UNITED!!!! My very first post and its a Question!!

Welcome!

Forgiving and accepting the brethren is all good!

No question about it!

But the best "path to unity" is Evangelism. An army that does not go to battle does not train. An Army that does not train will eventually fall prey to bickering because it no longer has function or purpose - just lots of weapons.

God "So loved the World that He gave" -- His heart is the heart of an evangelist. If we reject outreach we are rejecting the one who saved us and are eventually "left to our own devices".

The other "major problem" is that after the first century the Christian church was "infused" with many errors - the Protestant Reformation was key to bringing the church out of that muck and mire of the "Dark Ages". But there remains still some of the mud clinging to the shoes of the saints and sometimes that mud is the "source" of differences.

 

Here in South Africa some business-giant currently has some advertising being broadcast that goes something like 'unity in diversity'. I've come some distance through life in time and spirit, and may think perhaps my opinion has been formed tried and proven, that the more talk about unity, the less you'll find of it and the more the opinion of some individual or indoctrinised even mesmerised few.

I have only very recently come to a deeper understanding of a certain event in the passion of Christ - during that first of the three nights of His having suffered hell for the sins of us. It was the event of the division and fighting going on between the disciples as they were leaving from the Supper on their way to Gethsemane. It must have been one of the coarsest nails driven through the Saviour's heart, that night of woe. That nail has never been removed from His heart - it is still there this day, casing no less pain to Christ. But it was as necessary for our reconciliation with God as were the nails driven through His hands. Where will the honest at heart go if not to the specific Congregation of their own conviction? Lucky are those who have found such harbour in the turmoil of the worship-sphere of life indeed! My personal experience and convictions have not dealt so favourably with me. I cannot stomach what I am convinced are falsesities or falseness. That's why I won't even enter a 'charasmatic' Church; or the SDA Church; or a 'Sunday'-Church.
Am I wrong? Do I sin? May God forgive me; but I cannot act against my conscience.

It is difficult; it is painful. I must not give up hope although I havn't got answers. Hereafter I shall be healed, this useless member of Christ's Own Body.

 

I on the other hand gladly worship and enjoy fellowship with Sunday churches, and charismatics and non-Charismatics.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Peace!

This new Child of the King came for unity. Let's not get bogged down in doctrinal differences and endless debate! :thumbs: I, for one, celebrate her enthusiasm! :applause:

To South Africa: I hear you. Perhaps we could talk privately, or, if willing, you could start a new thread, voicing your innermost thoughts. I'll ask the self-righteous to give you some space! :wavey: I'll be happy to provide an E-Mail address, as well.

God's Blessings to you both!

 

p.s. What is a "Sunday church" ??

 

Welcome to this board, and Praise God for placing you into the Body of Christ Church. I believe when that last person is saved into His One Church, then the rapture. In Him is unity, for there is only One, and we are in Him. We are spiritually united in Him. We are not like the Temple worshippers, nor the Pentecostal worshippers, for that was of and for a Nation, God's Nation of Israel, His people.

Today we are saved "individually", not having been asked to sign a covenant with God, nor to come all as One, but come to that One, accepting the gift.

We in Him are complete, but not in harmony with all other Christians down here. I may be in a "knee" of His Body, and you may be in His "shoulder", so we are going to see things differently from our vantage point. The "knee" will do its thing, and the "shoulder" its.

But we in His Body are to "work out our own salvation" very carefully (Philippians 2:12), studying His Word to make ourselves approved by "rightly dividing" His Word, II Timothy 2:15. We can do this when we learn to stick to the basic systematic study of His Word. Who is talking, and are they talking to you, or some of another time? When did it take place? Where, What, Why? This is How we can understand His Word, and then the hardest part is until we reach the point of division. When we can make the "division", we have found the "more perfect way" (Acts 18:16), and began removing the contradictions. But regardless of our "standing" in Him, we all get there the same way today - "But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.