Address to Sincere Believers
W. Carl Ketcherside
To our respected and beloved friends in every religious sect, who are
concerned about the strife and division existing among believers in Jesus Christ, our Lord, we
offer the following conclusions reached from a study of Ephesians, chapter two.
- There was once a gulf of enmity between Jew and Gentile, so that the
latter were referred to as being afar off, and, in a sense, were regarded
as dead.
- Jesus, as our peace, made both one, abolishing the enmity by means of
death, that is, he killed the enmity by allowing himself to be killed,
so that the cross became the rallying standard for those afar off, as
well as those nigh.
- The previously divergent elements were made one new man in Christ. Out-
side of him, they were segregated from each other, hating and being hated. In
him, they are fellow citizens and of the household, or family, of God.
- Reconciliation has been achieved in one body. That body is his church (Eph.
1: 22, 23). Those who are in that body are charged to walk as followers of God,
and dear children, that is, to walk in love as Christ has loved us (5: 1, 2).
Thus is to be guarded and maintained "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" (4: 3).
These conclusions lead us to observe further that:
- The church of God had its beginning on earth, on the first Pentecost following
the resurrection of Jesus. It was inaugurated with the proclamation that Jesus,
being raised from the dead , has been exalted to the right hand of God, as Lord and Christ.
- Admission to the fellowship was contingent upon personal faith in his Sonship and
Messiahship, no other creed or proposition being offered as a basis for fellowship. All who
believed in Jesus 'as the anointed Son, were accepted as brethren upon validation of their faith
by one act of obedience, immersion in water of the believer.
- Every immersed penitent believer was by the Lord added to his church and
enjoyed all the privileges, prerogatives and rights of citizenship and
brotherhood.
- The church of God consisted then, and has always consisted, of every repentant
believer who acknowledges the sovereignty of Jesus over his life, and who seals
his faith by submission to baptism.
- Such believers today have become divided and segregated, building up many walls
of partition, and allowing barriers of enmity to exist, contrary to the will of God, and in
opposition to the purpose of the death of Jesus.
- All who love him are obligated to work for removal of every partition wall
which separates the people of God. To achieve unity, the cross must again be
exalted as the rallying point for all who love him. We are divided because we
have strayed from the cross. Some may again be nigh, and others afar off. But
all must recognize that "he is our peace."
- Peace cannot be secured through comity agreements, creedal statements or synopses of
faith. It will not come through signed documents. All of these
indicate distrust and suspicion. It can only come through humility, crucifixion
of self, and complete surrender to Jesus, for "through him we both have access
by one Spirit unto the Father."
- We may take comfort in the fact that no chasm between us is as great as
that which separated Jew and Gentile. If the cross of Jesus, as a bridge of love, was great
enough to reach across the yawning abyss and tie the two sides together, is it so incredible to
believe that it can span the gaps between us?
- I have addressed only the concerned ones, for in any religious organization,
it is only these who will study, search, pray, and labor to bring about that
peace for which Jesus prayed, and which is so pleasing unto God. When our love
for Jesus transcends our party loyalties and sectarian ties, we shall begin to see the dawn
break after a night filled with the darkness of hatred, schism and strife.
- As you pray for the light, please pray for us, that we may be willing to give
our all, yea, even life itself, for the advancement of his cause. May we never
consider that anything is settled while a cleavage still exists amongst the
brethren, may we be ready always to examine anything that will lead to a
semblance of peace among the warring factions. Entreat God for us that we may
be humble instruments in his hand to promote peace on earth among men of good
will, that his will may be done on earth, as it is done in heaven!
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