The religious world is at odds on what
a Christian should do. How a Christian worships, what a Christian believes and
practices, are just some of the issues that the religious world cannot agree on.
In order to have agreement, Christians
must agree on a common standard for their faith and practice. Like two carpenters trying
to measure a plank, they will not agree on its length unless they use the same standard of
measurement. Christians today can have the same standard of measurement, it is called the
Bible.
Christians need to "speak when the
Bible speaks and to be silent when the Bible is silent". We should not add to or take
away from the scriptures, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of
God..." (1 Pet 4:11 KJV)
Christians need to follow the approved
examples found in the Bible. If Christians follow the same practices and worship as the
Christians of the Bible, then they will be part of the same church established by the
Apostles.
Creeds were made by men to be a standard
of faith. Today many prefer these man-made credos over the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible is
there a mention of a creed or the need of one. Creeds were never part of the early
Apostolic church. They should not be part of the church today. Creeds are often at odds
with the scriptures. Creeds should never keep us from accepting the truth we find in the
Bible. Creeds are not necessary if Christians follow the Bible as their standard.
Jesus prayed for unity. "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 KJV). Unity can
only be achieved when all are willing to accept the Bible as the final authority for the
Christian faith.
Everything done in worship must be based
on Bible precepts. If authority for a practice cannot be found in the scriptures, then the
practice does not belong in the church’s worship. It does not matter if we like the
practice, or see no harm in it. The worshipper does not dictate the terms of worship, the
worshipped does. God tells us what is acceptable. The Israelites had forgotten this axiom
when they created the golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai, (Exodus 32).
In some of the old movies, policemen
would knock on a door and say "Open in the name of the law". The phrase "in
the name" let the people inside know by what authority they acted. The apostle Paul
wrote "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Col 3:17 KJV). The apostle wanted us to
have divine authority for all of our beliefs and practices.
Yes, unity is possible if we have the
same standard of belief and practices. The Bible is the Christian's guide.