Effects of Apostasy on the Unity of God’s People

We would now like to consider another aspect of an apostasy—the effects on the God-given unity of a group of saints.

The pure elements of God’s church possess a wonderful inherent attraction and cohesion; but the devil neutralizes the divine cement by mixing in his chaffy and sloughy trash, thereby effecting divisions; therefore, the Lord restores union by the “removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made”* (Hebrews 12:27) by the enemy, thus removing discord and schism.

[Andrew L. Byers; Birth of a Reformation, “A Spiritual Shaking”]

To this, we can gladly and easily say “Amen.” In accordance with the Biblical injunction to “prove all things,”* (1 Thessalonians 5:21) “by their fruits you shall know them,”* (Matthew 7:20) and other like texts, we can rejoice in the wonderful works which God establishes in our brothers and sisters in the Lord. God causes those in whom His work is established to recognize others of those in whom His work is established. This produces “a wonderful inherent attraction and cohesion.” Yea, “The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”* “Oh, fellowship, so precious!”*

This conviction of faith in the validity of each other’s experiences is tempered with a holy mortar of the Holy Spirit’s making. It holds us together as we see God manifested in each other, and it holds us sufficiently apart to allow liberty to grow and learn in the Lord. It edifies the body together in love, each member supplying through the workings of the Lord within, what the other joints lack. It inspires and uplifts, binding hearts in love together in Christ Jesus. It is a convincing testimony to the world that they may believe in the mission and work of Jesus. Said the apostle, “yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.”* (Colossians 2:5) And this order and stedfastness is not produced by the work of men on men, but by the possession of an experience of each member “in Christ.” Bible unity is the result of good confidence which in turn flows from this actual possession.

How can men lose this relationship—this relationship of each to the other through Christ? How can it be replaced by a relationship of men to men, all in the name of Christ?

Brother Fred Pruitt comes to mind: “Brethren, we must love this truth. If we do not love this truth, we will lose it.”

After speaking of the coming apostasy to the saints at Thessalonica, Paul states that these conditions came upon them “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”* (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

We must love the precious truth of God more than each other. Please note that I do not say instead of each other, but more than each other. That is, we must value the truth more than our relationship with each other. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”* (Matthew 10:37) They cannot be on an equal footing, for it is necessary at times to choose between them. “Our dearest friend on earth must not be allowed to cause us to deviate one hair’s breadth from trueness to God.”1

What we love most has a profound effect on our lives. We might well say that we are guided by what we value. The more we value—the more we are willing to sacrifice. How vital it is to love each other through Jesus.

The enemy of our souls labors hard to cause the focus of our affections to shift. Instead of that crucial question, “How do I stand with God?” he would have it, “How do I stand with my brethren?” What a profound difference between these two attitudes! One is actuated by the fear of God; the other leads to the fear of man. One leads to closeness to the Lord as we walk before Him unto all pleasing; the other attempts to draw us closer to a group of people. One magnifies God and His salvation, His truth; the other exaggerates the importance of a certain circle of people and what they believe is right. The one is a spiritual outlook, born of love to God; the other is carnal and arises from the flesh.

If we are caught in this snare, the devil gains quite an advantage over us. Spiritual difficulties are everywhere. Instead of the clear and definite guiding of the Spirit of God into all truth, obscurities and questions about people began to abound. Temptations to develop policy and to learn the arts of people skills (politics) beset the soul.

Two ministers were talking. The older said to the younger, “I used to be just like you… but I have learned that it is necessary to lay aside my God-given convictions to please the people.” He paused. “At first,” he continued, “I thought I had made a mistake.” And then he continued again, “But now I think it was just right.”

When I heard of this conversation from Brother Herschal Hargraves (he was the younger minister), I was horrified. The attitude of this older minister was such a betrayal of God’s truth. Brother Hargraves felt the same way. All he could think, he told me, was how to get away from there. The spirit and nature of the attitude that finds it necessary to lay aside God-given convictions to please the people is the spirit and nature of apostasy. And it results in the evolution and formation of a sect—the formation of party spirits.

The unity of God’s people is brought about by one guide (The Holy Spirit) who leads unerringly to one truth. “The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”* (Ephesians 4:3)