Christians need to accept those who are more religious and who place tradition on almost the same level as The Apostles’ Doctrine. A missionary told me that he and others, all from differing backgrounds, fellowshipped with one another while overseas but not while on leave at home in Australia. The reason was that it would not have been approved by their denominational leaders.
The heart of the problem is a failure to agree that the confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is primary to God’s acceptance of all who believe. Other matters, such as baptism, however important, are secondary: they follow belief in and confession of Jesus as the Son of God (Romans 10: 9-10).
When it comes to doctrinal differences, we hold our ground with all the determination of General Custer at the Little Big Horn, who never thought he and his men would all die as the result of him dividing his cavalry forces. Yet we divide our Calvary forces whenever we take an open stand on a secondary issue. Meanwhile, opposing forces gather beyond our vision with one thing in mind, which is to wipe us out. Custer, who graduated from West Point Military Academy, ought to have known better — and so should we.
Debate secondary matters, certainly, even energetically, but in so doing we should not separate from others who, like us, confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Their grasp may be weaker on doctrines that we hold very dear, but each Christian denomination is a product of an historical stand on a fundamental doctrine (e.g. Martin Luther on Justification by Faith). And, while on the subject, our megachurches may be more functional than theirs, but they’re less inspiring than cathedrals.
Back in the late 1960s, just after the Charismatic Renewal had begun, I was managing a furniture and floorcoverings store in a town north of Melbourne, Victoria. I sold many beds and blankets to the local Convent of Marcy, and while delivering it got to know the Mother Superior, whose family had run a well-known coffee shop in Bendigo. I mentioned to her that I screened missionary films, and she invited me to screen one inside the convent.
My background was The Salvation Army, which was pretty much the polar opposite, but I happily accepted her offer, and turned up at an appointed time with my 16mm projector, screen, and a T L Osborn missionary film featuring one of Osborn’s open-air Salvation and Healing crusades near Cabanatuan, on the island of Luzon, in the Republic of the Philippines.
So, there I was on the night, one young man in a Roman Catholic convent with 28 smiling nuns and a friendly Mother Superior. They viewed the message, saw hundreds respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the mass miracle-healings, which took place without hands being laid on them. Did my viewers like it? They loved it! Not only that, they also praised the Lord as though they were Pentecostals! No doubt they were in experience – just not in name.
Later, I packed up the film gear and while carrying it to my van was approached by a lovely young nun, who thanked me for coming, and then said, “Isn’t it wonderful that we believe the same things!” I replied, “I’m sorry, Sister, but we don’t.” Seeing the crestfallen look on her face, I added, “However, the important thing is that we both believe that Jesus Christ is Lord!” The nun beamed a smile at me and said, “Yes, Peter, we do!” — and disappeared back into the building.
The time is coming, and very soon I believe, when a nationwide spiritual awakening will take place in Australia — maybe the world. The Lord spoke to my heart 30 years ago, saying, “The time is coming when it will be unusual for a person not to be a Christian.” While teaching and preaching the Truth one of the worst things we can do is imagine that the coming awakening will take place in our denomination, church, or hole-in-the-wall group of ‘remnant’ Evangelicals or Pentecostals.(not to mention extravagant megachurches
Yes, I view some stuff on TV that turns my stomach, and I’m sure it does yours. But when a creek floods, it overwhelms the dividing fences and allows all the ducks to swim together. Including, no doubt some ‘dodgy’ ducks. The more the merrier, I say! I’m pretty sure that those in the Final Harvest will include many of those charismatic and to me memorable Sisters of Mercy.