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Dear brother Sam Brown,
You may have wondered what happened to me and my letters.
Well, I am still alive - even more so, in a sense, than when you
last heard from me. Since around last "Christmas" time,
a spiritual revolution had been going on inside me. In fact, the
entire structure (except the foundation) of my Christian walk
has felt the shock wave.
The "break-through" began on Friday afternoon last
December. At my place of employment, just before quitting time,
I met up with a Christian friend named Jack Hobson. While chatting
briefly with him, he mentioned that the church of this present
age has not been commanded to observe any physical ordinances.
As shocking as it was, I must have been spiritually prepared for
this statement. It hit me like a breath of fresh air in a stale
room.
Brother Brown, I have been burdened for some time by the lack
of spiritual hunger and growth in my Christian brothers, as I
want to believe you have also been. In denominationalism, Christians
are not of one mind in spiritual matters. There is much church
activity for the sake of the program, but how much is Spirit-led,
how much of it is being done in the Name of Christ alone, and
how much of it is for His glory only ??? Romans 8:14, Colossians
3:17, 1Corinthians 10:31
I gave up teaching a boy's Sunday School class last fall,
thinking that a more personal and home visitation effort would
result in "my boys" experiencing a more balanced and
richer spiritual life in their home. I thought this would at least
match the 40 to 50 minutes of "training" (?) in the
Sunday School classroom once a week. After eight years of "teaching"
intermediates, I have seen almost no moving into spiritual maturity,
by either the pupils or their parents, even though the Lord (seemingly)
blessed soul-winning efforts, somewhat. The Christians in denominational
churches today are like the Corinthian saints in Paul's day -
"Carnal...babes in Christ" - however well-trained and
well-versed they are in Churchanity (man-made, artificial, institutionalized
religion). See 1Corinthians 3:1-3. One reason: too many "instructors"
and not enough "fathers." See 1 Corinthians 4:15. Also
Ephesians 6:1-5, 5:21-33. Also John 14:26; 16:13.
Perhaps the spirit will intervene in some of your
scheduled activities, as he has in mine, and help you to re-evaluate
your structure also. Believe me, Satan is MUCH against such a
move. I have felt his "fiery darts," and still do as
never before. Our adversary, the devil, does not want us to obey
God's divine injunction to "PROVE ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST THAT
WHICH IS GOOD." - 1Thessalonians 5:21.
Satan appears to be expending a good deal of his energy and
resources helping Christians to build with "wood, hay and
stubble" Two of his methods for doing this are particularly
impressive and effective: 1. by keeping Christians divided (denominated
apart) and 2. by creating an unequal yoke between believers and
unbelievers INSIDE these denominational walls.
Incidentally, I am not proselytizing. I accused Jack Hobson,
my friend at work, of this for over two years! I can however,
say that I am "jealous over" God's people (see 2 Corinthians
11:1 & 2), many of whom are being unmercifully proselyted
by institutionalized religion and who are being tragically deceived
by "traditions of men". Colossians 2:8.
Among the greatest barriers to Christian unity today are two
PHYSICAL ORDINANCES - water baptism and the Lord's supper. And
it is all because in this present dispensation we Christians
are not given explicit instructions as to how such ordinances
are to be observed. Yet we are told in 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17
that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God... that
the man of God may be perfect (mature) THOROUGHLY FURNISHED UNTO
ALL GOOD WORKS." Where brother Brown, are GENTILE
Christians furnished to observe these ordinances? For years I
countenanced these two rites because I did not realize the truth
of 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17. For years I did not know that "WHATSOEVER
IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN" and that "FAITH COMETH BY HEARING
AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD" and that therefore whatsoever
is not authorized by the Word of faith, the Bible,
is sin! God calls it sin! See Romans 14:23; 10:17;
Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 11:6. Praise God, I know now that I can
personally "PROVE ALL THINGS" by the Word of God and
"RIGHTLY DIVIDE" this blessed word of truth (2 Timothy
2:15).
As you know, the religious and secular world seriously considers
the advantages of (what it chooses to call) "unity."
But, isn't it odd that Christians in one denomination consider
those in other denominations as being "distant relatives"
instead of brothers in Christ - at least in PRACTICE!
Can Christians see alike? With the Holy Spirit as Teacher,
how can two brethren see the world differently in things pertaining
to their WALK unless one or both are carnal? If the Holy
Spirit teaches two or more brethren, will He instruct them to
stand up and fight each other (look at the hundreds of splits
in the Baptist alone) and to present to a lost and dying world
a divided testimony concerning names, programs, creeds, doctrines,
membership and practices? Is God, after all, the author of "confusion"
or of "peace?" See 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Christ spoke clearly on the need for Christian unity and the
believer's like-mindedness on earth. See John 17:21. He inspired
His servant Paul to be equally explicit. See Ephesians 4:3-6;
1 Corinthians 1:10-14, Philippians 1:27; 2:1-5; 3:16. We shall
be guilty before God and lose rewards if we do not strive for
this unity so that "the world might believe"
that the Corpus Christi (the body of Christ) is not a freakish
mass of confusion. Two of the "seven things" the Lord
hates are a "false witness" and "he who soweth
discord among brethren." Proverbs 6:16-19. Every Christian
is commanded to "avoid them which cause division." See
Romans 16:17-18.
I will say at this point, since the first of the year, I have
been meeting with a group of Christians who assemble in a rented
building in Fort Worth, Texas. We are honestly endeavoring to
meet only in the Name and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ,
"decently and in order," and "in spirit and in
truth," desiring to have "no confidence in the flesh"
(Philippians 3:3). These Christians have not voted on, nor hand-picked,
an official name with which to identify their Christian work,
since each Christian there assuredly knows that the moment a sinner
truly accepts Christ as his personal Savior he is added to the
one, true church which Christ is building. Matthew 16:18; Acts
2:47. This fact alone eliminates the need for voting Christians
into a local membership. "There is one body" - Ephesians
4:4; 1 Corinthians 12:13.
Do you ask if this church has a name? Yes, it does. Christ's
church carries the name "which is above every name,"
the Name of its Head and Builder, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians
12:12; Philippians 2:9. Therefore, we who are Christians have
no need of "an assumed name or alias."
For 35 years I followed what seemed to be sound Bible doctrine,
but much of it has proven to be the sound of men's voices only.
We have the command to "let God be true, and every man a
liar." (Romans 3:4) God's Word MUST be our supreme and final
authority for all that is right in spiritual matters. I trust
you will be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11. The brethren who I
am meeting with WELCOME investigation!
Brother Brown, may God be allowed to help you to follow on
in this light. Psalms 143:8; Hosea 6:3; John 17:11.
Sincerely,
Gordon Weatherby
P.S. As for missionary efforts, the following verses have
helped me no little: Psalms 19:1-4; Romans 10:18, 1:18-20; Colossians
1:6, 23; John 1:9, 15:22; 1 Timothy 5:22; Job 4:8; Proverbs 13:15,
12:10; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Luke 4:18, 25-28; Galatians 6:10.
P.S.S. The devil may try to convince you, just as he tried
to convince me, that I have yoked up with another sect. But, brother
Brown, after nine months of close association with these brethren,
I have not heard of nor seen any tangible evidence of a common
ground for standing together other than their mutual love for
Christ, their like-mindedness concerning Him, and their dependence
(to a remarkable degree) on the Holy Spirit for a united walk.
They have no sectarian name, program, cause or membership to divide
them from any other Christian.
Therefore, I implore you, do not dismiss the foregoing Bible
references without honestly waiting on God to re-examine your
understanding of them ... But, let us strive to be in a continuous
state of yielding ourselves to "correction" and "instruction
in righteousness" that our labour "may be accepted of
Him." 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. See Ephesians
5:21; 4:3; Galatians 6:1-2; John 13:34-35.
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