Essays on Selected Christian Topics

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Contents

Let There Be Unity............................1Spiritual Gifts...............................35Miracles......................................43Forgiveness...................................62Sermon On The Mount...........................82Beatitudes....................................106Teach Us to Pray..............................135Grace.........................................152Faith.........................................169Worship.......................................191Who Can Stand Before God?.....................229Doctrine......................................242

Chapter One

I. Introduction

For years, Christianity has enjoyed the luxury of quibbling and separating over many issues but the time has come for Christians to understand that we are in a desperate fight for our spiritual lives. With atheism largely in control of our news media, with Europe having been swallowed by secularism, and with a major world religion preaching that we are infidels to be slaughtered, it seems that the religious freedoms enjoyed in the 20th century may have been an aberration in our culture rather than the norm we have taken for granted. Those who consider all Christians to be infidels and whose major goal in life is to destroy Christianity have permeated the cultures of our country and most European countries and occupy a major portion of the world.

If the spread of powerful forces of darkness are not checked in some way, we may find that the freedoms we have enjoyed to serve God according to our own consciences are a thing of the past. Christians may, of necessity find it necessary to support one another in our fight against our mutual spiritual enemies in the world. At that time, the unity which we have failed to find may be forced upon us.

Most Christian groups share several general principles such as salvation by grace, the requirement of faith, some form of confession, some show of repentance, and some aspect of baptism. Also most require or recommend some congregational affiliation, systematic giving, adherence to the 10 Commandments, and a modicum of behavior and worship governed by the principles found in the New Testament. However, rather than being drawn together in appreciation for others who believe in our God, look for salvation through His Son, and follow His Holy Spirit, we have magnified our differences even to the point of judging the salvation of others who look as we do to God for grace and to His word for guidance.

When Jesus prayed His last earthly prayer, the theme of it was unity of His followers. Hardly any scriptural teaching is less debatable than the requirement for unity among God's people, yet the Christian community remains divided and judgment of the salvation of others differing from ourselves prevails. Perhaps our failure to be unified on what is right or wrong can be attributed more to the absence of the proper love, support, and respect for people with whom we share the gospel than to an inability to understand the word.

It seems a wonder how the many Christian groups can preach unity so vigorously, pursue it so timidly, and prevent it so completely. Especially since all of us acknowledge one God and claim His grace; express faith in His only Son, Jesus Christ, receive forgiveness through His blood; and accept membership in His one body, His Church.

Perhaps we are all guilty of selfishness in feeling or claiming that we alone have the answers to spiritual questions. Because we all look to Jesus for our salvation, call ourselves Christians, acknowledge one God, and accept the same rule book, one might think that division in Christianity would be the exception rather than the rule. As it turns out, however, we have found a way to quibble about almost everything spiritual and find ourselves in a fragmented state.

How we degenerated from the beauty and purity of the Church on Pentecost into a Christian world composed of different groups each claiming to be the church of Christ and some even rejecting kinship to others is a sordid tale of stupidity, arrogance, indifference, and, perhaps, some even less favorable qualities. The seeds of such a situation had been sown during the first century and described by Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth pertaining to the division among them as some claimed to follow Appolos, some Peter, some Paul and others Christ. The degenerative state of the first century church was described by the elderly apostle John as he wrote the book of Revelations.

By about the fourth century, allegiance began to be vested in a human, who was called Father, and his entourage of priests. Unfortunately this Church came to venerate and worship the mother more than the child, to adulterate the free moral agency of man and to spread its power and influence by physical might rather than spiritual enlightenment. It practiced a hidden spiritual agenda rather than an open knowledge of God's word and became so corrupt and out of touch with the people that a rebellion gradually developed. This rebellion was abetted by the development of the printing press and the gradual availability of the Scriptures to the masses of people. After century upon century of decline, an awakening began to restore the church to the first century model in practice and in doctrine.

This movement attracted many marvelous people who were intent on learning God's will for themselves. It attracted people from many nationalities and it especially attracted many strong-minded people who gave up their citizenship especially in England, Ireland, and Scotland to come to a new world of freedom in America.

That there would be differences in understanding and interpretation the Scriptures by these people is easily understood. Consequently many groups of people came to understand the Bible in slightly different ways. Some of these ways involved requirements for salvation, church government, moral requirements, and acceptable worship. Also not surprising, however, was that many of these groups developed without rancor and even supported one another's efforts to learn God's will and to serve Him.

Around the mid-20th century, however, lines and points of disagreement became emphasized so vigorously that a familial acceptance turned into a spiritual battle which culminated in some groups publicly repudiating the Christianity of others. This attitude led to many, sometimes mean spirited, debates over biblical issues and succeeded in drawing lines of fellowship separating many groups.

The question of how to become a Christian became overshadowed by questions concerning the worship and behavior of Christians with some of them being elevated to establish lines of fellowship. This led to people following a dogma in name and practice rather than calling themselves Christians and accepting that all have shortcomings in practice and understanding to overcome. Members of the Christian family then came to be known by their differences rather than their likenesses. Furthermore, the differences took on such an importance in the minds of many that some family people would not fellowship other members of the family because of some disagreement.

II. Areas of Division in Christianity

It is time to make a conscientious effort to correct our divided state and it will take more than a retreat into our doctrinal shells with an invitation to others to join us on our...