My Journey of Faith
My allegiance to the religion of my dad and the absence of anyone to disciple me in the Christian faith after hearing the gospel, repenting of sin, and placing faith in Christ kept me from any spiritual growth for five years.
Christian Children, Family, or Fraternity?
Family: a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions as spouses, parents, children, and siblings.
The human race began with Adam and Eve; its ancestry is given in Genesis 5. The division of nations and languages resulted from God cursing humanity due to a unified rebellion against Him, which occurred after the universal flood, which destroyed all human life except for eight people in 1,556 B.C.
Unlike many races that Charles Darwin asserted in his book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life, there are only two races: Adam's and Christ's race.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12). Adam was the first man through whom the entire race would come into being through procreation.
The kind of life the race exhibits is in the blood. Leviticus 17:11, "‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ The life that Adam perpetuates was sinful. The life that Christ produces is righteous. "For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19).
Salvation is not merely intellectual but transformative. "...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so, grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:20, 23). Salvation does not just save us from the penalty of sin but from sin in iteslf.
Christian Institution, Family, or Fraternity?
Fraternity: A fraternity is a social club or organization for men or women that is formed around shared goals and aspirations. Fraternities are formed for various religious or secular aims. Members share their friendship, knowledge, and efforts.
A Church Ekklesia (Gathering of believers) contains the elements of a fraternity, but it is a family. People who are organized by shared interests, knowledge, and efforts do not constitute a family. People not bound by blood but guided and led by men who are not especially prayerful or passionate about Jesus Christ as the head of the church through the leading of the Holy Spirit are not a faithful family but an institution.
When Jesus is the head of the Ekklesia, the people are fixed on the will and way of Jesus Christ. "Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:34, 35).
Sinners do not do the will of God from a heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ ...to those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father ...to obey Jesus Christ..." (1 Peter 1:1). Chosen by Peter's definition is a sovereign action by God's grace. The foreknowledge of God the Father is a Father adopting a child into the divine family to conform that child to the image of His only begotten Son. There is nothing in Peter's declaration to infer an institution of men. There is no declaration in the entire New Testament!
My Christian Faith, Family, or Fraternity?
A few years ago, I became intensely aware of the destructive stumbling block of denominations. I have been aware, but I silenced my convictions because I understood I had to go to church. Recently, I have questioned what participation in such churches is doing to the condition of my soul. Jesus said in Mark 3:24-25, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." Many churches only started well in Revelation 2 & 3, and only 2 out of 7 finished well. Where does that leave me?
Where does such division originate in a group declaring their allegiance to God? Paul, when writing to those at Corinth, said, "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 3:10 and 13).
Let us understand what Paul means from (1 Corinthians 1:12-13). "Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided?" At the center of sin is "I." Even saying, "I am of Christ" insinuates that others are not. Discerning the regenerate from the unregenerate should be our responsible obedience and not a means of pride. To divide the Church is to misrepresent God's character and eternal attributes. Do you think He isn't grieved about such behavior?
Are you a Baptist, Presbyterian, Charismatic, or some other denomination? Do you believe separating from other believers does not grieve the Holy Spirit? Is agreeing on what is considered essential doctrine enough to please God? Does Jesus Christ, our Savior, deserve such beahvior from those He died and suffered to save?
How to fix the problem.
Consider division built upon pride (and it is pride) unacceptable to Christ, who died for us.
Embrace the fact that every separation is caused by someone who is in error.
Determine to take as much time as necessary to repent and pray until you discover every reason (error) for separation and admit you were wrong. I lost count of my wrongs a long time ago.
Go to others, admit your wrongdoing, and pray God will cause repentance to spread throughout the church universally among the regenerate. Unregenerate people are incapable of repentance.
Lovingly approach all "brethren," given sufficient time, about their unrepentance. Start the ball rolling.
Comments