THE CALL TO UNITY
Paul Proctor
September 23, 2002
NewsWithViews.com
Unity seems to be the buzzword today not only in our politically correct culture but in the 21st century church as well. Somewhere along the way, under the guidance and influence of the seeker-sensitive, purpose-driven, promise-keeping, church-growth movement, (CGM) brought to you by Willow Creek, Saddleback and Fuller Theological Seminary, many in the Body of Christ have come to the erroneous conclusion that unity is priority one. The leaders of the CGM realized early on that in order to initiate the tumultuous changes that were necessary to bring the church onboard the United Nations’ global agenda, they were going to have to teach the Body of Christ that challenging their pastoral leadership and authority was evil and that unity was more important than absolutes. So, exploiting the growing biblical ignorance among today’s believers and the basic human desire to be loved and accepted, these under-shepherds began tearing away at any and all church traditions, claiming they were offensive to the lost and therefore counterproductive to the cause of Christ. Whether such changes were biblical or not was no longer important in their eyes and therefore unsuitable for discussion among church members because these "men of God", these "Christian" elitists were persuaded by their own pride, purpose, prosperity and power that they alone knew what was best for all concerned.
I first noticed the CGM poison in my former church when the pastor’s sermons all became wrapped in the UN’s tolerance, diversity and unity theme -- where human relationships take precedence over one’s relationship to Christ in the interest of compromise and consensus. Only after leaving that peer-pressured environment of go-along-ism and learning about the Hegelian Dialectic did I realize why unity had become the new religion at a church that now represents anything BUT unity -- a church that now faces the real possibility of foreclosure from an unaffordable fourteen million dollar debt procured through pretentious building programs and further aggravated by the abrupt departure of hundreds of faithful tithers who elected to fill the plates and pews of churches elsewhere in the community rather than endure the arrogance and abuse of an ecclesiastical egomaniac. They refused the call to unity from an errant and unrepentant pastor who abandoned the Word of God to chase a covetous vision of exponential growth and vainglory.
Such calls to unity are not new. Centuries ago, Nimrod unified the entire civilized world against God Almighty under the infamous Tower of Babel. Chancellor Adolph Hitler unified Weimar Germany under the smoking rubble of Reichstag. The call to unity by Rev. Jim Jones at the People’s Temple in Guyana led to a mass suicide carried out in the name of God. David Koresh unified his followers at the Mt. Carmel compound in Waco, Texas only a few short years ago invoking the name of Jesus Christ. And today CGM pastors around the world are gradually heeding the United Nations' call to accept the unacceptable for the sake of world peace and unity - a one-world religion where all beliefs are considered equal and valid. But Jesus said:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:3
The "sword" our Lord is referring to here is the Word of God. It separates the good from the evil, the sheep from the goats and the truth from the lie.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12 \
In a recent Baptist Press article, Pastor Rick Warren recommended that pastors adopt Church Membership Covenants as a way of compelling their flock to become more involved in and committed to the ministry of the church. Included in the piece was a copy of his church’s own covenant comprising the various tenets and obligations required for membership. Number one on the list of promises was:
"I WILL PROTECT THE UNITY OF MY CHURCH"
But you see - what Pastor Warren and others from the CGM refuse to accept is that the unity Christ desires only occurs when His followers consistently obey His Word, not when they make flesh-pleasing promises to men and their grandiose agendas, regardless of how much loving kindness and compassion is projected. They incessantly point to Ephesians 4:3 saying we should" ...keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." yet ignore Ephesians 4:13 where Paul says "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"
To "love thy neighbor as thyself" is not expressed by forfeiting, twisting or reinterpreting the Word of God for the cause of unity. It is expressed by hearing, obeying and proclaiming the whole council of God regardless of whom it might offend.
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." - Hosea 4:6
© 2002 Paul Proctor - All Rights Reserved
Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from showbiz in the late 1990's to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular columnist for News With Views, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His articles appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the internet and in print. Paul may be reached at watchman@usa.com.
