LET…. MY…. PEOPLE…. GO !!
Chapter seven
Unity. Let’s consider unity. Okay?
Evangelicalism is a concoction of hundreds of denominations each emphasizing its own peculiar cluster of traditions. Because most denominations are territorial, there are ongoing eruptions of hostility between them. Your religion (like all religions) abounds with evidence that Jesus is not at its helm.
- John 1:7: “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” It is equally true that those who do not “walk in the light” “have fellowship with one another”; the lukewarm prefer each other’s company.Because you abide in your religion and I (seriously try to) abide in Jesus, we could never have fellowship. Unity would be highly undesirable for both. I wouldn’t want your company and you wouldn’t want mine.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) emphasizes unity: “Uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus.” EFC is connected to the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) that also emphasizes unity: “Evangelicals united globally for Gospel transformation”. They got it all wrong. The emphasis should not be unity with each other but unity with Jesus. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.”
Unity outside of Christ is undesirable and bears bad fruit. Jesus’ allegory of the vine (“I am the true vine”) and its branches (“you are the branches”) denotes healthy unity. And branches firmly attached to the vine are compatible with each other; they are compatible because of their healthy relationship (not with each other but) with the vine.
The EFC recently held Ignite gatherings – seminars and prayer meetings – in four Canadian cities. In Kelowna the event drew about 135 leaders who were served a free dinner, and 350 for “public prayer and worship”. The emphasis seemed to be twofold, spiritual awakening and unity.
Is it fair to ask why Kelowna would be in need of spiritual awakening when we have (at least) 135 evangelical spiritual leaders, most of whom are salaried? Is this an admission that these leaders have not been doing what they are paid to do? And if so, can we come to any other conclusion except these spiritual leaders are responsible for Kelowna’s spiritual lethargy? (Who else could it be?)
And why the push for unity? Consider: Why would a baptist who renounces “speak[ing] with new tongues” want to be united to a pentecostal? (“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”) What commonality does calvinism have with arminianism? (“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”) Why would cessationists (those who believe Jesus stopped doing “signs and wonders”) want to associate with continualists (those believing Jesus continues performing “signs and wonders”)? Why would the few who never abandoned “first love” want to fellowship with the majority who have? Why would the passionate want to be united with the lukewarm? (“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”)
And consider: Isn’t the exclusion of (supposed) non-leaders from the dinner blatantly divisive? How can some christians be invited to a meal and other christians uninvited? Does Jesus smile upon this partiality?
A leader is one who leads. In the secular world there are all kinds of leaders – good and bad, competent and incompetent, sincere and insincere, beneficial and harmful. In Christ’s church there are also all kinds of leaders – good and bad, competent and incompetent, sincere and insincere, beneficial and harmful.
A leader who is a disciple of Christ bears good fruit. A leader who is a disciple of a religion bears bad fruit. Jesus: “You will know them by their fruits.” Disciples of evangelicalism have a diploma posted in their office; disciples of Christ are credentialed by obedience to God’s Bible, “the fruit of the Spirit”, and their enthusiasm for His Great Commission. A major step toward unity of the brethren would be the credentialed discarding their credentials. (Do you really think Jesus wants some of His saints credentialed and others not credentialed?)
Question: So what should EFC be doing if not promoting spiritual awakening and unity among evangelical churches?
Answer: Nothing. EFC gives unwarranted credibility to evangelicalism the same way popery gives baseless credibility to catholicism. The EFC should disband…. close shop…. dissolve terminate.
Question: What about the WEA that has regional and national alliances throughout the world?
Answer: The WEA should likewise disband…. close shop…. dissolve…. terminate. As catholics would be less catholic if popery were suddenly terminated, evangelicals would be less evangelical if WEA would terminate itself.
To bear “much fruit” you do not need evangelicalism. Don’t need Christ- plus and Bible-plus. In the next chapter I will very clearly show you a simple route that will take you from unsuccessful to successful, from little fruit to “much fruit”. But first another story….
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A jehovah’s witness, a young man, knocked on our door and soon we were in a debate. My christianity, he said, couldn’t possibly be true because we were so divided in doctrine; the jehovah’s witnesses, however, were united, no division whatsoever, and this was ample proof they were God’s true agent on earth. I knew much about the history of his religion and asked, “Has there been times when jehovah’s witnesses were united on matters they later realized were false?” Listen to his response….
“Yes, but it is better to be united in error than divided over truth!”
This same absurdity is fully entrenched in EFC, WEA, and throughout your entire religion. It is error – “commandments of men” – that unites you to each other. Remove these untruths from your christianity and you would cease being an evangelical.
Do you want more truth? Ask Jesus, “the way, the truth, and the life” for truth. Those wanting truth ask; those who don’t don’t.