Is Unity Possible?
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.
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105 KJV)
R. Marín
©1998 R. Marín. Permission granted to use this article in any manner, as long as: 1) the content is not changed and 2) the name of the author is left on the article.
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