Fidelity to the Truths vs Maintaining Christian Unity in the Church
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Fidelity to the Truths vs Maintaining Christian Unity in the Church
Today, I wanted to move on to something ethical, rather than theological. We will return to a theological polarity in our next message in this series, but in this message, I want us to look at something ethical that has to do with our behaviour.
And I chose it because it is a perfect example of the way of biblical ethics. It is an example of the way we are taught of our lives and obedience to the word of God and the way we need to learn to live in obedience to God.
This is an issue I face at home in my church, in my denomination, and I believe that this is an issue that you face too. I don't think there is a place in the whole wide kingdom of God in which this issue, this problem, does not have to be faced again and again and again. And it is in the tension between two competing, almost opposite emphases, that we find the true way forward in obedience to our Lord and Savior.
I am talking about that polarity, that conflict that opposition between our obligation to the unity in the Church of God, and our obligation to maintain fidelity to the truth as it has been revealed to us in the word of God.
On the one hand, at one pole, you have an absolute obligation to maintain your loyalty to the faith as it has been once for all delivered to the saints. And at the other pole, we are taught in the word of God to show charity and a spirit of love and grace and toleration and acceptance toward those with whom we disagree: even with whom we disagree about matters taught in Holy Scripture.
Who is the faithful churchman? Who is the faithful churchwoman? The bible says that he or she is the one who practices the unity of the people of God with a vengeance; and an absolute loyalty to the truth as it has been revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His word with a vengeance.
And if Church history teaches us anything, it is that those two commitments are rarely found in the same heart and in the same life. They are rarely found in the same church.
Page 1 ⇦ Previous | Next ⇨ Page 3
Fidelity to the Truths vs Maintaining Christian Unity in the Church
Today, I wanted to move on to something ethical, rather than theological. We will return to a theological polarity in our next message in this series, but in this message, I want us to look at something ethical that has to do with our behaviour.
And I chose it because it is a perfect example of the way of biblical ethics. It is an example of the way we are taught of our lives and obedience to the word of God and the way we need to learn to live in obedience to God.
This is an issue I face at home in my church, in my denomination, and I believe that this is an issue that you face too. I don't think there is a place in the whole wide kingdom of God in which this issue, this problem, does not have to be faced again and again and again. And it is in the tension between two competing, almost opposite emphases, that we find the true way forward in obedience to our Lord and Savior.
I am talking about that polarity, that conflict that opposition between our obligation to the unity in the Church of God, and our obligation to maintain fidelity to the truth as it has been revealed to us in the word of God.
On the one hand, at one pole, you have an absolute obligation to maintain your loyalty to the faith as it has been once for all delivered to the saints. And at the other pole, we are taught in the word of God to show charity and a spirit of love and grace and toleration and acceptance toward those with whom we disagree: even with whom we disagree about matters taught in Holy Scripture.
Who is the faithful churchman? Who is the faithful churchwoman? The bible says that he or she is the one who practices the unity of the people of God with a vengeance; and an absolute loyalty to the truth as it has been revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His word with a vengeance.
And if Church history teaches us anything, it is that those two commitments are rarely found in the same heart and in the same life. They are rarely found in the same church.
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