Transcript Document

Why are there
so many divisions in the
Churches of Christ?
Notes available at
http://OneInJesus.info
Why So Many Divisions?
•The Churches of Christ are
divided —
and the division is getting
worse, fast
•The division isn’t really over
instruments or liberalism or
such
•It’s about the scope of grace
Why So Many Divisions?
•When does grace cover
doctrinal error?
•Surely some error damns
•But just as surely, not all
error damns
•Which error is covered by
grace?
Why So Many Divisions?
•While there are many
reasons we divide, the
most important one is that
we’ve never developed a
complete theology of grace
•We’ve never figured out
how to tell what is a
salvation issue and what is
not
Why So Many Divisions?
•To answer this question,
we need to investigate just
one question:
When does a Christian fall
from grace?
Why So Many Divisions?
•If God accepts someone,
then so must I
•I can’t be a sterner judge
than the Perfect Judge
•Therefore, I must
fellowship all who are
in fellowship with God
Why So Many Divisions?
•Everyone who has been saved
is still saved
unless he has fallen
from grace
Why So Many Divisions?
•Therefore, I must be
in fellowship with
all who’ve been saved and
who (to the best of my
knowledge) haven’t
fallen away
Why So Many Divisions?
•Who have been saved?
•All who’ve—
– Heard
– Believed
– Repented
– Confessed
– Been baptized
Why So Many Divisions?
•What must I have heard?
– The gospel
•What must I believe?
– The gospel
•What must I confess?
– The gospel
Why So Many Divisions?
•What’s the gospel?
•It’s what we confess and
believe:
– That Jesus is Lord and
the Christ,
the Son of the Living God
– That we are saved
through faith in Jesus
(Rom. 1:1-5, 10:9; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Gal. 3:8-1; Col. 1:21-23;
2 Tim. 2:8-9)
Why So Many Divisions?
•We’ve never required a
confession of the convert’s
position on—
– Instrumental music
– Baptism
– Divorce and remarriage
•Because none of this is the
gospel (as the
New Testament speaks)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Therefore, the plan of
salvation can be expressed
as —
– Have faith (believe the gospel)
– Repent
– Be baptized
Why So Many Divisions?
•In other words—
–Accept Jesus as
the Messiah,
the Son of God
–Accept Jesus as Lord
–Be baptized
Why So Many Divisions?
When does a
Christian fall away?
Why So Many Divisions?
•When he no longer accepts
Jesus as Son of God
Every spirit that acknowledges
that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is from God,
but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from
God.
(1 John 4:2b-3a)
Why So Many Divisions?
•When he no longer accepts
Jesus as Lord
If we deliberately keep on sinning
after we have received
the knowledge of the truth,
no sacrifice for sins is left,
but only a fearful expectation
of judgment and of raging fire
that will consume the enemies of
God. (Heb. 10:26-27)
Why So Many Divisions?
Accept one another, then,
just as Christ accepted
you, in order to bring
praise to God.
(Rom. 15:7)
Why So Many Divisions?
• In the Greek, the first “accept”
is in the present tense,
indicating continuous action—
“continually accept”
• The second “accept” is past
tense aorist indicating
a single point in time in the
past—“at that point in time
when you were accepted”
Why So Many Divisions?
•“Accept one another, then,
just as Christ accepted you”
thus becomes
“Continually accept one
another, then, just as Christ
accepted you at a particular
point in time in the past”
Why So Many Divisions?
•Plainly, we are to accept
others by the same
standard as when were
accepted, that is,
when we were baptized!
Why So Many Divisions?
But God demonstrates
his own love for us
in this:
While we were still
sinners,
Christ died for us.
(Rom. 5:8)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Paul exults in God’s
willingness to give Jesus up
for us while we were still
“sinners” and his “enemies”
(v. 10)
•This is when we were
baptized, when we were
utterly and completely
cleansed of our sins
Why So Many Divisions?
Since we have now been
justified by his blood,
how much more shall
we be saved
from God’s wrath
through him!
(Rom. 5:9)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Paul makes the point (which
should be obvious but isn’t)
that now that we are God’s
children (and no longer
enemies!) we will now be
“much more” saved than
when we were first saved
•This is so true that he says it
twice!
Why So Many Divisions?
For if, when we were
God’s enemies, we were
reconciled to him
through the death of his
Son, how much more,
having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through
his life!
(Rom. 5:10)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Our salvation after having
been baptized is more
certain—much more—
than we first stepped
out of the baptismal waters!
Why So Many Divisions?
So I find this law at work:
When I want to do good,
evil is right there with me.
For in my inner being
I delight in God's law;
Why So Many Divisions?
but I see another law at
work in the members of
my body, waging war
against the law of my
mind and making me a
prisoner of the law of sin
at work within my
members.
Why So Many Divisions?
What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me
from this body of death?
(Rom. 7:21-24)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Paul declares the
desperation of all Christians
who haven’t succumbed
to arrogance—
I’ve repented and I’m trying
to stay true to it,
but I keep sinning anyway
•What’s the solution?
Why So Many Divisions?
Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ
Jesus the law of the Spirit
of life set me free from
the law of sin and death.
Why So Many Divisions?
For what the law was
powerless to do in that
it was weakened by
the sinful nature,
God did by sending
his own Son in the
likeness of sinful man
to be a sin offering.
(Rom. 8:1-3)
Why So Many Divisions?
“Therefore, there is now
no condemnation for
those who are in Christ
Jesus.”
•There are no lost
Christians!
Why So Many Divisions?
Q. Whom must I consider a
brother?
A. Everyone whom God
considers a son or a
daughter—
which is everyone who’s
been saved and who hasn’t
fallen away—
Why So Many Divisions?
•which is everyone who has
– faith
– penitence and
– a baptism God accepts
•OTHER THAN everyone who
has abandoned
– his faith or
– his repentance
Why So Many Divisions?
•Then why do good works
if our salvation doesn’t
depend on them?
•This question only makes
sense if you start with a
legal mindset
Why So Many Divisions?
•Why do I honor my parents
even though I’m too old to
spank?
•Why do I honor my wife even
though I’m not afraid of
being divorced?
Why So Many Divisions?
•(Why love your wife if no one
is making you?)
•We have to see love, not as a
response to a command, but
as our new nature
Why So Many Divisions?
•If we aren’t lost for
believing false doctrine,
then why study the Bible?
•Again, you can’t start with
a law-based mindset
Why So Many Divisions?
•If you love Jesus and have
truly repented, you will want
to follow his teachings
•And you’ll study because you
love Jesus
Why So Many Divisions?
•Teachings don’t have to end
with “or you’ll go to Hell!” to
be obeyed
•How can you love God and
have to be threatened to
obey?
Why So Many Divisions?
•What about a penitent
believer with a baptism
accepted by God who
disagrees with me on—
– Divorce and remarriage?
– The age of the earth?
– Children’s worship?
– Instrumental music?
– Missionary societies?
Why So Many Divisions?
•Romans 14, which is the
background for
Romans 15:7, explains
how this works in practice
Why So Many Divisions?
Accept him whose faith is
weak, without passing
judgment on disputable
matters.
(Rom 14:1)
•This applies only to those
in the church, of course
Why So Many Divisions?
•But if we in the church are
disputing about a matter,
how can it not be disputable?
•Surely the test isn’t
subjective—what the
preacher thinks is unclear!
Why So Many Divisions?
One man’s faith allows
him to eat everything,
but another man,
whose faith is weak,
eats only vegetables.
Why So Many Divisions?
The man who eats
everything must not look
down on him who does
not, and the man who
does not eat everything
must not condemn the
man who does, for God
has accepted him.
(Rom. 14:2-3)
Why So Many Divisions?
One man considers
one day more sacred than
another; another man
considers every day alike.
(Rom 14:5a)
Why So Many Divisions?
•In Romans, Paul doesn’t
bother to say who is right
on the sacred-day issue
•Why not?
•In other epistles, he
answers this question,
but not here!
Why So Many Divisions?
Who are you to judge
someone else’s servant?
To his own master
he stands or falls. And he
will stand, for the Lord
is able to make him stand.
... Each one should be fully
convinced in his own
mind.
(Rom. 14:4-5b)
Why So Many Divisions?
He who regards one day
as special,
does so to the Lord.
He who eats meat, eats to
the Lord, for he gives
thanks to God; and he who
abstains, does so to the
Lord and
gives thanks to God
(Rom. 14:6)
Why So Many Divisions?
You, then, why do you
judge your brother? Or
why do you look down on
your brother? For we will
all stand before
God’s judgment seat.
(Rom. 14:10)
•Even the ones who are
wrong will stand!
Why So Many Divisions?
Therefore let us stop
passing judgment on one
another.
(Rom. 14:13a)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Notice this:
•Some of our authors and
preachers claim Romans 14
is about matters of
indifference
Why So Many Divisions?
• But what about:
[H]ow is it that you are
turning back to those weak
and miserable principles?
Do you wish to be enslaved
by them all over again?
You are observing special
days and months and
seasons and years! (Gal. 4:9-10)
Why So Many Divisions?
•Paul certainly didn’t
consider holy days a matter
of indifference when he
wrote Galatians!
Why So Many Divisions?
•The Romans were disputing
about matters of doctrine!
And Paul commanded them
to stop passing judgment
•This is so even though Paul
gave the right position on
eating meat
•(and even though he didn't
bother to state the right
position on sacred days)!
Why So Many Divisions?
•If Paul knew the right
answer, why was it still
wrong to pass judgment on
those who were wrong?
•Why were they commanded
to “accept” those teaching
falsely?
Why So Many Divisions?
•Grace applies to doctrine
as well as conduct!
•Grace applies to disputable
matters—which is anything
we can dispute over and still
be Christians!
•Anything other than baptism,
faith, or repentance
Why So Many Divisions?
•Why does Paul treat holy
days as “think and let think”
in Romans 14 but as
damnable in Gal 3:21?
•(Gal 4:10-11) You are
observing special days and
months and seasons and
years! 11 I fear for you, that
somehow I have wasted my
efforts on you.
Why So Many Divisions?
•In Rome, the Christians were
willing to treat those who
disagreed as saved
•In Galatia, they treated those
with the wrong marks as lost
•The Galatians were in
jeopardy of their souls
Why So Many Divisions?
•(Gal 5:4-6) You who are
trying to be justified by
law have been alienated
from Christ; you have
fallen away from grace. …
Why So Many Divisions?
•6 For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision has any
value. The only thing that
counts is faith expressing
itself through love.
Why So Many Divisions?
•Paul tells the Galatians
how to tell the issues that
matter from those that
don’t
•“The only thing that
counts is faith expressing
itself through love.”
Why So Many Divisions?
•(Gal 5:14) The entire law
is summed up in a single
command:
"Love your neighbor as
yourself."
Why So Many Divisions?
•Faith, expresses itself
through
•Repentance = love
•Only
•Jesus is the Son of God
(believe)
•Jesus is our Lord
(repent, love)
•Jesus is our Savior (only)
Why So Many Divisions?
Hear,
Son of Faith Faith
Believe, God
Confess
Repent Lord
Love Love
Savior Only Hope
Why So Many Divisions?
•Why so many divisions?
–Because we confuse any
doctrinal issue we feel
strongly about
with “faith”
–Because we refuse to
consider our own
opinions disputable
Why So Many Divisions?
–Because we have an
ad hoc theology of
falling from grace —
it depends on what’s hot
in the Church periodicals!
Why So Many Divisions?
–Because we struggle to
understand why anyone
would obey unless
threatened with
damnation
Why So Many Divisions?
–Because we enjoy taking
pride in being the
ones who cared enough
to get it right
–Because we define
ourselves by our
differences from others
rather than our
relationship with Jesus
Why So Many Divisions?
–Because we’re guilty of
the Galatian heresy
Why So Many Divisions?
This outline and other
materials are available for
free download at
www.OneInJesus.info.