Which One Is Right?
God Has a Way
God is still saving people today, delivering them from the kingdom of darkness, translating them into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Each precious redeemed soul is born of the Spirit into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). “And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.” (Psalm 87:5) Each child of God is born into the family of God, that extensive family which lives both in heaven and on the earth and is kept in His name (Ephesians 3:14-15). Those who are not born again cannot see them as a family (John 3:3) or comprehend their divinely wrought relationship, but He who redeemed them from the world knows every one of His children. “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.” (2 Timothy 2:19) He added them to His church by saving them (Acts 2:47).
It was never the purpose of the Lord that they be scattered and divided from each other, but He has always intended that they be one in Him. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12) The unity of God’s children, with one mind and one mouth, glorifies Him (Romans 15:6). The lack of unity between God’s little children disgraces Him and His salvation; it causes rejoicing in hell and skepticism on the earth. “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)
It grieves the great heart of God to see His children scattered as they are today: confused, deceived, carried about by winds of doctrine, by the sleight of man and cunning craftiness, separated from other members of the family, out of place from where the Spirit of Truth would guide them.
The Idol of Party
The divisions of the Christian church, as they now exist, are a prominent cause of the low state of piety among believers; the greatest single obstacle which now exists to the spread and triumph of our religion in the world.
The moment you separate the church of Christ into distinct divisions, you set up the idol of party. Success or adversity will no longer affect the mind simply as they touch the cause of Christ, but they will be felt, also, as affecting “our side” or “our church.” It is not Christ and His cause to which their whole thoughts and desires are now turned; the idol of party has now been set up, and it claims, and receives, part of their regard. The man, I think, is almost more than human that can wholly avoid this influence, at least after he has been long identified with any branch of the church. It is an influence which is all the time at work. The idol has been set up to divide the heart from the blessed Savior and His holy service; and its influence is as ceaseless as the existence of the cause. And this party feeling is, as we have seen, the essence of all sin, so that sinful desire is blended continually in the heart with its love to Christ, and pollutes the worship which it offers Him.
It mingles poison with the streams of salvation that flow to the soul through the church, and casts a blight upon its budding fruit.
The divisions of Christ’s people beget and stimulate continually that opposite spirit of rivalry and contention, which is the spirit of the world.
[W. H. Starr—quoted in Andrew L. Byers; Birth of a Reformation, “A Spiritual Shaking”]
How thankful we are to be free of the spirit of rivalry and contention! Praise the name of Jesus for His mercy unto us! We are deeply interested in everything that is of God and are equally uninterested in everything that is not.
And He has a heavenly remedy that will cure our reproach. If we will draw near—so very near—to Him, so near that all that matters is what He says and what His Spirit teaches, He will deliver us from groups and parties by taking the group and party spirit out of us, thus bring us into unity with Himself and consequently with all other of His children who will pay the price to love Him and His ways supremely, above all else. This experience will spoil us for everything but Him and His family, His government, His church.
For the group/party spirit is a rival of God for our affections, and to thus divide our love for God with love for a group, a church, “my church,” is to set up an idol in the heart where He, and He alone, should be worshipped.
Now, as with all forms of sin that tempt, this sin of group loyalty is very subtle, and we need the help of the Spirit of God to check us and illuminate the Word of God that deals with this area to get deliverance and keep deliverance by the power of God. God is able to keep us from idolatry and bring us into adjustment with His plan as revealed in His Word that will keep us clear of all entanglements which keep us from loving Him with all our heart, our mind, our soul. The Lord will help us to let go of our Ishmaels, to forsake our attempts to get His approval on our choice, and to say in the words of the poet,
God’s way is best; if human wisdom
A fairer way may seem to show.*
How good the Lord is! How precious and effective is His deliverance! How perfect are His ways!
The Spiritual Condition of the Corinthian Congregation Considered
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
It seemed natural and appropriate to the children of God at Corinth to have differing opinions about Paul and Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:4). Nothing in the scriptural record indicates that they meant to divide into two camps about these two brothers. But something was in them that caused that. It was not in Apollos and Paul, for they were not carnal. Paul and Apollos had better victory. God had done something for them which those other brethren yet lacked.
The unity that Paul and Apollos had was not a negotiated one. Reading the scriptural record carefully in 1 Corinthians 3 does not give the impression at all that Paul and Apollos had discussed the problem at Corinth and chose to say in effect, “We’re together.” They were one and had the same mind and judgment, but the essence of that unity came from each being in unity with God. This produced a oneness in Him that did not depend on careful posturing and positioning with each other. The Spirit of God within taught them the way of God, and they each followed the Lord with all their heart because they loved Him. Their trueness to Him and guidance by the same Spirit of Truth kept them together in Him. I haven’t the slightest doubt, that if it had been Apollos whose words were recorded about conditions in the Corinthian brethren, he would have had the same mind and judgment. We catch a glimpse of the depth of victory these ministering brethren had when we read, “that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.” (1 Corinthians 4:6) It is the same victory spoken of in the scripture, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” (2 Corinthians 5:16) This depth of victory delivers us from the fear of man and from partiality. It elevates us above the desire to be greater than others and enables us to be content to be little, the servant of others. Praise the Lord! No desire for big I’s and little you’s! Jesus takes it out.
Paul pointed the Corinthian brethren to that same Christ that kept him and Apollos in such wonderful unity. His entire burden for them was that they would be delivered from their carnality. He held before them a burden that they would enter into what John called perfect love. It is translated in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians as charity—supreme Divine love in the heart of the child of God, the more perfect way. How well he knew that the Lord had a cure for their lack of unity! How he hungered for them to get a hold of it! How thoroughly he understood the consequences of not doing so!
Only by a work of God that would purge them of carnality and purify their love to Jesus, could they ever be in Biblical unity. Only this would enable them to walk on a higher plane, the heritage and birthright of God’s children, purchased on the cross. Their current condition: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3) The conclusion is inescapable—God has an experience for us that will enable us to walk above carnality, above the natural fleshly ways of men. Without this work done within us, the unity that Jesus prayed about is unobtainable.
The Many Ways of Men
Everywhere we look about, we see people building their organization. If the Lord were to never work among any of them at all, how sad would be the plight of the souls in those places! In great mercy, the Lord continues to deal with souls. Some have more light than others; some are in great darkness. Some are so cold, formal, and corrupt, that we fear there is not anyone alive spiritually in there at all. They are like the church that the outcast was trying to get into. He had really gotten saved and thought that he should worship in the local congregation, but they were not right and did not want him. They told him to live it a year, expecting him to give it up. But he did not, and by God’s help, lived it all year and then reapplied. Then they just turned him down. So he went and prayed about it. “Lord,” he said, “they won’t let me in. And I want so much to worship with Your people.” According to the story, the Lord replied and told him that He had been trying to get in that church for years. If someone were to get saved in such a place, it would be very difficult to live spiritually without leaving. There is no food for the soul; it is a hostile environment for whole-hearted living unto God. Darkness is mistaken for light, light for darkness. God’s little children are persecuted because they do not “fit” with the prevailing spiritual culture.
In other places, there is a considerable amount of understanding, and, in some cases, a godly heritage from those back in the past. That is valuable. But it means a great deal to live up to that understanding. Alas, how many have a form of godliness (even the Biblical form), but deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5)! Perhaps they are close—an excellent counterfeit. Perhaps one of their main failings is right along this line of truth. A willingness to accept those whom they (the more spiritually-minded) know that Jesus would not accept in positions of leadership. A little lack of trueness to God to keep a group together, all with the thought to do them good. But it is off the right path. There are some successes, but the purity, the fullness of blessing, slips away. The Spirit of God is grieved, His gentle voice unheeded in things. Another spirit is gaining headway. There is much good spiritual food, but there is also death in the pot. Along with good, wholesome instruction are mingled things that are not of God (2 Kings 4:40). He who lets does let. The purity of the child of God’s love is much tried. “Lovest thou me more than these?” (John 21:15) is the question. Who do you love more: Jesus, or others who are advocating a little different way than the way in which the Spirit of God does lead? Human wisdom becomes mixed with the heritage of spiritual understanding. Things are reverenced which God does not reverence. Little by little, there is a letting down, a dulling, a loss of vision. Apostasy, individually and collectively, is the awful result. The vision of the spirituality that comes from a work of God done in the heart is more and more obscured, and is supplanted by an esteeming of the work of men, thus substituting morality for spirituality. This is “the abomination that maketh desolate.” (Daniel 11:31)
In the book, A True Story in Allegory, the author (who survived an apostasy) speaks of these conditions as a valley of morality.
(Now this aforementioned great camp had once been pitched on the top of a mountain, called Inspiration Mount. But of late years it had been gradually moved downward toward a valley called the valley of Morality. This was done not through any bad motive, but a man called Mr. Worldly-Wise had made it his business to inform some of the Shepherds that, if they would pitch the camp in a lower altitude, they would be able to bring in many who were too sickly or lame or lazy to climb the steep mountain, as it was ascended by a steep and narrow pathway which meant a laying aside of all luggage and much weariness to the flesh. So they, without consulting the King, had taken his advice, thinking that when they had got their new converts strengthened to a certain degree, they could get them to move upward.)
“Then,” Mr. Circumspect continued, “I warned them many times, so did my Brother Discernment, but we were put down as old fogies, cranks, etc., so we submitted for the sake of unity. I also found that some whom you would least suspect, were troubled with an affliction of the eyes, and would not use the King’s eye-salve (Revelation 3:18), but preferred moving down into the fogs, as the sun is always bright upon the mountain. I warned them that the Compromise family would come along and capture them sometime, but they said, ‘Impossible! impossible! How could we be so deceived after knowing so much of the truth!’ But now, you see, no one can descend to this valley and be safe.”
[Lottie Jarvis; A True Story in Allegory, “Return to the Mount of Inspiration”]
Our safety is in loving God supremely, in being guided by His eye.
Once we were questioned by a young minister, very deeply loyal to his group, who asked us, speaking of those who received truth, “But, where are you leading them?”
It was evident in his mind, that there had to be a group for them to be led to. When we told him that we were simply leading them to Jesus (or, more accurately, pointing them to Jesus), he was not quite satisfied with the answer. He had a heritage of spiritual understanding that taught him that we were complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), but he felt that something more than Christ was required. So he asked the question again, putting stress on the word where. And we answered him with the same answer, emphasizing the name of our Lord (how worthy He is; how completely adequate!). And then we asked him the question, “Where are you leading them?” He did not want to say it, as he felt that one of his masters was being slighted, but finally he reluctantly muttered, “Jesus.”
A zeal that springs from anything but pure, unmixed love for God and humanity, a spirit that would even promote holiness, or the conversion of sinners, partly to build up “our church,” is badly mixed, is soon shaken and cannot survive the Refiner’s fire.
[Andrew L. Byers; Birth of a Reformation, “A Spiritual Shaking”]
How Does It Work?
We are deeply interested in the practical application of this supreme-love-for-God-above-all desire in the soul.
We find that it does not seek to set up any artificial boundaries. What do you mean by that, some might ask? We gladly and happily recognize that God has laid down all necessary lines in His Word, and He is quite capable and willing to reveal them to the hearts of His trusting children. Therefore we require nothing of others beyond the Bible and will not accept less than just what the Bible requires. The Bible was written by God for His people, and it furnishes everything they need. It is perfectly adapted to the spiritual life He gives to them. This is not so in the many organizations of men, where it is necessary to manufacture a creed, written or not, which fits the life of that particular institution. They select and reject from the Word of God as seemeth good unto them, and they accept or reject members; but in His church, our heavenly Father takes care of who is in and who is out. Our names are written in heaven, and the government is upon His shoulder. “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.” (1 John 1:7) After a while, in God’s time, it becomes evident who is following God and who is not; the Lord reveals what we need to know. The fruit manifests itself, and the will of the Lord is evident and understood by His trusting children.
A wonderful example of this is recorded in the book The Man of His Counsel, which tells the dilemma of Brother Joe Holmeir. A great crisis came upon the little congregation where they were. Ministers of various persuasions split the people into groups, and children of God in that place did not know that this was wrong. Even a brother, who had been used of God to open Joe’s eyes to his need, joined one of these groups. But Joe could not:
Joe could not be persuaded to unite with them, for he said he could not unite with one body, and therefore raise a barrier to exclude another in whom he had confidence and knew was a child of God as much as he. As this faith believed and practiced close communion, Joe declined to give them his membership.
Alfred was very much surprised when Joe refused to unite with this body of people, and inquired of him his reason for not doing so. “I did not unite with them because I could not break the last tie between us,” replied Joe. “You know that I have confidence in you. I am sure that you are as much a child of God as I am, and I could not come around the Lord’s table and see you kept out. No, indeed; if there is ever a barrier raised between any other child of God and me, it will be one he raises.”
“But what do you mean to do?” inquired Alfred. “You cannot go around all alone, can you? I should like to see you get settled somewhere where you can get in the harness just right and feel satisfied.”
“You ask me what I mean to do,” said Joe. “Well, I shall tell you. I mean to live by ‘every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,’ (Matthew 4:4) and be guided by it. As to working, I do not see how I could work more with any body of people than I am doing now. I am waiting on the Lord, and what He tells me to do, that will I do. Do you not think that I am on the safe track? And do you not think that I shall be satisfied when I do just what He tells me to do?”
“I am sure that you will,” replied Alfred; “and as to a barrier between us, I am sure that I shall never raise one.”
“You have already raised it,” replied Joe quickly, “for I cannot speak with you in the organization to which you belong.”
“But that need not be a barrier between us,” hastily replied Alfred.
“Perhaps not,” said Joe, “but somehow it seems to me there is not the freedom there that has been formerly. I feel that these organizations are dividing God’s children. You know we had wonderful times, and God met with us at the little community house when we were all together.”
“That may be true,” replied Alfred, “but there are some things we shall never understand,” and he turned and walked slowly to the house. Joe had aroused something within his soul.
[Effie M. Williams; The Man of His Counsel, “Joe Finds Himself”]
This indicated this man’s complete sincerity and honesty. He was not seduced by the various sectarian spirits which were separating God’s children at that time and place. Later, he found those who were free from a group loyalty spirit and completely led by the precious Spirit of Truth. In the book (which is based on actual events), the other brother (Alfred) was delivered from the spirit of loyalty to the group of which he was a member, and also took his stand for God and truth.
Delivered from the Sectarian Spirit
There is a great deal of difference between being delivered from a spirit of loyalty to a certain organization of men and simply switching loyalties from one group to another. There are many folks wandering about who are simply looking for a home. This is greatly different than coming to “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) It takes a depth of dying to self, of melting before the Lord, that simply cannot be done without the help of the Spirit of God.
The [denominational] minister had been holding meetings, with but little success. A Mrs. R——, one of their number, had been praying the Lord to send somebody who would preach the truth in such a way that God would get unto Himself a people who would serve Him. She and a Mrs. W—— went to the altar together, with others. Brother Warner asked them whether they would be willing to separate themselves from denominationalism if the Lord should show them that duty. Sister W—— said in her heart, yes. Sister R—— turned over to her and said, “Now, they are trying to tear down the church, so let us just stick.” There she turned bitter, and the very thing she had prayed for, she was rejecting. She walked up and down the aisle wringing her hands and crying, “My church! My church!”
[Andrew L. Byers; Birth of a Reformation, “Evangelistic Tours”]
The story is told of a man who went to a public bench to pray during a meeting. A minister met him at the bench and asked him, “Do you need to be saved?”
“No,” he replied. “I am saved.”
“Do you need to be sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit?” the minister asked.
“No,” the seeker replied. “The Lord has sanctified me.”
“Then why are you here?” he was asked.
“I am here to consecrate out of sect Babylon,” the man answered.
That is what he sought and found.
Until we reach that depth of consecration and “Abba, Father,” within, we simply cannot flow into the mountain of the Lord’s house (Isaiah 2:2). It is an uphill flow, contrary to the natural nature of man; but God is able to reduce us to where we are pliable in His hands. Incompatible natures, with naturally high rates of collision and friction, lose these characteristics under the anointing fire, and we are enabled to “flow together” (Isaiah 60:5) in the work of the Lord. Praise His name! It will take the politics out and put genuine bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, and every other heavenly ingredient in—every needful thing for saints to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, right down here in this world. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) The Spirit of God will steer a clear path between compromise and fanaticism enabling us to joyfully adhere to the balance that is in God.
If you are a true, intelligent Bible Christian, a holy, God-fearing man, you must cast off every human yoke, withdraw fellowship from and renounce every schismatic and humanly constituted party in the professed body of Christ. Instead of belonging to some branch, you will simply belong to Christ and be a branch yourself in Him, the true vine. Instead of remaining identified with any sect, i.e., cut-off party, “directly or indirectly the result of sin,” you will claim membership in a fellowship with the “one and indivisible church that God has on earth, and that is made up of all the singular who are born of the Spirit.” On this broad and divinely-established platform, and here only, can you stand clear of the sin of sectarianism and the blood of immortal souls that perish through its pernicious influence. Are you strictly loyal to God while you persist in adhering to a sect, notwithstanding He says “That there should be no schism [sects] in the body.” (1 Corintihans 12:25)
[Andrew L. Byers; Birth of a Reformation, “A Spiritual Shaking”]
Salvation brings to the soul a wonderful liberty to do what is right. A perfect liberty that comes from following the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) The liberty to keep our conscience clear of offence toward God and man by the power of Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. This liberty obligates us to obey God rather than man when there is conflict. It gives us freedom to be true to God, no matter what. A Christian may be thrown in jail, but if he keeps his integrity, he is still free. He is free to do what is right and not to do what is wrong. He is free to cross the opinions of men to please the Lord, regardless of what man can do unto him. Indeed, the spirit of perfect dependence upon Christ is the spirit of independence toward all men. Independent, that is, to obey the Lord. Our dearest friend should not be able to persuade us to deviate a hair’s breath from doing what we know the Lord to require of us. Many lose their liberty to serve God completely because their service is divided between His requirements and the requirements of the group to which they adhere.
We are at home among God’s people who walk in this way. Each of us understand the great need, the great necessity of walking in the light of truth. How blessed it is to dwell among a free people! A people set free by the power of the great Emancipator! With the confidence that our brethren are committed above all to keeping clear before God, how easy it is to extend longsuffering and forbearance, and to receive the same. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)
How it stirs our heart when we see those who are deeply convicted of the rightness or wrongness of some issue, but are under the influence of another spirit! Surely, “The fear of man bringeth a snare.” (Proverbs 29:25) It is painful to see their struggles to please two masters! Oh, God has so much better for His children! Ye who sit with wounded conscience because you endeavored not to offend by doing what you know was right, the Lord has so much better for you. Do not be afraid to follow the way of God: “whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”
It is better to walk at peace with God though the whole world disapprove—though husband, wife, children, or parents disapprove. To always do what is right, to always please God, this is worth more than anything, both now and in the world to come. Will you settle this with the Lord? Will you not plead with Him to set you free to always do what is right, regardless of the cost? Will you not die to all but Jesus and His will forevermore? Does He not have a valid claim to be first in your affection? Did He not suffer without the gate that you might serve Him and crown Him above all else in your heart?
“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
With the saints of the New Testament, we can joyfully say, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:22-23)
Had I the choosing of my pathway
In blindness I should go astray,
And wander far away in darkness,
Nor reach that land of endless day.
God’s way is best, I will not murmur,
Although the end I may not see;
Where’er He leads I’ll meekly follow,
God’s way is best, is best for me.*
Characteristics of the True Church
The true church of God, comprising all Christians, has in her normal state under her divine head certain essential characteristics which make her exclusively the church, the whole and not a part. These might be expressed as follows:
- Possession of divine spiritual life. If the church does not possess this she is not Christ’s body and therefore not the church. She must know the Spirit of God.
- Disposition to obey all Scripture and to let the Spirit have His way and rule. This constitutes her safety in matters of doctrine and government.
- An attitude receptive to any further truth and light. This safeguards against dogmatism and a spirit of infallibility and intolerance, against interpreting Christianity in the light of traditions and old ideas.
- Acknowledgment of good wherever found and the placing of no barrier that would exclude any who might be Christians. This makes salvation, a holy life, and a Christian spirit the only test of fellowship, and disapproves all human standards of church membership and fellowship.
We repeat that these constitute the Scriptural standard of the church and characterize her in her unity and integrity. It is by lacking in one or more of these essentials that a sect is a sect.
[Andrew L. Byers; Birth of a Reformation, “Introduction”]