We are more than glad to do all that we can to help bring God's people together whenever and wherever possible. But, as we have seen so many times, keeping them together is entirely another matter.

Spiritual Litmus Test

In looking for compatible relationships, one such family presented us with a "statement of faith" that was several pages long! This magnificent document listed and addressed in specific and minute detail, issues such as the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; the virgin birth; mode of baptism; the frequency, method and participant requirements of holy communion; spiritual gifts; Bible translations; eschatology; music styles; worldly entertainment; women's attire, etc. And, this family was adamant that anyone with whom they were going to have fellowship must agree with every single poihnt on every single one of those pages! In fact, they were convinced that they should not even dare "eat with such a one" who could not sign this document indicating full agreement with the tenets put forth in this paper. These folks went to to share with us about how lonely they've been and how their children were starting to rebel and how their marriage is beginning to crack under the strain. And I could only think, is it any wonder?

Dear friends, in the name of all that is good, we've carried this "like-minded" mentality 'way too far. It has gotten so bad that some of us do not even know who our Brothers and Sisters are--and the rest refuse, for various reasons, to accept them when we do encounter them.

It was never God's intention that His people should roam the earth looking for "like-minded" people--it was His plan that we would BE like minded!

So, do we just recklessly set sail on the good ship Unity and drop anchor wherever the ambivalent winds of passivity carry us? Never. Do we drop our guard and allow our children to embrace close relationships with evil companions? No way! Am I suggesting that we lower our standards or adopt an ecumenical creed in the name of peace? Absolutely not.

Still, the Bible instructs us to Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11.

And again we read, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Philippians 2:2. So how do we accomplish this lofty goal this side of the Pearly Gates? Well, God is not going to give us a specific command and, then, leave us clueless as to how to obey His Will. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man to his own things, but every man on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:3-5.

What we all desperately need is to stop leaning on our own understanding and get the mind of the LORD.

Our God is not double-minded, and He certainly does not wink at double-mindedness in His people. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8. Rather, our God, Who is One, is of one mind and, He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. I Corinthians 6:17.

It seems that far too many Christians get a certain carnal enjoyment in riding the high of passionate doctrinal debate in indulging in the sports-level thrill of one-upmanship while arguing over certain of the more difficult passages of Scripture. Meanwhile, even the casual observer recognizes that the fruit of their lives shows them to be dreadfully deficient in personal application of the simplest of Scriptures that even a child can understand--
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. I John 3:11.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. But this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34,35.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John 15:14.
And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandments. I John 3:23.
And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 2 John 5,6.

We will never become like-minded by beating each other down with doctrinal arguments. Rather, through the power of the indwelling Spirit, we need to build each other up in love according to the Word. We need to demonstrate the love of God towards each other by example in our everyday walk. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3. Now I'll grant you that some folks are about as easy to love as a porcupine that's having a bad hair day. But that's just the point! If while we were yet sinners, Christ could die for us, we surely can show a little mercy to our siblings in the Kingdom.

Of a certainty, there are Biblically-outlined mandates for separating ourselves from the world: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

There are even circumstances which would require us to separate ourselves from professing believers who are, in reality, wolves in sheep's clothing: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15,16.

But I suggest to you here that, in most cases, we have broadened the scope of license far beyond the Scriptural intent. We have personally witnessed divisions among believers over the following "noble and righteous" causes:

...Whether to sing from the Hymn Book or use choruses.

...Whether women should sing audibly in a mixed gathering of believers--for if women sing in the meeting so that you can hear their voices, they are not keeping silent in the church! (2 Timothy 2:11,12 and Ephesians 5:19 being given as proof text.)

...And, then, there's Communion. Debates have raged as to how often to share communion, with whom to share communion, whether to use wine or grape juice, whether to partake of the "fruit of the vine" (whatever that may be) from individual little vials or from a common cup, whether the bread should be a common loaf or individual crackers, leavened or unleavened, and on and on and on.

Utterly ignoring our LORD's command, This do in remembrance of me (1 Corinthians 11:24,25), many have forsaken the admonition to "show the Lord's death till He come" lest we be found eating and drinking (Matthew 11:19) with sinners (that category of people being denied, in this context, as anyone who does not agree with us on everything). In all of these cases, everyone dug in their heels and held out for others to see it "their way" and, finally, when no one would yield, they simply split up and quit meeting together--and some even quit speaking to each other!

My brethren these things ought not to be so! If, as Christians, we believe ourselves capable of obeying our LORD's clear command to love our enemies, surely, we can love someone with whom we merely disagree. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:44-48. By insisting that his way was "right", and that he alone was the guardian of the "truth", in the end, these precious believers end up ignoring the Biblical admonition of Hebrews 10:23-25: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

There are of course, legitmate, Biblically-defined situations where we need to separate ourselves from a professing Christian: Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:17,18. Obviously, God is not warning us here to keep our distance from struggling sinners, weaker brethren, or those with whom we disagree. He warns us to avoid those who think they have it all together and consider themselves to be better than the rest. We are to avoid those who would cause offenses and unnecessary divisions among us. These types are cunning and relentless in their efforts to undermine your relationships within the Body of Christ. And, the "doctrine which you have learned" is not referring to some isolated pet doctrine you've adopted in support of your own self-serving little world view, but rather, to the whole counsel of God--the Word of God in its entirety.

Let me give you an example. We have a rule in our house--wash your hands before you eat. We constantly remind each other of this healthy habit. But, while eating with unwashed hands may not be the most appealing approach--it may even make us sick--it does not defile a person in the eyes of the LORD. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Matthew 15:19,20. Although we know clean hands are a good thing, we would not break fellowship over unwashed hands.

The same principle applies to what we eat. We have established patterns for our household regarding certain foods that, for health reasons, we feel are best not purchased and eaten on a regular basis, if ever. But, if led by the Spirit, we would not refuse the hospitality and fellowship of a Godly family who invited us over for a cookout that included hot dogs served on white flour rolls and brownies laden with processed white sugar.

Personal taste and preferences should never come between fellow believers. But if over steaming cups of hot chocolate, the conversation turns to malicious gossip about another Christian family that everyone present happened to know, our concern should not be whether or not the marshmallows floating in our cups were kosher, but rather, that we make certain that we do not allow backbiting or critical judgments--which the Bible clearly defines as sin--to proceed out of our mouth.

Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. Matthew 15:17,18. Just as it is not what we eat that defiles us, it is not what we wear on our bodies that perfects us. Rather, it is the putting on the transformed inner man which is the mirror image of Christ Jesus our LORD.

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:10-15.

Much of the separation we are seeing among believers is a knee-jerk reaction to the fear that our children will be negatively impacted by "evil" influences. But the solution to that problem is exactly the opposite of that which we have adapted. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? I Peter 3:8-13.

Once again, we simply must understand that the only way this madness is ever going to stop is when we all get the mind of God on these things. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8.

Maybe up until now you've managed, somehow, to get along with nary a care for anything or anyone but "me, myself and mine" and maybe a few clones alongside. But my friends, the times, they are indeed 'a-changin'!

Whether we recognize it yet or not, God never intended for us to be islands unto ourselves. We need each other. We are a vital organ--a necessary part--of a Living Body.

Let me share a personal example with you. (This may be a bit graphic for some of the "weaker vessels", but I hope you can hang in there and see the deeper message.)

When I was the age of my youngest daughter, I was mixing a cake using the big electric power mixer. As was often my habit, in not wanting to waste even the slightest bit of the precious ingredients, I used my index finger to scrape away the small amount of butter that was left lining the measuring spoon. Then I began lightly tapping my finger against the edge of the bowl in an effort to know loose the dab of butter as it sat clinging to my finger. Unfortunately, I got too close to the beaters which instantly grabbed hold of my finger and ruthlessly pulled it into the whirring mechanism all the way up the first knuckle where it stuck fast. The motor slowed almost to a stop, but in my panic, when I reached up to turn the mixer to the OFF position, I accidentally turned it up on HIGH! With a sickening thump and a whine, the machine took my finger completely off!

As I looked at the profusely bleeding stump of what used to be a pretty useful finger attached to a still fully-functioning hand, my mind kept saying, "Take care of yourself. Forget the finger. It's gone. Let it go. You don't need it." Still, though shaken and woozy, with my good hand, I continued to urgently search the contents of the bowl for the small amputated piece of flesh that used to be a part of me. At last, I was able to retrieve the mangled finger which I gently washed and carefully wrapped together with my wounded, throbbing hand.

When we arrived at the hospital, the doctor warned us, "We can just stitch the stump closed and in time, it should heal just fine. Or we can try to save the finger. HOWEVER, there is no way of knowing if this finger will reattach itself to the body or if the body will accept or reject it. It may give you problems for the rest of your life. There are no guarantees that the finger can be restored to a useful purpose. You will need to decide if it's worth taking a chance on trying to restore the finger." Well, I took a chance on saving the finger, and despite the fact that it was a long road back to full recovery, the body unhesitatingly welcomed that poor finger back without reservation--and the finger, once again, found a useful place as a functioning part of this body! And although it isn't pretty to look at, and it has caused me a great deal of pain now and then, I've never regretted that decision. Every now and then (when there aren't too many folks around) that finger and I will team up to play piano and sing praises to the LORD. In fact, it is still here working with me today as I type these words to you!

The Body of Christ is the Hands and Feet of Jesus on this earth. We must learn to love, value, and care for His body as much as we do our own bodies. And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. Mark 12:28-34.

When our requirements and criteria for fellowship exceed the commandments and measuring stick of the Author of our faith, it's time we humble ourselves before God and His people, and repent of our sinful attitudes and ways. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:3-5.

Brothers and Sisters, Let this (t-HIS) mind be in you.

This article was reproduced by permission from the Home School Digest, P.O. Box 374, Covert, MI 49043