Essays on Selected Christian Topics
By Raymond E. IsbellAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2010 Raymond E. Isbell
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4520-6736-0Contents
Let There Be Unity............................1Spiritual Gifts...............................35Miracles......................................43Forgiveness...................................62Sermon On The Mount...........................82Beatitudes....................................106Teach Us to Pray..............................135Grace.........................................152Faith.........................................169Worship.......................................191Who Can Stand Before God?.....................229Doctrine......................................242
Chapter One
Let There Be Unity
I. Introduction
For years, Christianity has enjoyed the luxury of quibbling and separating over many issues but the time has come for Christians to understand that we are in a desperate fight for our spiritual lives. With atheism largely in control of our news media, with Europe having been swallowed by secularism, and with a major world religion preaching that we are infidels to be slaughtered, it seems that the religious freedoms enjoyed in the 20th century may have been an aberration in our culture rather than the norm we have taken for granted. Those who consider all Christians to be infidels and whose major goal in life is to destroy Christianity have permeated the cultures of our country and most European countries and occupy a major portion of the world.
If the spread of powerful forces of darkness are not checked in some way, we may find that the freedoms we have enjoyed to serve God according to our own consciences are a thing of the past. Christians may, of necessity find it necessary to support one another in our fight against our mutual spiritual enemies in the world. At that time, the unity which we have failed to find may be forced upon us.
Most Christian groups share several general principles such as salvation by grace, the requirement of faith, some form of confession, some show of repentance, and some aspect of baptism. Also most require or recommend some congregational affiliation, systematic giving, adherence to the 10 Commandments, and a modicum of behavior and worship governed by the principles found in the New Testament. However, rather than being drawn together in appreciation for others who believe in our God, look for salvation through His Son, and follow His Holy Spirit, we have magnified our differences even to the point of judging the salvation of others who look as we do to God for grace and to His word for guidance.
When Jesus prayed His last earthly prayer, the theme of it was unity of His followers. Hardly any scriptural teaching is less debatable than the requirement for unity among God's people, yet the Christian community remains divided and judgment of the salvation of others differing from ourselves prevails. Perhaps our failure to be unified on what is right or wrong can be attributed more to the absence of the proper love, support, and respect for people with whom we share the gospel than to an inability to understand the word.
It seems a wonder how the many Christian groups can preach unity so vigorously, pursue it so timidly, and prevent it so completely. Especially since all of us acknowledge one God and claim His grace; express faith in His only Son, Jesus Christ, receive forgiveness through His blood; and accept membership in His one body, His Church.
Perhaps we are all guilty of selfishness in feeling or claiming that we alone have the answers to spiritual questions. Because we all look to Jesus for our salvation, call ourselves Christians, acknowledge one God, and accept the same rule book, one might think that division in Christianity would be the exception rather than the rule. As it turns out, however, we have found a way to quibble about almost everything spiritual and find ourselves in a fragmented state.
How we degenerated from the beauty and purity of the Church on Pentecost into a Christian world composed of different groups each claiming to be the church of Christ and some even rejecting kinship to others is a sordid tale of stupidity, arrogance, indifference, and, perhaps, some even less favorable qualities. The seeds of such a situation had been sown during the first century and described by Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth pertaining to the division among them as some claimed to follow Appolos, some Peter, some Paul and others Christ. The degenerative state of the first century church was described by the elderly apostle John as he wrote the book of Revelations.
By about the fourth century, allegiance began to be vested in a human, who was called Father, and his entourage of priests. Unfortunately this Church came to venerate and worship the mother more than the child, to adulterate the free moral agency of man and to spread its power and influence by physical might rather than spiritual enlightenment. It practiced a hidden spiritual agenda rather than an open knowledge of God's word and became so corrupt and out of touch with the people that a rebellion gradually developed. This rebellion was abetted by the development of the printing press and the gradual availability of the Scriptures to the masses of people. After century upon century of decline, an awakening began to restore the church to the first century model in practice and in doctrine.
This movement attracted many marvelous people who were intent on learning God's will for themselves. It attracted people from many nationalities and it especially attracted many strong-minded people who gave up their citizenship especially in England, Ireland, and Scotland to come to a new world of freedom in America.
That there would be differences in understanding and interpretation the Scriptures by these people is easily understood. Consequently many groups of people came to understand the Bible in slightly different ways. Some of these ways involved requirements for salvation, church government, moral requirements, and acceptable worship. Also not surprising, however, was that many of these groups developed without rancor and even supported one another's efforts to learn God's will and to serve Him.
Around the mid-20th century, however, lines and points of disagreement became emphasized so vigorously that a familial acceptance turned into a spiritual battle which culminated in some groups publicly repudiating the Christianity of others. This attitude led to many, sometimes mean spirited, debates over biblical issues and succeeded in drawing lines of fellowship separating many groups.
The question of how to become a Christian became overshadowed by questions concerning the worship and behavior of Christians with some of them being elevated to establish lines of fellowship. This led to people following a dogma in name and practice rather than calling themselves Christians and accepting that all have shortcomings in practice and understanding to overcome. Members of the Christian family then came to be known by their differences rather than their likenesses. Furthermore, the differences took on such an importance in the minds of many that some family people would not fellowship other members of the family because of some disagreement.
II. Areas of Division in Christianity
It is time to make a conscientious effort to correct our divided state and it will take more than a retreat into our doctrinal shells with an invitation to others to join us on our specified terms. Many of our problems involving spiritual interpretations might be solved peaceably in due time if we would grant to others the same rights that we reserve for ourselves in establishing doctrinal truths and to realize that none of us have a patent on them.
For example most believe that baptism is involved in salvation, but understanding of its administration and purpose varies. Some consider it to be a mental operation, others sprinkle or pour water over the head of the subject, and still others require total bodily submersion in water. Furthermore the purpose of baptism is just as varied as some consider it to be only a mental process of accepting God into the heart, others acknowledge it to be a celebration in which the death burial and resurrection of Jesus are reenacted, and still others consider it to be the step in which salvation occurs and the Holy Spirit is received.
Other areas of disagreement included church government with some holding tenaciously to autonomy of individual congregations and others opting for a central governing body over multiple congregations. Among the first group are many community churches which have arisen in the past few decades.
In matters pertaining to interpretation of the scriptures some Christians have left the decision to each individual while others have chosen to legislate some doctrines as creeds which are requirements for membership in those groups. Other differences include church organization, behavioral requirements for members, forms of praise and prayer, and the name designation of the group.
We who call ourselves the Church of Christ must shoulder a rather sizable share of the blame for this divided church. The traditional Church of Christ of my heritage has continued to draw the bounds of fellowship tighter and tighter which makes one wonder who will be the last to stand within its boundaries. Perhaps our knowledge of the Scriptures, though meager, has led us to an exalted, but undeserved, opinion of ourselves. Furthermore, it might be that our superior (?) knowledge is not matched with attitude, action, or love.
How would Jesus respond to someone who has accepted His Gospel as best he knows how, who acknowledges Him as God, and claims to follow Him but has weaknesses in his understanding and obedience? Similarly, we might wonder how He would respond to some of us who claim to know with certainty the plan of salvation, the proper church organization, and the acceptable worship and lifestyle yet do not practice what we know to be needed in terms of evangelism, care for the needy, and strengthening the weak?
Would He rebuke more severely an imperfection in interpretation or an imperfection in behavior which fails to produce fruits of the spirit? Regardless of the answer to the above questions, which of these areas do we of the Church of Christ find ourselves excelling to the extent that we would be used as a standard for all others. If the Queen of Sheba would be called in judgment of the Israelites, how can we be so sure that some with a weaker interpretation of some scriptures yet with a stronger daily walk with Christ may be called in judgment of us.
What a pity that the marvelous struggles of our spiritual forefathers to worship free of political and pseudo-spiritual influences resulted in several groups who don't recognize the privilege and responsibility of all men to search and find God's will for themselves. During those early restoration days, many people with diverse backgrounds were seeking to find a unity in the body of Christ rather than division of that body. It seems that a unity of fellowship existed even among those who disagreed on the interpretations of certain scriptures pertaining to obedience, worship, and service. As time went on, however, it seems that these differences of understanding and opinion were magnified to the point that various groups began to question the salvation of those who disagreed with them and to make tests of fellowship based upon the differences.
III. Reasons to be United
There are many reasons why Christians should be unified, the most important of which is that Jesus prayed earnestly for it before He ascended into heaven. The Scriptures demand it and we should try and find a way to do it. Another very good reason to pursue unity is that it would allow us to study the Scriptures in a loving and supporting way rather than with an antagonistic, adversarial, right-or-wrong attitude. Furthermore, in order to confront atheism at home and the many "isms" abroad which are dedicated to our destruction, we must be united. Perhaps our failure to be unified on what is right or wrong can be attributed more to the absence of the proper love, support, and respect for people with whom we share the gospel than to an inability to understand the word.
It would be hard to miss the ones of salvation. There is only one thing that allows it, the grace of God; only one way to respond to that grace, in faith; only one way to activate that faith, through obedience, only one way to know how to obey, through the word. Obedience to established principles such as confession of sin, repentance, and baptism place us in one spiritual body, which is called the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Body of Christ, the Church of Christ, the Church of God and by other names. All members of that body are called by one name, Christian, and are assured of one eternal home, heaven. Paul very neatly summarized this oneness in Ephesians 4; 3-7 where he entreated the Ephesian Christians to work to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That unity involved one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is above all of us, through all of us, and in all of us.
Although I cannot assess reasons for the diversity in Christianity from every point of view, I can speak from the point of view of one who has worshiped in a very judgmental atmosphere. I am very appreciative for the part of my background which stressed knowledge of and obedience to the Word but would like to overcome some judgmental and less than loving attitudes to which I was exposed.
I believe the word of God and believe that it tells us all we can and need to know about spiritual matters. Another general tenet is that every interpretation should be made in such a way that the heart is not doubtful and the conscience is clear. These traits are manifested in our attitude toward baptism by immersion, a cappella singing, weekly observance of the Lord's Supper, and other activities. While these traits are admirable, in my opinion they may have led to some undesirable attitudes.
Our trust in the Bible as our only guide appears to have led some of us to believe that we must have the final interpretation on every issue. Furthermore, some apparently have concluded that our way is the only way and that we can be united in Christ only if those who disagree with us change to accept our position on the several issues mentioned in the above paragraph and others.
Even as I chastise us for our attitude in these matters, we should take comfort in the fact that our intentions have been good. Without doubt, the most grievous error that we have made against one another and against other Christians is to judge their salvation based upon our personal understanding. The only one capable of making such a judgment is Jesus Christ, the righteous judge
IV. Unity of Fellowship
Some definitions of fellowship are: 1. companionship; 2. friendly association; 3. mutual sharing of an experience, activity, or interest; 4. groups with the same interests; and 5. a brotherhood. The unity we are considering is not a physical unity but a spiritual one which leads Christians to a unity of fellowship in Christ with one another and a desire to support them in love of as they walk with God. Fellowship is not an organization, but a relationship; it is not a doctrine, but an activity; it is not the church, but is in the Church.
For many years the Church of Christ has held to the standard (?) found in the question asked by Amos "Can two walk together except they be agreed" (Amos 3:3). The obvious answer is no and some have jumped immediately to the conclusion that we have not only the right but also an obligation to separate ourselves from everyone who disagrees with us on anything. That position for some has mellowed slightly to accept those who differ from us on minor things but agree with us on the essentials. Of course, many of us tacitly reserve the right to determine what is minor and what is essential and the barrier remains.
For those of us who are members of the Church of Christ, our track record at maintaining unity and fellowship even within our own group has left much to be desired. We have split over about everything from Sunday school to eating in the church building; from the mechanics of the Lord's Supper to the use of instruments in worship; from the financing of mission work to the care of orphans and several others. The saddest part of most of these situations is that while we preached our positions, orphans went uncared for, mission efforts were abysmal, fellowship was minimal, and worship became cold and stilted in many cases.
Experience has taught me that complete unity can never come in the interpretation of Scripture. Even among the most noted of our scholars, reasonable disagreements exist which may never be resolved to complete assurance and satisfaction of all. Differences in understanding many variables such as modes, times, and relationships exist not only among different denominations but also among members of the same denomination, even members of the same congregation. But during my lifetime, I have never observed among any group a uniform understanding sufficient to maintain unity unless people are willing to accept viewpoints other than their own as legitimate.
Given that unity cannot be achieved in all aspects of interpretation and practices of Scripture, how can individuals and groups the united? The answer is on the basis of the Gospel. I have never seen nor heard of a group of Christians dividing over their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without that belief there can be no union but with it there should be no division. As to the the many remaining points of conflict it has been aptly pointed out that if two people with divergent understanding both walk toward Christ as the Spirit directs, they, automatically become closer to one another.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Essays on Selected Christian Topicsby Raymond E. Isbell Copyright © 2010 by Raymond E. Isbell. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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