Religious Unity

Unity in religion can be achieved only when men decide to abide by the same standard. Paul said, "... let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things" (Phil. 3:16). We hear much about religious movements toward unity. But these efforts are vain unless those involved in them will agree to "walk by the same rule." In such ef­forts, we find leaders for almost every major denomination. The basic idea that religious unity ought to exist is good, but this unity must be estab­lished on the proper grounds.

Religious unity could be based on the Baptist Manual - if all would agree to it. It could be brought about by all ad­hering to the Methodist Discipline, or any other creed book if all men would agree to it. But you could not get a Baptist to agree to use the Methodist Discipline as a standard of unity, any more than you could get the Lutherans to agree to using the Baptist Manual for such a standard. Even if all of these denominations did choose one of the modern day creed books for a re­ligious standard, such unity would be wrong because it would not be based on the proper "rule." Unity in error is no better than division. In studying religion with people I have yet to have one disagree (with the possible excep­tion of a Mormon or two), that the Bi­ble ought to be the standard. This is the first thing that must be done in studying with those who are not Christians. A common authority must be agreed upon to settle any questions or differences.

We believe that the only rule upon which religious unity can be based and be pleasing to God is the Bible. Here are "the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11). They furnish man with every­thing he needs in the realm of relig­ious guidance (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3). When all men are willing to "walk by the same rule," that rule be­ing the Bible, religious unity can be achieved, but not before. The reason is then obvious why unity is impossible based upon human creeds - they are all contradictory - not only with the Bible, but with one another.

This is why we plead with men to give up their creeds; their "inherited relig­ions, " fraternal orders, and anything else they are using for a guide apart from God's word. Unity based upon compromise is really no unity at all. All the churches "merging" that we hear so much about today must of ne­cessity compromise their orthodox teachings to a great extent. To com­promise one's religious convictions shows that such convictions mean very little, if anything to us. Were they worth holding in the past, if one is willing to compromise them now? This is why members of the Lord's church are looked upon by many as factionists, narrow and bigoted - sim­ply because we refuse to compromise our religious convictions. Any mem­ber of the Lord's body that is willing to compromise with sectarian error needs to be united with that sect, for he is a detriment to the Lord's cause. We of the kingdom of Christ desire and love unity as much as anyone on earth. We realize that unity is a good and pleasant thing (Psa. 133). We would that all men "walk by the same rule" so that true religious unity could prevail in the world. So long as men refuse to abide by God's standard, and try to attain unity based on men's doctrines, they will fail miserably in their efforts. - Bill Moseley

 

 

 

Her name was May Margaret and she was in my fifth grade class (yes, I can remember that far back!). May Marga­ret was not very pretty; in fact, she was rather homely. Her hair was usu­ally dirty and disheveled, her clothes not the best nor the cleanest. She her­self was not very clean, and so she did not smell very good. But we all paid attention to May Margaret, certainly not because of the above things, but because she had something the rest of us did not have - she was a whiz at arithmetic! And so we were good to her because she could, and was very willing, to help us with our numbers.

I now know that was not a very nice way to treat someone, and I feel badly about it. I can't do anything about that now, but I can try to get us bigger folks not to act the way we did when we were kids toward May Margaret. Do we love folks simply for who they are, or for what they can do for us? God help us to learn that our fellow men are great blessings in most cases, and let us love them, not out of selfish motives, but just because we are. sup­posed to. Remember - someone loved us when we were "dirty," and not be­cause of anything we could do for him. And because of that, we can be saved. - Bill Moseley