Toward Unity
By F. L. Lemley
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For many decades preachers of all segments of the restoration movement have been crying "Unity! Unity!" when there is no unity. Each has basically the same formula for unity, yet no two are able to make it work between themselves. In more than one hundred years of proposing the "correct formula" for uniting divided Christendom, not one time has the proposed solution brought two divergent factions of churches of Christ together.
True, individuals have been won from faction to faction, but all of the factions created by trying to apply the formula still exist. We have utterly failed to make one out of any twain. We preach unity and practice division! Our "formula" itself has become a cause of division.
It should be evident by now that something is wrong with the formula for uniting upon the Bible by all coming to the same interpretation and understanding of
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The fact of difference in no way reflects upon the integrity of any as some have supposed. "If you were honest you could see it my way," is often projected in our arguments, if not expressed in so many words. The purpose of my treatise is to suggest some practical steps toward rectifying the errors in our "formula." The ones we will suggest are not necessarily all there are, nor given in the order of their importance, but they must be observed if unity is to be had, first within the restoration movement itself, and then in Christendom. If we cannot unite ourselves we have little chance of uniting all Christendom.
As a first step toward achieving unity we suggest a reappraisal of our understanding of the doctrine of salvation by grace. The Biblical doctrine of "salvation by grace through faith" stands opposed to our traditional teaching of "salvation by faith through works." While there is an element of both faith and works in both systems, one is a legalistic system which stands as an obstacle to bringing about unity among the believers. In recent years "Church of Christ theology" has become basically legalistic, but praise be to God, many are rediscovering salvation by grace. When we hear one say that he believes in salvation by grace, if he has been indoctrinated in the usual "Church of Christ theology," he means that God, by His grace, gave us a plan of salvation. The plan requires obedience to a series of commandments in order to reach the grace, and then requires that we keep every point of the law to enjoy grace, for if a man offends in one point he had as well break every point (a misapplication of James 2:10).
Basically, this is a system of trying to achieve a right relationship with God through law-keeping. If, therefore, one goes to the judgment and finds out, to his surprise, that he overlooked one command, he is condemned and lost forever. That is, unless by chance he finds God in a jovial mood on the judgment day and he again exhibits His grace by throwing the lawbook out of the window and saving the unsuccessful sinner by grace only. Thus we have developed a system with grace at both ends and legalism in the middle. This creates endless frustration and fear for one cannot be sure he is saved until the judgment is over, and even then he will remember that the angels fell (Jude 6), so may go away still doubting and wondering how long he can "hold out." This is tragic!
With this system prevailing we can never acknowledge one as our brother who disagrees with us on the "issues" for until he agrees with the "somewhats" of the party he is an "erring brother." We may call him a brother but we must treat him as a heathen. That means we will be courteous but never recognize him in our assemblies by even so much as calling upon him for the benediction. This would (according to a perverted application of 2 John 9) be endorsing his error and bidding him godspeed. So we are forced by our theology to treat brethren as heathen and publicans (Matthew 18:15-17) in need of conversion.
Under this system we cannot allow for divergent cultures or varying consciences for every person must be right on the issues, and to be right is to agree with the party "somewhats." Consequently, when one conscientiously disagrees with the party line or the collective conscience of the party, he must be ostracized lest the "purity of the truth" be polluted. So there can be no grace until the judgment, and meanwhile each party must be ruled with a rod of iron, fortified by editors, prominent preachers, and party propaganda organs set for defence of God and truth!
If one understands salvation by grace through faith he will know that his salvation does not depend upon his works (that is, his intellectual capacity to understand all scripture perfectly and his ability to execute all commands correctly)
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We do not work in order to procure childhood, salvation, justification, or a right relationship with God; we work in order to declare our childhood, our salvation and our justification. Any time we work the human elements of understanding and ability to perform become involved. To make works procurative in nature is to make our salvation dependent upon our own powers of understanding and our own ability to perform accurately. This cannot be true unless we are saved by a legal system of faith through works. We are not saved by a legal system but by God's grace and by our faith in Jesus Christ. Works are a response of one's faith to the fidelity of God, not a means of bringing God in debt to us so that He saves us.
To illustrate salvation by grace we observe God's dealings with the Hebrews in bringing them out of Egypt. All of us are accustomed to an understanding of types and antitypes. The things written aforetime were written for our learning (Romans 15:4). Paul further teaches that these things of the Old Testament are examples and written for our admonition (1 Cor. 10:11). It will be noted that the very first night the Hebrews placed their trust in Moses, killed the first passover lamb, placed the blood over the door, etc., and determined to follow Moses wherever he would lead, that very night they were saved from the destroyer, and this before they ever took one step toward Canaan. They came under the blood and were saved from the destroyer while still in Egypt.
It is true that they were still in Egypt but they were no longer slaves of Pharaoh. It is also true that if they had refused to march with Moses the next morning they would have died in Egypt and probably would have reverted to slavery. But it cannot be denied that everyone who believed in Moses, who implemented his faith in accepting the blood of the lamb, and determined to follow Moses, was saved that night from the destroyer. All at this point entered into the domain of God's grace, and they were no longer slaves of Pharaoh. This was before they reached the Red Sea and before the law was given.
If any died before he reached the Red Sea he died a free man, saved from the destroyer and a recipient of God's grace. So with those in the process of coming out of spiritual Egypt (the slavery of sin) today. At the point of vital faith, when we accept the atoning blood of our passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)--Jesus Christ--place our trust in him, we enter the domain of God's grace which protects us while we are in the process of changing masters and leaving the Egypt of sin.
All of the Hebrews, as they came out of Egypt, were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Cor. 10:2). If they had approached the Red Sea and refused to cross, they would have died in Egypt or been taken back into slavery. They had to move forward with Moses as they had previously determined to do, and following Him they were delivered through the Red Sea and saved from Egypt. In all of this they remained in the domain of God's grace and they had not yet received the law. It was given some months later.
The law did not save them from the destroyer and it did not bring them through the Red Sea. Salvation thus far was by grace through faith, a faith implemented in works, that is, in following Moses although as yet they knew not where. What purpose then is the law? The law was to guide them through the wilderness, not to save them from Egypt. Of course law serves a purpose to us, but it is not to save us. It is to guide us. Law helps to create order in our lives and is profitable in its proper place.
We should note just here that salvation is past, present and future. As it was with the Hebrews, so it is with us. While they were out of Egypt, saved from slav-
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None of us will be saved in heaven because of our intellectual ability or our perfect performance of law. It is by God's grace all the way from our Egypt to the heavenly Canaan that He allows us to enjoy His blessings. This does not negate law. It puts it in its proper place as a servant of faith and not as a master of grace. The law is our guide, not our savior. No one who refuses to do what he believes and understands is an obedient servant. This act alone makes him rebellious. But many are obedient in heart who have not yet understood perfectly just what God would have them to do. There is no difference in the heart of one who completely surrenders and is mistaken, and in one who is wholly surrendered and is correct. Both are obedient hearts!
Knowing that I am saved by God's grace and that He makes allowance for my faulty intellect and imperfect performances, it is nothing but just that I allow my brother, with whom I disagree, the same privilege. And if I am willing to allow grace to my brother, I can have unity with him in spite of the differences in understanding and in convictions on the so-called issues. I am now ready to not only love him as a brother in spite of his imperfections, but I am prepared to recognize him as a brother and treat him accordingly. Thus love will span the gap caused by our differing convictions. This is a two-way street!