Reasons for Unity

[SavedByGrace3]

Jim, or maybe it was T7(??) started a thread a while ago asking about essential doctrines.
Here is another way to look at it.
Assume you meet a person from each of the following groups. Assume that the person believes and teaches all the material of that group.
Are they saved and Can you have fellowship with them?
If so, what is it about their teachings that enable you to have fellowship with them?

Pentecostal Holiness Church
Latter Day Saints
Charismatic
Assemblies of God
Jehovah Witness
United Pentecostal Church
Roman Catholic
Greek Orthodox
Southern Baptist
Episcopalian(liberal)
Episcopalian(conservative)
Messianic Jews
Unitarian
Seventh Day Adventist
Word of Faith
Church of Christ
Nazarene
Universalism
Christian Science
The Way International
Presbyterian

 

[flyfishing]

I see a couple of cults up there that i would not fellowship with.. Not sure what the way international is..

 

[LynneClomina]

there are quite a few cults on that list i would not fellowship with, RubyRose, what is your problem with that? when there is flagrant error, it is dangerous to get involved unless you are called to it.

 

[LynneClomina]

also, there is a difference between true fellowship (koinonia) and being an aquaintance. koinonia involves a level of intimacy and commitment. whereas being an aquaintance is more at a distance, but can still be influential and salt and light to that person. but they are not intimate with the deeper parts of your soul and spirit.

 

[flyfishing]

[/color]


Flyfishing......... you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO judgmental..... God have mercy on you.... hope there is oxygen up as high as you think you are....

Your attitude and posts, if any indication of how you treat people, repel people rather than draw them to Jesus.

PLEASE consider what and how you say what you say.... and make sure the log in your eye is smaller than the splinter in those whom you judge.

love ya!! Pray you love Jesus...

 

[Jim B]

Unity usually means, "I can have fellowship with you so long as you believe exactly like I do and don’t cross me.” I can enjoy fellowship (the koinonia kind Lynne mentioned) with anyone, regardless of the church they attend, so long as he/she believes that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, died for our sin and rose again for our justification, and have confessed Him as their Lord and Savior.

They do not have to

speak in tongues,
have the “right doctrine,”
attend the right kind of church (or any church for that matter),
read the right translation of the Bible,
be baptized by immersion,
use unleavened bread at Communion,
believe in spiritual gifts,
abstain from alcohol,
talk Christianese,
vote Republican,
be pro-life,
listen to Pat Robertson and Joyce Meyer,
be a Charismatic,
have been slain in the Spirit,
agree with Kenneth Copeland,
admire Creflo $,
follow Benny Hinn,
believe in a Pre-trip Rapture,
watch TBN,
attend church three times a week,
… etc.etc., ad infinitum …​

and the million-and-one things we require of people in order to accept them in the beloved as we have been accepted by Him.

Having been on this forum for a few weeks now, I don’t think some of the posters would fellowship with some of the others if given an opportunity even though we all share the same Lord. (I nurse my share of bruises).

\o/

 

[RubyRose]

there are quite a few cults on that list i would not fellowship with, RubyRose, what is your problem with that? when there is flagrant error, it is dangerous to get involved unless you are called to it.

LynneClomina... You missed my point! I didn't say none of them were cults or we should associate with them.. Flyfishing has a tendency to present himself in a very harsh and judgemental way, as tho he is the God-appointed judge here on earth. I have tried, a couple of times, to tell him that being less harsh and more loving goes a lot further. Most people just stop listening to opinionated and judgemental people. Even if what they say is correct, no one will listen to the spouting.

 

[LynneClomina]

[/COLOR]

LynneClomina... You missed my point! I didn't say none of them were cults or we should associate with them.. Flyfishing has a tendency to present himself in a very harsh and judgemental way, as tho he is the God-appointed judge here on earth. I have tried, a couple of times, to tell him that being less harsh and more loving goes a lot further. Most people just stop listening to opinionated and judgemental people. Even if what they say is correct, no one will listen to the spouting.

eh, ok. that's cool.

but IS is your job???

he didnt say anything wrong in that post, anyways.

 

[LynneClomina]

Unity usually means, "I can have fellowship with you so long as you believe exactly like I do and don’t cross me.” I can enjoy fellowship (the koinonia kind Lynne mentioned) with anyone, regardless of the church they attend, so long as he/she believes that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, died for our sin and rose again for our justification, and have confessed Him as their Lord and Savior.

They do not have to

speak in tongues,
have the “right doctrine,”
attend the right kind of church (or any church for that matter),
read the right translation of the Bible,
be baptized by immersion,
use unleavened bread at Communion,
believe in spiritual gifts,
abstain from alcohol,
talk Christianese,
vote Republican,
be pro-life,
listen to Pat Robertson and Joyce Meyer,
be a Charismatic,
have been slain in the Spirit,
agree with Kenneth Copeland,
admire Creflo $,
follow Benny Hinn,
believe in a Pre-trip Rapture,
watch TBN,
attend church three times a week,
… etc.etc., ad infinitum …​

and the million-and-one things we require of people in order to accept them in the beloved as we have been accepted by Him.

Having been on this forum for a few weeks now, I don’t think some of the posters would fellowship with some of the others if given an opportunity even though we all share the same Lord. (I nurse my share of bruises).

\o/

awesome post, JimB! i totally agree.

now, ppl who deny the divinity of Christ and repeatedly try to push it up your nose?

uh-uh. not koinonia.

 

[Heinrich]

I believe if 2 people stand on the same side of the cross they can have fellowship and experience unity no matter what they believe the color of your car should be.

But please consider this: Church unity is not something trivial, the differences in doctrine from say orthodox to pentecostal is very vast. It is indeed impossible (humanly) to bridge some of these gaps. If you go look at church history it is infact a truly sad story of how the church got split up ect..
There is a constint flow of believers between different denomination and no sort of statistical analysis or something can prove that one church is the true church of Jesus Christ. (Even thought alot of churches claim this)
There is only one that can reunite the church and that is Jesus Christ himself. So when you make a move in this direction please make sure it is really him moving throught you and not you on your own, because the complications of the situation is far beyond human ability and on your own you will actually only work against Him.
(No I'm not saying cults are ok, the bible are very clear that we should've been one church of unity, but we do live in a fallen world.)

 

[enoch son]

I would have no problem talking and fellowshiping with any of them.

 

[Trish1947]

I have talked to alot of people that have church hopped, looking for that unity that is spoken about and everyone that has been frank about it has this one fear. They are afraid of through doctine, of losing sight of the one that redeemed them, losing their first love, so they are very cautious of others, and their teaching. If it starts drawing them away from Christ being the center, even though it might be very sound doctrine, they are off to another denomination. I experianced this also many years ago.. I had starting asking myself "where did Jesus go?".. I guess thats a good caution to have to a certain degree.

 

[enoch son]

I go to a different chruch 6 nites a week. I have only to fine a tues. meeting for 7. All I can say is that if the Holy Spirit is not there I leave. Cas it's the seal of truth after the blood. The doctrine I can take or leave.

 

[Follower of Christ too]

I have talked to alot of people that have church hopped, looking for that unity that is spoken about and everyone that has been frank about it has this one fear. They are afraid of through doctine, of losing sight of the one that redeemed them, losing their first love, so they are very cautious of others, and their teaching. If it starts drawing them away from Christ being the center, even though it might be very sound doctrine, they are off to another denomination. I experianced this also many years ago.. I had starting asking myself "where did Jesus go?".. I guess thats a good caution to have to a certain degree.

This is exactly what I have seen in a lot of churches. The people are so involved with the doctrine they take thier eyes off Jesus. One of my family members got the idea I believed Jesus only because I used the name of Jesus so much! I had to tell him I believed that Jesus was the Son of God and after that he is more relaxed. The doctrine he teaches believes that if it doesn't come from the church heads it isn't of God. They also are taught that if you are taught wrong by the church then you yourself do not have to answer for the wrong. I just can't see how people who are so involved with doctrine can be working out thier own souls salvation with fear and trembling

 

[Trish1947]

The pastor we used to have was into ranching, and he always used ranch terms to discribe a situation. I'll never forget when he was talking about people that are looking for the right body of believers to associate with, He says when you have matured enough in Christ, you learn that you can "Eat the hay, and spit out the Sticks", without feeling compromised in your faith, you'll find out your probably in the right church. But when your constantly being fed sticks, its probably time to jump the fence and find greener pastures, or your going to starve to death.

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

I can be friendly with all of them. However, Jesus is my life and I talk about Him a lot, so it's some of them who avoid me. Yes, I talk about other things too but Jesus is my whole life and I cannot fathom purposely leaving Him out of the conversation. Like cursewords come out for some, talk of Jesus and my relationship with Him comes out of me. Only some of my fellow brothers and sisters ever accused me of being fake.

 

[Trish1947]

I love to talk about the Lord. He's my priorty interest. He's the most important one in my life, and because of that my husband is saved, my children are saved, their children are saved. Maybe they are glad I'm not harping on them all the time, and they just gave in, LOL. But I dont care, now they are talking about the Lord, my childrens children are talking about the Lord to their friends at school.

Other people like to talk football, golf, basketball, fashion, news, they have their priority in life and I have mine. And I can talk those things too, but before its over, they will know what my priority is..

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

I love to talk about the Lord. He's my priorty interest. He's the most important one in my life, and because of that my husband is saved, my children are saved, their children are saved. Maybe they are glad I'm not harping on them all the time, and they just gave in, LOL. But I dont care, now they are talking about the Lord, my childrens children are talking about the Lord to their friends at school.

Other people like to talk football, golf, basketball, fashion, news, they have their priority in life and I have mine. And I can talk those things too, but before its over, they will know what my priority is..

AMEN to that sista' We need to get together.

 

[Trish1947]

AMEN to that sista' We need to get together.

You betcha, anytime, any place.

 

[PatrickM]

also, there is a difference between true fellowship (koinonia) and being an aquaintance. koinonia involves a level of intimacy and commitment. whereas being an aquaintance is more at a distance, but can still be influential and salt and light to that person. but they are not intimate with the deeper parts of your soul and spirit.

Very well put.

The OP really had two questions, the first has been addressed in the CF about, oh, uh, a thousand times.

And Lynne is right on the second. It's not a question of would you, but, by her definition of koinonia, could you. With some on the list, I don't see what in common there is to be able to have fellowship.