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Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:15
In the last chapter we have seen something regarding the attitude we must have toward the saints who are still in the denominations. On one hand, we must be so general and so open to all saints regardless of their background. But on the other hand, if they are still in the denominations, it is rather difficult for us to identify ourselves with them. However, the responsibility is not ours but theirs. As long as we return to the proper ground of oneness, we are absolved from all responsibility of division. For this reason we can do nothing to help them. All we can do is to return to the proper ground. Positionally speaking, this is the right place for us to be identified with all the children of God. But actually speaking, it is impossible because so many of them are still in the divisions.
Now we must see what we should do with the denominations. Some brothers who have seen that the denominations are wrong still insist that we must stay there. They say that if we do not remain in the denominations, we will be charged with causing division. They also say that we must stay to help others, for if we leave, there will be no way to help them. At least some who have seen that the denominations are wrong speak in this way. I know some dear saints who are like this.
Well, are the denominations right or wrong? If they are wrong, should we stay in them? Should we remain in something wrong? If you cannot leave because others will say that you cause division, I am afraid you are the biggest politician on earth. You are not faithful to what you see. You know the denominations are wrong, yet you still remain because you are afraid of what others will say. This is not honest or faithful.
You may say that we must be careful not to cause divisions. But to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem is not causing a division. To abandon what is wrong and come back to what is right is not causing a division. We all must have a pure conscience. Regardless of how much you say you are careful, I say that you are political. In your heart you condemn the denominations, yet you still remain there. I do not believe that Christians should hold this kind of attitude. If you stay, what kind of work will you do? Will you stay in a denomination and do a work which is absolutely against that denomination? We should not be this kind of person.
The Presbyterians, for example, exert much energy to build up their Presbyterian denomination. If you agree with them, you should stay. But if you do not agree with them, you should plainly tell them that you cannot stay. We must be honest. We should not pretend that we are one with a certain denomination, yet day by day undermine it. This is not right, and this is not honest. Eventually, all such people will be expelled by the denominations. Suppose you are a pastor of a denomination. Would you allow a member of your denomination to remain and yet undermine your work? You would have to dismiss him.
Everything must be after its kind according to Genesis 1. If we are for the denominations, we must remain with the denominations. But if we are not for them, we must be faithful and honest to tell them so.
In 1927 I was elected a member of the executive committee of the denomination I was in. But I told them frankly that I could not accept the position and that I was going to leave them. That was the end of my denominational life. I still believe that this way is right. We are the children of light, and we must be honest to ourselves and to others.
We must abandon the idea of remaining in the denominations to help others. If we stay, we are not honest. Suppose you are a missionary, and the mission sends you out as a missionary to work for that mission. You must be honest to them. If you work honestly and faithfully for the mission, you are right. You should not go to the field yet work in another way. This is not honest. You may say that you are doing something for Christ, but I do not believe the Lord needs such underhanded servants.
We must be after our kind. If we are denominational, we must be one hundred percent denominational. If the denominations are wrong, we must leave them at any cost. We have to be what we are. We should not pretend to be something. That is being political. Let us be so simple, so faithful, and so honest to God, to others, and to ourselves. We must let people know what we are and where we stand. We should not pretend to be anything. If we prefer the denominational way, then we must stand for it. The Lord never respects pretension. We must be what we are.
Of course, if we are so frank, we may offend some people. But eventually, if we do not declare what we are, we will offend them more. From the beginning we must let others know what we are and where we stand. I say this because it is so easy to consider it better to remain in the denominations. I frankly tell you that this does not work.
There are some who say this is right. They agree that they should not stay in the denominations to undermine their work. But they say that we must stay to pray for them and improve them. This is a good intention, but I have never seen anyone who has succeeded in so doing. If you do not believe my word, you may go and waste your time. Try a few years and see whether you can improve them. I am sure that you cannot. We must not involve ourselves in so many things; it is just a waste of time.
Now we must see some of the practical lessons of the church life so that we may know how to behave in the local church.
When we leave the denominations and come to the ground of oneness, we must learn immediately that we are not for any doctrine, form, or practice. We are absolutely for Christ as life. We can never stress this point too much. We are not here for anything but Christ as our life. We are not here for any doctrine, form, or practice. Why must I emphasize this one thing? It is because this helps to deliver us from our different opinions in these three categories. It is so easy to have different opinions regarding doctrines, forms, and practices.
Suppose you are in Sacramento and you leave the denomination that you are in. You discover that a group of believers are meeting on the proper ground in Sacramento, and you proceed to meet with them. Suppose, then, that you find there something that you do not agree with. They may pray-read very loudly, and you may feel that you simply cannot go along with that. What then would you do?
We must remember that on the proper ground we do not stand for any doctrine, form, or practice. We only stand for Christ as life. We must not care whether they have pray-reading or something else. As long as it is not sinful, it is all right. If they minister Christ as life, we will receive the proper help. We must not oppose or impose anything, but simply minister Christ as life to them in a living way.
When you go to a church and simply minister Christ as life, you will be no problem. If they do something that you do not like, you must not say a word. Whatever they do, you should not care. All you must seek to do is to minister Christ as life to them. The longer you stay there, the more the church will be nourished, strengthened, and built. All the saints there will be so happy that the Lord has sent you to them. If you go there to criticize their pray-reading and everything they do, you will only damage yourself and the church. This will really frustrate the fellowship in that church. We all must realize that on the church ground, we are here for nothing but Christ as life. We are not for any doctrine, form, or practice.
Another lesson we must learn is never to adjust others. As long as their behavior is not sinful, we should leave them alone. To be sinful is one thing, and to be wrong is another. For instance, the best time for us to meet during the weekdays may be 7:30 P.M. But suppose the leading brothers decide to have the meeting at 7:00 P.M. This may be wrong, but it is not sinful. Suppose that such a decision is made. Would you say anything? Could you come joyfully without saying a word? You may say that this is asking too much, but we need something which is too much to test us. Then we will know where we are.
It is far too easy for us to criticize and say something. It is really difficult to be quiet in the church life. The car you drive can be driven in your way. But if you are not behind the steering wheel, you must allow others to drive. You may think that if only you were in the position of responsibility, everything would be right. But the Lord has sovereignly placed others in this position. This is a test to see if you are really for the church life.
You may say that the leading brothers in your church are not so good. But I can tell you that every leading brother is not so good. There is not one exception. If you cannot go along with those where you are, you will never be able to go along with those in other places.
Wherever we are in a local church, regardless of how wrong they are, we must go along with them as long as they are not sinful. Of course, if the leading brothers put up an idol and say that we all must worship it, we must stand against this because it is sinful. To hold something which is sinful is one thing, but to do something which is wrong is another. It is rather difficult to ascertain the standard of right and wrong. What is the standard for right, and what is the standard for wrong? It is really difficult to know.
Another thing we must learn to abandon is the ambition for position. In the church life there is the temptation of wanting to take the lead. We all are human. You may say that you do not want to be a leading brother. In a sense I believe you, but in another sense I do not believe you. If the church puts you in a position, though you say that you do not like it, you are still so happy about it, and if the church does not put you into a position, you say that you do not care, but you really do. You simply feel unhappy. The Lord knows, and you know too. You feel that you are older, more experienced, and more qualified than others. Why are they in the position and you are not? Perhaps you do not say this to others, but it is deep in your heart.
I have been this kind of “doctor” for many years. I know all the cases. When you come to me and say you are healthy, I know that you have tuberculosis. What kind of tuberculosis? It is simply the tuberculosis of being jealous of those who are in leading positions. You would not say it, but you feel it. There is something secret, something hidden, within you. If the church were to put you into a leading position, you would function so much in the meetings. But since the church has not given you such a place, you come with your mouth shut. This is all because of the self-seeking ambition within you.
When we come to a local church, we should never consider that we must be an elder or a deacon. Whether we are an elder or a deacon does not really mean anything as long as we minister Christ as life to others. Even if we have no position at all, we should not care. We should just minister Christ continually to others without saying a word about the brothers who are taking the lead.
I realize that we all love the Lord and the church. But deep within all of us, there is the germ of ambition, which must be dealt with. If we do not deal with this kind of ambition, the fellowship and the church life will be damaged.
To talk about the church life is easy, but when we practice it, we will see that everything will test us. No place in the entire earth exposes a person like the local church. The church exposes everything. We could never be exposed so thoroughly in any other place. The church even exposes the intent within our heart. Nothing can be hidden.
Sometimes people argue about doctrine, but this is just an excuse. If they were given a certain position in the church, even the wrong doctrine would not bother them! How can we have proper fellowship if we are like this? It is impossible. Whether we have a position or not, we should be happy that we are in the church life. Then it will be very easy to go along with the brothers and sisters.
These are the lessons we must learn. We must not insist on anything, we must not expect to be anything, and we should never try to adjust anyone. The secret is just to be so simple. Whatever the church does, whatever the brothers and sisters do, we should not care. We must simply love them and minister Christ to them, as well as receive the help of Christ from them. We should just go along with the church, whatever it does. Then the fellowship of the church will be a strong testimony to others.
I pray that all of these small matters will become very clear to us. May we be wise regarding “the little foxes” that secretly damage the church life. We all must realize these things and be saved from them. We must not care for any doctrine, form, or practice; we must not try to adjust others; and we must not desire any position in the church. We must simply love the Lord and the church and learn to minister Christ as life to others and receive help in life from others. This is the proper way we should take in the practice of the church life.
