Why So Many Divisions?

1. Why are there so many divisions in the Churches of Christ?Notes available athttp://OneInJesus.info

2. Why So Many Divisions? • The Churches of Christ are divided — and the division is getting worse, fast • The division isn’t really over instruments or liberalism or such • It’s about the scope of grace

3. Why So Many Divisions? • When does grace cover doctrinal error? • Surely some error damns • But just as surely, not all error damns • Which error is covered by grace?

4. Why So Many Divisions? • While there are many reasons we divide, the most important one is that we’ve never developed a complete theology of grace • We’ve never figured out how to tell what is a salvation issue and what is not

5. Why So Many Divisions? • To answer this question, we need to investigate just one question: When does a Christian fall from grace?

6. Why So Many Divisions? • If God accepts someone, then so must I • I can’t be a sterner judge than the Perfect Judge • Therefore, I must fellowship all who are in fellowship with God

7. Why So Many Divisions? • Everyone who has been saved is still saved unless he has fallen from grace

8. Why So Many Divisions? • Therefore, I must be in fellowship with all who’ve been saved and who (to the best of my knowledge) haven’t fallen away

9. Why So Many Divisions? • Who have been saved? • All who’ve— • Heard • Believed • Repented • Confessed • Been baptized

10. Why So Many Divisions? • What must I have heard? • The gospel • What must I believe? • The gospel • What must I confess? • The gospel

11. Why So Many Divisions? • What’s the gospel? • It’s what we confess and believe: • That Jesus is Lord and the Christ, the Son of the Living God • That we are saved through faith in Jesus (Rom. 1:1-5, 10:9; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Gal. 3:8-1; Col. 1:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:8-9)

12. Why So Many Divisions? • We’ve never required a confession of the convert’s position on— • Instrumental music • Baptism • Divorce and remarriage • Because none of this is the gospel (as the New Testament speaks)

13. Why So Many Divisions? • Therefore, the plan of salvation can be expressed as — • Have faith (believe the gospel) • Repent • Be baptized

14. Why So Many Divisions? • In other words— • Accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God • Accept Jesus as Lord • Be baptized

15. Why So Many Divisions? Whendoes a Christian fall away?

16. Why So Many Divisions? • When he no longer accepts Jesus as Son of God Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. (1 John 4:2b-3a)

17. Why So Many Divisions? • When he no longer accepts Jesus as Lord If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.(Heb. 10:26-27)

18. Why So Many Divisions? Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Rom. 15:7)

19. Why So Many Divisions? • In the Greek, the first “accept” is in the present tense,indicating continuous action—“continually accept” • The second “accept” is past tense aorist indicating a single point in time in the past—“at that point in time when you were accepted”

20. Why So Many Divisions? • “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you”thusbecomes“Continually accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you at a particular point in time in the past”

21. Why So Many Divisions? • Plainly, we are to accept others by the same standard as when were accepted, that is, when we were baptized!

22. Why So Many Divisions? But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

23. Why So Many Divisions? • Paul exults in God’s willingness to give Jesus up for us while we were still “sinners” and his “enemies” (v. 10) • This is when we were baptized, when we were utterly and completely cleansed of our sins

24. Why So Many Divisions? Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom. 5:9)

25. Why So Many Divisions? • Paul makes the point (which should be obvious but isn’t)that now that we are God’s children (and no longer enemies!) we will now be “much more” saved than when we were first saved • This is so true that he says it twice!

26. Why So Many Divisions? For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Rom. 5:10)

27. Why So Many Divisions? • Our salvation after having been baptized is more certain—much more—than we first stepped out of the baptismal waters!

28. Why So Many Divisions? So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.For in my inner being I delight in God's law;

29. Why So Many Divisions? but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

30. Why So Many Divisions? What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?(Rom. 7:21-24)

31. Why So Many Divisions? • Paul declares the desperation of all Christians who haven’t succumbed to arrogance—I’ve repented and I’m trying to stay true to it, but I keep sinning anyway • What’s the solution?

32. Why So Many Divisions? Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

33. Why So Many Divisions? For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. (Rom. 8:1-3)

34. Why So Many Divisions? “Therefore, there is now nocondemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” • There are no lost Christians!

35. Why So Many Divisions? Q. Whom must I consider a brother? • Everyone whom God considers a son or a daughter— which is everyone who’s been saved and who hasn’t fallen away—

36. Why So Many Divisions? • which is everyone who has • faith • penitence and • a baptism God accepts • OTHER THAN everyone who has abandoned • his faith or • his repentance

37. Why So Many Divisions? • Then why do good works if our salvation doesn’t depend on them? • This question only makes sense if you start with a legal mindset

38. Why So Many Divisions? • Why do I honor my parents even though I’m too old to spank? • Why do I honor my wife even though I’m not afraid of being divorced?

39. Why So Many Divisions? • (Why love your wife if no one is making you?) • We have to see love, not as a response to a command, but as our new nature

40. Why So Many Divisions? • If we aren’t lost for believing false doctrine, then why study the Bible? • Again, you can’t start with a law-based mindset

41. Why So Many Divisions? • If you love Jesus and have truly repented, you will want to follow his teachings • And you’ll study because you love Jesus

42. Why So Many Divisions? • Teachings don’t have to end with “or you’ll go to Hell!” to be obeyed • How can you love God and have to be threatened to obey?

43. Why So Many Divisions? • What about a penitent believer with a baptism accepted by God who disagrees with me on— • Divorce and remarriage? • The age of the earth? • Children’s worship? • Instrumental music? • Missionary societies?

44. Why So Many Divisions? • Romans 14, which is the background for Romans 15:7, explains how this works in practice

45. Why So Many Divisions? Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. (Rom 14:1) • This applies only to those in the church, of course

46. Why So Many Divisions? • But if we in the church are disputing about a matter, how can it not be disputable? • Surely the test isn’t subjective—what the preacher thinks is unclear!

47. Why So Many Divisions? One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

48. Why So Many Divisions? The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. (Rom. 14:2-3)

49. Why So Many Divisions? One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. (Rom 14:5a)

50. Why So Many Divisions? • In Romans, Paul doesn’t bother to say who is right on the sacred-day issue • Why not? • In other epistles, he answers this question, but not here!