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Thoughts by Bro.
Ernest Hawtin
SPIRITUAL
ECUMENISM
There are many today who would be horrified at the thought of joining the World Ecumenical movement of today, and are religiously determined to avoid it, even to the point of the denunciation of it in no uncertain terms. Perhaps they are trying to avoid the wrong thing. It is the spirit of Ecumenism in the heart that we should be sure that God deals with, and takes out of our hearts completely. If all we have is a determination either not to join the World Church, or not to take the mark of the Beast, it will be insufficient to keep us in that day. As in all things, we need the Lord!
The very spirit of "Merging at all costs" is one of which you will have to beware. There are some sincere brethren who feel that any form of compromise is permitted as long as their presence and fellowship can be tolerated in any group of believers. A spirit of fellowship was evident in our Lord, when He ministered in the synagogues, and He loved them all, but we also know that He never compromised on the Truth just to have an open door to them, but gently and firmly corrected them of their errors. Let us also consider the Apostle Paul (Acts 19:8-9). And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. He did not just side in with them, preaching the things they wanted to hear, concerning the law, and contrary to grace, but did not shun to declare all that God had said.
Too many people think doctrine is not important. One brother told me that for the sake of unity, he had adopted a water baptism formula that included terms designed to satisfy both oneness and trinitarian beliefs. I would rather use none, as the formula is not Scriptural -- perhaps nothing was said many times, but it was all done in the Name of the Lord. It is not right to please men by conforming to their doctrines. If all we want is a spiritual fellowship, it would be better to leave doctrine out, rather than be a compromiser. There can be a getting together on the common grounds of salvation and the baptism of the Spirit, and this could be called a measure of spiritual unity. The saints should never stop here, for there is a much deeper unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God. They will have to remain here, though, and cry, "Oh Lord, how long?" until the Apostles' doctrine is established throughout the church. This is an essential pre-requisite to greater unity and fellowship. (Acts 2:42), And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, . . . . (1 Tim. 1:3), Charge some that they teach no other doctrine. (Titus 2:1), But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. (Titus 2:10), That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. (Rom. 6:17), Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (Rom. 16:17), Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. These and many other scriptures will show how essential the doctrine is in coming to the unity of the faith. Those who are deprived of this are described as children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14).
Ultimately doctrine will gracefully take its place as a great source of the unity of the faith, and it will be realized as it is written, that ye all speak the same thing, . . . but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor. 1:10). The apostles' doctrine will not be tolerated by any sectarian spirit; therefore, where this is predominant, the unity of the faith will never be realized. There was considerable leeway in Paul's doctrine on non-essential things such as eating and drinking, and days of worship, etc., and while we are to make allowances on these points to those who are weak in the faith, we must not in any way violate the change that God has made in our lives through the doctrine. Without compromise, Paul became all things to all men to win them, but he also insisted that they obey from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered unto them. The spirit of compromise joins you to the ecumenical movement in a subtle inward manner, which paves the way for the outward manifestation of it later. |