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A Contract with Southern Baptists – Part 5
Posted by Dave Samples in Baptist Life
Baptists Must Be . . .
Based in Humility – a necessary foundation
Authorized by Scripture – a necessary standard
Powered by the Holy Spirit – a necessary energy
Transformed by Worship – a necessary voice
Identified by Unity – a necessary obedience – Psalm 133:1-3; John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:12-26; Ephesians 4:1-6; Colossians 3:12-14
Unity is not a suggestion–it is a command! Paul challenges the church at Corinth, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you” (1 Cor. 1:10). Paul implores the church at Ephesus to be, “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). God will not bless a church, a family, or even a denomination that sacrifices gracious unity for any other virtue–no matter how good. Unity is essential.
Psalm 133 promises, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” Jesus prays for us, “…that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (Jn. 17:20-21). Notice that Jesus sets the bar extremely high in terms of our unity–he defines it in terms of the unity of the Trinity, “…even as You, Father, are in Me and I in you”. Also evangelism is critically tied to unity–”that the world may believe that You sent Me”.
Perhaps the decline in baptisms among Southern Baptist churches has more to do with our denominational infighting than anything else. Jesus prayerfully repeats the thought in verse 22-23, “the glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved me” (Jn. 17:22-23).
How do we recapture a Spirit-led unity? “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Col. 3:12-14).
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Dave,
Welcome on board! It’s great to have you on the IMPACT team.
In your post you said, “Perhaps the decline in baptisms among Southern Baptist churches has more to do with our denominational infighting than anything else.”
Isn’t our denominational infighting (what happens among the gatherings of our churches) simply a reflection of the attitudes, and often times the atmosphere, that exists within many of the churches themselves? Just think about the monthly display of the “dysfunctional family” that occurs in so many of our churches … the business meeting.
I know, I know … there will, undoubtedly, be testimonies offered of the sweet spirit of business meetings. But based upon my 25+years of Baptist life and experience, those business love-fests are the exception rather than the rule.
In our prospective member’s class, Discovering Crossroads Membership, we teach that unity is essential … and that anything that causes disunity in the church is sin. Indeed, the two times that we have entered a process of church discipline were over issues of behavior that was bringing disunity into our fellowship.
The implication of biblical unity means we must have a church structure and practice that promotes unity and does not accentuate differences. But the monthly lining up people up on the opposite sides of issues to cast a vote on everything from the purchase of a new FAX machine to the color of the tile in the bathroom is a decidedly unhealthy way for any family (which the church is, by the way) to function.
So, how can we expect unity in a macro (convention-wide) setting when we inherently struggle with the issue on the micro (local church) level?
Just a few thoughts to get the ball rolling …
Geoff,
Yes, we have not practiced gracious love within our congregations. We have not overlooked each others faults. In addition to teaching, we need to submit to true Spirit-control that results in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.
Dave,
I join Geoff in welcoming you now, not just as a guest contributor, but an official team member!
On the surface, it is hard to find a point of disagreement with your post. I think all, or practically all, who read sbcIMPACT! will be in agreement on the importance of unity. However, I find it ironic that, when we get more specific, and begin to talk about what this unity should look like, this actually becomes one of our biggest causes of disagreement.
Personally, I find that the Bible has a lot to say about unity in our personal relationships and daily living with other believers in our immediate context. I also find a good bit about unity within local congregations, and among all true believers living within a specific locality. Finally, there is a big emphasis on the unity of the Body of Christ at large, that is, all believers all over the world. What I find missing is any specific reference to denominational unity, or being united as a specific sub-set of the Body of Christ in regard to our stance in relation to the rest of the Body of Christ. As a matter of fact, when we look at it this way, some forms of denominational unity can actually be antithetical to true biblical unity.
Thus, I think it is important that, as Southern Baptists, we see our cooperation as a denomination merely as a tool that helps us to be more effective in the work of the Kingdom, and building up the Body of Christ in our own country and around the world, and not as an end in itself. Viewed from this perspective, it is important that we not bicker and fight among ourselves within the denomination. We could hardly be a good example, and serve to build up the Kingdom of God that way. However, even if we had seemlessly smooth relationships among ourselves, as we joined together in a sectarian, separatist stance in regard to the rest of the Body, I personally would not consider this to be something positive, nor Christ-honoring.
Brother Dave,
Good word….What is also interesting is how God teaches us through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.. 4:2-3 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, (3) being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
It seems as though a “unity” is already present and established…we are simply about pursuing the preservation of the unity of the Spirit. The spiritual body of Christ is equipped, we are more appropriately urged to run toward the reality already established.
The church needs to recognize the unity she has been given.
Blessings,
Chris
Well said, Chris. We don’t build unity–we preserve it! Good point.
David, if you recall, I ended up being quite controversial by coining the phrase “doctrinal humility” in the first part of my SBC Contract. Is Christ’s church intended to be united? Absolutely yes! We must graciously embrace our brothers and sisters–even those with which we doctrinally disagree.
Excellent post. I think a broader perspective is important, too. When the secular world looks at “Christianity,” what do they see? A polyglot of competing denominations: Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ, Church of God, Church of Christ in God, and dozens more, all of whom talk about following Jesus but have major differences about what that means. All read the same Bible and reach radically different interpretations.
The differences are usually heartfelt and honest, I think. But to the rest of the world, it’s easy to decide that there is no point to Christianity when even the Christians can’t get their act together. The Lord Himself told us in John 17 that unity is critical to saving the world: He prayed “that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved me.”
Our disunity – not just within denominations but between them as well – damages our witness to the unsaved world. It’s easy to stay in our own little boxes and forget this. This is not a simple problem to solve, but it’s one we ought to acknowledge.
Brother PatrickW,
You bring up some excellent thoughts…yet, unity is simple and attainable. It does come down to really one thing….. Paul gave the clue to those at Philippi
Philippians 2:1-7 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, (2) make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. (3) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; (4) do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Paul continuing in how he states the reality of spiritual life (same mind, same love, united spirit, intentional in purpose)…. flows into the “how” we get it done. That being “humility of mind to regard another as more important than yourself”. That is really a simple recipe to unity….and is indicative of the fruits of the Spirit as well.
Good thoughts…
Blessings,
Chris
Dave,
This is a e-mail I received from a member of my church.
KURT’S DAILY MUSE
“Melting Pot, but Solid Faith” August 29, 2008
In retrospect, being in Vietnam turned out to be a tremendous blessing. I was on a ship with 4999 other sailors and marines. We hailed from all 50 states, some U.S. territories and even from other countries. We all had “accents” to one another, had weird food preferences, liked different music, had different educations, represented more than a 100 religions, and came from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds. The guys from the south ate food we had never heard of, and the bros from the ghetto had hair-raising stories about growing up in dark alleys. For the three years, two months and nine days I was stationed on that ship, we good-naturedly picked on each other and made fun of our differences. Sometimes we got carried away and there would be a heated argument or two. We knew if it came to blows, we’d end up in the brig, on stale bread and water for three days (yes, they still do that). But when it came time to do our job in a combat zone, each one would back up the other. Why? We knew who our real enemy was. During “General Quarters” we were a well-oiled, highly-trained combat machine, detecting the enemy, protecting ourselves, and finishing our mission. If you think teamwork in the Olympics was good, you should have seen us. We were competing for our lives! That should be the picture of the Church, every church. The Lord has a funny way of amassing a group of people from different backgrounds in one congregation. He does that to grow us in His grace, love, patience, kindness, joy and peace. We have been called to “stimulate one another for good works,” not to discourage each other from godliness. Our “enemy” is not the pastor who preaches 15 minutes past noon, or the sister who sings a little off-key, or the deacon who is more goal-oriented than people-pleasing. The church is there to feed, protect, encourage, educate, heal, and expose “the accuser of the brethren.” “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of our faith…. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering…. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:22-25). This weekend, may the Lord give us a renewed love for one another, realizing that the Church may be a melting pot of different cultures, but our faith must be built on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ, “who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
To subscribe to the Muse, at no cost, click on “Update Profile/Email Address” below. Feel free to send comments to: kdmuse@ hotmail.com.
Wayne Smith
Wayne: Amen and Amen! I have had the honor of training beside some of America’s finest Navy and Marine Corp personnel. I can confirm the unity that your wise church member recalls from his days on the ship. The military does a wonderful job of breaking down individuality in order to build a unified yet diverse team. May the church learn to focus on our common goal and our very uncommon Lord. BTW, tell your friend, “thanks for serving”.
Patrick: Not only did Jesus pray an earthly prayer for our unity, but the scriptures tell us that he now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. Perhaps he continues to pray for our unity that the world might believe.
Chris: The first post in this series focused on humility. The post is on this site somewhere though I couldn’t find it just now.
–Dave (with humility)