Jesus and His Word - Humility, Truth and Unity, Part 2

Just Agree To Disagree? Not According To Paul!

Another of man’s sayings that prevents some Christians from hearing truth is that “we should agree on the essentials and just agree to disagree on other things.” This may sound good on the surface, but again my experience and discernment have taught me that this doesn’t work in the long run and is suspect of even being Biblical. This type of saying may appear to keep the peace while we are separated, but it doesn’t make the peace necessary to bring about the unity of faith that Jesus wants of His body.

Paul sure didn’t just agree to disagree with Peter in Galatians 2:11 through 21. He called hypocrisy what it was and confronted Peter personally, and then he wrote about it to all Christians who read the Word. Today, many church leaders would overlook it or say, “Let’s keep this among ourselves.” Paul did not overlook it because he knew that anything different from the gospel truth took away from the glory of the cross and put eternal souls at risk. A thorough study of Galatians chapters one and two will help in understanding Paul. Confrontation still may be needed in some situations, but if we will humble ourselves before God and each other, then the Holy Spirit will have an opportunity to work. Jesus Himself was very strong in what He wrote through John to the seven churches (Revelation 2 and 3). Regretfully, too many people miss a major part of those messages because, among other things, they have divided the messages to the seven churches up into being applicable only at certain dispensational times.

Paul gives us wise Biblical direction in Philippians 3: 15 and 16. The New Living Translation says: “Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.”

[Note: It is beneficial to study these verses in more than one translation.]

Teach Only What You Have Comprehended

In accordance with the principle stated previously, we are to live by and minister the truth that we have comprehended and wait on God about things that are not clear to us as of yet. A few years ago the Holy Spirit gave me specific direction concerning the book of Revelation. I was to only minister what He had made clear to me. I was to keep studying and praying, and He would make other things clear. He has been faithful as I was obedient.

If all true Christians lived by the wisdom given through Paul in Philippians chapter three, we would move quickly toward a Church that is in the unity of faith. For example, if the unified Church applied to end times this principle of ministering the truth that we have comprehended and then would wait on God about things that are not clear as of yet, it would cause all true disciples to slow down or even stop giving their various viewpoints on eschatology. They would all, in agreement, begin ministering what is absolutely clear, and what is absolutely clear is that the Lord is coming again.

Many misunderstood Paul’s message in First Thessalonians and that is one of the main reasons he wrote Second Thessalonians. Are we humble enough to consider that maybe we have missed something? Together we should seek God for revelation of His Word. Applying this principle of teaching only what we have comprehended to all of our Bible study and teaching would do amazing things in the Church, as well as preventing confusion to the world, and would help us reach the lost as we work together. I say this with love, if we don’t come to this place of unity, then we and/or our descendants will suffer unnecessarily. If we ignore the cry of God’s Spirit and continue to go our individual ways, then may God have mercy. A Church divided will not stand and is not ready to be caught away.

The Influence of the Divided Church On The World

Thank God for each lost person who is born again through the ministry of the Church in her present state, but have you ever really thought about how divided and confusing we as a whole are viewed to be by most of the world? We like to quote “narrow is the way and few who find it” as a comfort, but in actuality, we are driving many to secular humanism and other false religions. For every one we reach, there are many we confuse and drive away.

One thing that would help is for all disciples to be trained alike in the six basic doctrines of the Word found in Hebrews 6:1 and 2. I had to add the word “alike” above (trained “alike”) because I recently heard of someone believing that the doctrine of baptisms is plural since people can be water baptized more than one time. Someone may be baptized more than once, but every disciple needs to know the true reason “baptisms” is plural. I heard of another situation where it was taught that Hebrews doesn’t apply to Christians; it only applies to Jews. If that was true, all Christians should read what the book of Hebrews says to Jews; many would have to change their theology if they really had a revelation of what is written in that book.

If we really want some Biblical essentials, we can find six listed in Hebrews 6:1 and 2:

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”

I was communicating with a pastor’s wife about these doctrines, and while we were discussing one of them, she indicated that they didn’t believe in that one. That equals adding to and taking away! The Biblical truth is that no Christian will ever have a chance of being a mature disciple unless they are grounded in all six of these basic doctrines. Then and only then are they ready for the meat of the Word. Hebrews 5:12-14 stresses this: “… though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

One of the reasons we are immature, divided, and so susceptible to teaching as doctrines the commandments of men is that we come short in these basics. More than one translation of the Bible calls them “elementary teachings”.

The Church Jesus Is Building: Of One Mind And One Accord

Jesus is looking for real disciples who will believe Him and all of His Word as taught by the Holy Spirit. It will take humility to even consider that some of the things we have been taught and believed for so many years could be of man and not of God. It will be worth humbling ourselves because truth will set us free, and we will unify around Jesus and His Word. The Church Jesus is building will be unified in such a way.

Jesus is restoring the gospel to His Church, and He is restoring true disciples. Both are necessary to having a remnant Church in His image. Any doctrine not in line with the Bible is false doctrine. Do you want to be part of the Church that Jesus is building and influencing, or do you want to be part of the church that man is building and/or influencing? How many professing Christians have had their senses trained to discern the difference? How many Christians know Jesus intimately and His Word thoroughly? How many are even concerned about it or are striving to know Him intimately and His Word thoroughly. I know many Christians who are truly born again but know church doctrine better than the apostles’ doctrine.

What would happen if churches and denominations emphasized the six basic doctrines found in Hebrews 6:1 and 2 as much as they do their church doctrines and disciplines? What about the four priorities of the early Church found in Acts 2:42? Let’s study to show ourselves approved under the direction of the Holy Spirit until we are sanctified by truth and united in spirit. Let’s pray for a Church that is formed in the image of Jesus to become a reality. It is worth making ourselves humble, being repentant, and submitting anew to being taught by the Holy Spirit. Christ Jesus will be glorified! Together with the Spirit we can say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Amen.

May the prodigal church come home to Jesus and say with Paul, “… it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me …” (Galatians 2:20a).

Having now read this message, my hope is that your spirit has been touched and stirred. I desire to see all of the Church in unity with God and each other. I believe you do, too. Let’s believe and agree for it to happen. The Bible does warn of a falling away, but as some are tempted to fall away, may many more be drawn to Jesus Christ and become part of His unified body. I often use the words “remnant Church” to identify the faithful, unified Church. Let the remnant Church become of one mind and accord, and may the Lord add to her number daily those who are being saved! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.