How Christians Are United
Some of the plainest truths taught in the Bible are overlooked by the denominational churches. Because the denominational idea fills their minds, men and women are blinded to the truth that the same thing that makes a man a Christian also and at the same time makes him a member of the church. This plain Bible truth cuts off the idea of denominational churches and points only to the one "church, which is His body." (Eph. 1:22, 23) When a man becomes a Christian he automatically, at the same time and in the same way, becomes a member of the church. All who become Christians become members of the same church. The same thing that makes one man a Christian makes every man a Christian. Becoming Christians does not put people into different churches but makes all of them members of the same church.
Obedience to the gospel that Jesus commissioned his apostles to preach in all the world to every creature is the thing that makes a man a Christian. All who obeyed the gospel under the preaching of the apostles were Christians. Obedience to the gospel does not make any one more than a Christian or less than a Christian. When people are more than Christians they are too much; when they are less than Christians they are too little. Obedience to the gospel makes people Christians, nothing more, and nothing less, and in becoming Christians they become members of "the body of Christ, which is the church." (Col. 1:24) A man cannot become a Christian without getting into Christ, "in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." (Eph. 1:7) To get into Christ is to become a member of his body and to become a member of his body is to become a member of the church. All these things are truisms stated so plainly in the Bible that only those blinded by religious prejudice can fail to see them.
Nothing but obedience to the gospel can make a man a Christian. What is obedience to the gospel? It is most important to know. "And to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus." (2 Thess. 1:7, 8) To "obey not the gospel" is a dangerous and fatal thing. What is it to obey the gospel? What do people do when they obey the gospel? Let us study the following scriptures for the answer:
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." (Mark 16:15, 16) The apostles began to carry out this commission on the day of Pentecost "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) "But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8:12) "And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:35-39) "And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." (Acts 18:8) "For ye are all the sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." (Gal. 3:26, 27)
These and many other scriptures show what obedience to the gospel is, and what people do when they obey the gospel. Let the reader ponder them carefully. Obedience to the gospel, as portrayed in these scriptures, is what makes a man a Christian. When people "repent, and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of their sins," they receive the promise of salvation. Jesus said: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47) A man cannot be saved without becoming a member of the church because when he is saved God adds him to the church. God adds all who are saved to the same church. That church is "the church, which is his body." (Eph. 1:22, 23)
It is very plain that a man becomes a Christian when he obeys the gospel, that is, when, having heard the gospel, he believes it, repents of his sins, and, upon making the good confession of Jesus as Lord, he is baptized in obedience to the commandment of Jesus. In New Testament times every one who became a Christian did so by repenting and being baptized. A man who does not obey the gospel may be a good man, a good husband, father and neighbor, and a good citizen, but the fact remains that he is not a Christian. The only way to become a Christian is to obey the gospel.
How are Christians united? How is Christian union brought about? Jesus prayed for his disciples "that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 17:21) The Spirit, through Paul, forbids division. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Cor. 1:10)
There must, then, be Christian union. It is sinful to be disunited and divided. But how many people have Christian union?
An example of this is the recent merger of three different kinds of Methodist Churches. Now there are a dozen or more separate and distinct kinds of Methodist Churches. None of them work with or fellowship each other.
Before answering this question, I wish to point out that an amalgamation of denominations is not Christian union.
But three of these more than a dozen began negotiations with each other to form a merger. When negotiations were completed, each of the three ceased to exist as a separate and distinct church. A new church was formed by the amalgamation of the three. The three ceased to exist and were merged into one that had had no previous existence.
Now, this merger of the three denominations into one, was that Christian union? Was that the union for which the Saviour prayed?
No, this merger was not Christian union. It was a consolidation, an amalgamation, a merger in which the three were merged into one, but from no standpoint and in no sense of the word was it Christian union. Nothing is Christian union that does not include all Christians. As I have already noted, there are more than a dozen kinds of Methodists, and yet this merger included only three of them. It excludes a greater number of Methodist Churches than it includes. No denominational federation is Christian union. Human wisdom cannot state the grounds upon which Christians can unite. Only Christ is the author of Christianity.
Christian union cannot be brought about by frail, fallible, uninspired human beings negotiating, trading, or compromising with each other. Men can form human organizations and institutions that way, but the church of God is not a human institution or organization.
The Bible very clearly and very plainly shows how people may have Christian union. It shows that by becoming Christians people are united together in Christ. By becoming a Christian a man becomes a brother in Christ to every other Christian. Anything that divides brethren in Christ is wicked and sinful. The closest, most enduring union known to earth is the bond that binds brethren and sisters in the Lord. To become a Christian is to enter into union and communion with every other Christian. The same thing that unites people to Christ unites them to all Christians.
Obedience to the gospel that Jesus commanded the apostles to preach to every creature is what makes Christians, members of "the church, which is his body," and brings harmony, communion and union between all who love and obey the Lord. The way to have Christian union is for every one to become a Christian and the way to preserve and cultivate it is for all who become Christians to live faithfully the Christian life.
To remain united with all other Christians after being "baptized into Christ," a man must be guided by the Word of God. People cannot be divided when all are guided by the Word of God. All the Bible centers in the teaching of the apostles. When Christians "continue steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and the prayers," they cannot he divided... The only way to be guided by the teaching of the apostles is to teach the things they taught and practice the things they practiced. "The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Phil. 4:9) No division can come, even in "mind" or "judgment," unless some one does something that the apostles did not do.
The apostles started local congregations, and nothing else. They appointed a plurality of elders in every congregation. When a human institution is started to merge any work of the local congregations, division is bound to show its ugly head. When the elders of a local congregation "sponsor" a work larger or smaller than the work of the congregation in which they were appointed elders, division comes. When a college is started, not to teach the human arts and sciences, but mainly to take over the congregation's work of teaching the Word of God and training people for church work, division is bound to come. Why should any man start anything that Jesus did not command and that the Holy Spirit did not guide the apostles into starting? Evil, sooner or later, is bound to come of it.
All Christians everywhere, even though unknown to each other, fully and perfectly cooperate when all are guided by the Bible. They all teach the same things and practice the same things. All congregations, all over the world, of every race and language, cooperate thoroughly and most effectually when all of them teach and practice the things for which the apostles gave the command or set the example.