A Look At Our Attitude
The attitude a person has will help accomplish more for the Lord if it is the right attitude. It is not enough to be right alone and manifest a spirit that belies the proper move. If we would please God then we must always manifest a Christ like spirit of love and understanding toward our brother with whom we differ. It seems to me that a spirit of understanding and love is needed today more than ever before if we are to bridge the gap that has developed over the present problems of the work of the church. To say we have no problems is to miss the point badly because every informed Christian knows that the church is in a state of unrest because of the influx of departures from the Word of the most high God.
We believe that the church must conform to the pattern in the New Testament in order to be the blood bought institution of God. Any change in any way of those principles given in the Word will result in a defective and incomplete church. We cannot be the church of Christ without doing all that God requires in the pattern given.
The pattern as revealed in the Word has three parts. These parts are worship, organization, and work. Anything in the form of worship that adds to or takes from the items of worship will be rejected by all and rightly so. We are willing to defend our position against all comers in this field and to march to the attack against those that will hold other positions. We have the right attitude about the worship of the church.
Anything in the form of government except the local congregation and its elders and deacons will be contrary to the will of God and has no promise of Divine blessing. It seems that we are all about agreed on that point. We are now faced with the problem of little organizations springing up within the church and taking over the work of the eldership. Also big organizations are controlling the churches by pressure and influence. Any eldership that allows outside forces to dictate decisions in any way is not fit to be holding the lofty position entrusted to them.
If we are to follow the Lord in two parts of the pattern, does it not follow that we are to do the same regarding the work of the church? Since the church is made up of the three elements, organization, worship, and work, it appears to me that we ought to be able to see that if a church failed in any one of the three it would so affect the others as to render the church unscriptural in that part at least. I fail to see the difference in changing God's plan of work for the church and in changing the plan of worship or organization. I can find no passage that puts a premium on one part and leaves us to do the others as we see fit. Yet that is the conclusion some are reaching today. Just suppose that there is a congregation that is scriptural in its organization and they follow the New Testament in the worship but they later decide that they will follow a program of work that is unscriptural and cannot be conformed to the Word of God, can we assume that God will accept them as His because they have two out of three? Some say yes. Or at least that is the way it appears by their actions. I don't believe that we have the right attitude toward our brethren when we are willing to stand by and not try to teach them in order to keep them from going into further error. If we love them like we should then we will be willing to do everything to help them see the error of their ways. If we are willing to pass up errors in the work of the church and not preach on them in order to have peace (?), then why shun those that are scriptural in organization and are doing nothing wrong regarding the work of the church but have decided to add a fiddle to the song service? You can see that they have two out of three also. What passage of scripture makes a church that is following the Word in worship and organization but not in work, more scriptural than a church that is following the Word in work and organization but not in worship? It appears that because of friendship or other reasons there are many preachers today that are willingly refusing to preach on the corruption in the work of the church yet they feel that there are many things that are going on that are wrong. Rather than get involved in the fight they are letting things go by that need to be taught. If that is true then that person will compromise himself out of heaven by letting things go by that he knows are wrong but will not teach the truth on the subject. I believe we are obligated to preach against error in the work of the church just as much as in the worship. Our love of our souls and the souls of others should move us to teach the truth regardless of the cost. There is no neutral ground to occupy in the fight of faith. One of the greatest dangers facing the church today is the idea of staying neutral. When there is a controversy raging nothing suits the devil more than to see some of God's workers standing on the sidelines waiting to see which way the tide of battle is going. Any person that stands on the sideline and waits when there is a battle raging between God and the devil is on the devil's side whether he knows it or not. When right is being attacked we must rally to the side of the Lord regardless of the personal cost.
What should be our attitude then in the present controversies? It should always be one of love for those that are in error. We must remember that we might be in error and we all want to be treated with respect and Christian love. We must not become weary in well doing but always be ready to teach the Truth at every opportunity. Take advantage of every chance that comes our way to hit a blow against the devil and his works. Every gospel preacher will cry out against error regardless of where it is. Our failure to do so will endanger our soul salvation. We need to look again at our attitude!
We must strive to keep the church pure. The only way it can be done is to notice the work as well as the worship and organization. Why not follow the safe course? God's way is the best way. God's way is the only way!