different level, focusing on the different conclusions they hold due to those different foundational assumptions.

There is a danger in staking out your beliefs publicly. Once you have done that, it becomes much more difficult to change them. Maybe conversations like this have a better chance of success if the principle participants have not previously tied their reputation publicly to one side of the question.

I believe God will resolve this disagreement at some point. I don’t know whether it will be in short time or long, whether in this life or the next. But I am confident that God cares about this question, and he wants us to understand.

Jesus prayed that the church would be one so that the world will believe. The importance of the world believing cannot be overstated. What a tragedy that, as of today, we are not one, and therefore the world does not believe. I am sure that God cares more about that than he does about many of the points on which conservatives and progressives disagree. May God help us to stop straining out gnats and swallowing camels.

1Ti 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.

God wants to forgive.

He had a choice. He could give us what we deserve for our sins, or he could send his Son to suffer and to die on the cross so that we could be forgiven. Because he chose the cross, we know beyond any doubt that God wants to forgive. He intensely wants to forgive.

There was no other way but the cross.

Before going to the cross, Jesus prayed in the garden, “If you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” If forgiveness of sins were possible without sending Christ to the cross, surely God would have been willing, and Jesus would not have gone to the cross. But God knew from the beginning that there was no other way. So Jesus humbly submitted to God’s will.

As he was being crucified, Jesus uttered some amazing words, words that take our breath away. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He had already been unjustly condemned, mocked, beaten, and scourged. Now his hands and feet were nailed to the cross and he was dying a slow, torturous death. Yet Jesus still wanted to forgive — and to forgive even those who drove the nails into his hands and feet.

Yes, God wants to forgive. He *really* wants to forgive.

Mic 7:18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.

How about us?

Mat 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mat 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus warns us that if we do not forgive those who sin against us, neither will God forgive us. There is no more sobering passage in all the scripture. Even though God intensely desires to forgive, he will not forgive if we do not forgive. God must find our refusal to forgive highly offensive–so offensive, in fact, that it outweighs his tremendous desire to forgive. Unforgiveness is an ugly, ugly thing. Like God, we should also find our unforgiveness offensive. After all, failure to forgive would cost us our salvation. We simply must forgive.

How many of us will forfeit the forgiveness that could have been ours, because we refuse to forgive others?

Forgiveness is hard. We see the evil in the other person and we want justice, not mercy. We feel violated and betrayed. It’s not fair! We don’t think the other person deserves forgiveness. We just don’t want to forgive. How unlike God we are!

But we are never more like Jesus than when we forgive someone who has hurt us. Jesus even forgave those who drove the nails into his hands. We, too, need to forgive those who don’t deserve forgiveness. If there are people who have wronged you, whom you have not yet forgiven, take care of that before the sun goes down. Be urgent, and forgive!

Thank God for his mercy! May we learn to be more like him.