From Matthew Henry’s commentary on Psalm 122:
If all the disciples of Christ were
of one mind, and kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, their
enemies would be deprived of their chief advantages against them. But Satan’s
maxim always has been, to divide that he may conquer; and few Christians are
sufficiently aware of his designs.
Those who can do nothing else for
the peace of Jerusalem may pray for it. Let
us consider all who seek the glory of
the Redeemer, as our brethren and fellow-travellers, without regarding
differences which do not affect our
eternal welfare. Blessed Spirit of peace and love, who didst dwell in the
soul of the holy Jesus, descend into his church, and fill those who compose it
with his heavenly tempers; cause bitter contentions to cease, and make us to be
of one mind. Love of the brethren and love to God, ought to stir us up to seek
to be like the Lord Jesus in fervent prayer and unwearied labour, for the
salvation of men, and the Divine glory. (Mathew’s Commentary on
the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008,
p. 561)
Recall, if you would, all the way back to Chapter 1:
The 17th-century Lutheran Peter Meiderlin once said, “We
would be in the best shape if we kept in essentials, Unity; in non-essentials,
Liberty; and in both Charity.” This is an extremely valuable and effective
touchstone for our journey. Let’s define the terms with precision, and use that
precision to our benefit as we proceed. This will prove valuable:
An essential is
something that is necessary, utterly required
for something to be effective, true, or real. You may recall this expression
from mathematics: if and only if.
That defines an essential.
A non-essential
may be profoundly important, valuable or highly regarded, but it is not necessary, not required. This is a critical distinction.
Liberty means that
we do not force others to conform to our practices or beliefs on issues that
are non-essential.
Charity means that
we treat others with respect and love, even when we disagree or differ on either essentials or non-essentials.
We need to realize that something can be non-essential in
one context and essential in another.
•
Plain, modest dressing is essential to being
Amish, but it is not essential to being a Christian.
•
Ordination is essential in many denominations to
be a priest or pastor, but it is not essential to teach or care for others.
•
Apostolic Succession is essential to the polity
of a church in the apostolic tradition (Roman Catholics, Anglicans, others),
but it is not essential to salvation or sanctification.
•
The Liturgy is essential to the worship of a
“liturgical church,” but it is not essential for a church to be Christian.
Similarly, though sanctification is non-essential to
salvation, it is essential to Life in Christ, to Covenant.
Covenant, Life in Christ, begins with salvation, is lived in
sanctification, and finishes in glorification. Sanctification is the process of learning to live and love as Jesus
did. Sanctification is the very means by which we are each conformed to
Christ’s image, where we become more like Him, where we learn to love.
So, what is essential to sanctification? What is the if
and only if of sanctification? What must
it have to proceed? And what can it proceed without?
Here’s the key understanding:
To the degree that
any of our church concepts, doctrines, worship styles, polity, and so on, aid
us in our sanctification, they are helpful, perhaps even important, but if sanctification can proceed without them, they are not essential to sanctification, and not essential
to life in Christ.
Life in Christ, covenant, is what all Christians have in
common. Sanctification is basically the living out in daily life—and in our
faith tradition—of this covenant with Him. It is where we are formed in His
image, where we are made into His bride without spot or wrinkle, where we
mature in learning to love as He did.
It is life with and in
Christ during our walk on this earth.
That’s sanctification,
and every Christian grows up through
it. It is to be discipled and be a disciple—to learn “by use and practice.” To
learn to love.
Sanctification is essential and unavoidable for a Christian.
It is our daily walk and growth. So the big question is: are the elements of
your church tradition required for
sanctification, and therefore for life in Christ? Are they essential? I’m not asking if they are valuable or perhaps even
important. I’m asking if they are essential, required for sanctification. As valuable and honored as they may
be, the answer is almost certainly, “No.”
We really have to move past the non-essentials if we are to
embody the unity for which Christ prayed.
The risk in even broaching this topic is the fury that
arises when religious people fear that their beliefs and practices are being
attacked—and calling any one of them “non-essential,” even with careful definition
of what this means—is often heard as a threat to the faith. Recall Matthew
Henry’s insight:
If all the disciples of Christ were
of one mind, and kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, their
enemies would be deprived of their chief advantages against them. But Satan’s
maxim always has been, to divide that he may conquer; and few Christians are
sufficiently aware of his designs.
I believe that with care, willingness, and charity for each
other, there is a path beyond our divisions, to a common place of safety and
godly mutual respect, to Reconciliation.
HOW TO RECONCILE
I want to begin here a series of examples of how
Reconciliation can be applied with actual followers of Jesus who differ
markedly in their Concepts, Doctrines, Subdoctrines, Worship, Polity,
Hermeneutics, dress codes and more. In other words, with Christians who often
have little or nothing to say to each other, and even less to do with each
other—except perhaps in derision and distancing themselves—lest they be tainted
by the other’s embodiment of the Faith.
If you begin to live as a Reconciler, an ambassador for the
Gospel, and are able to find the unity Jesus prayed for—with others who differ
in their Concepts (Doctrines, and so on), visit the Web site
(WhatWeBeliveAndWhy.com) of this book, and please
share your story with me. I will
post those that are appropriate online and in future editions of this book, and
let this section on Application grow.
More to come...
In Christ,
Pastor George
