Truth Trumps All
Recently, someone I care deeply about asked me about the doctrine of ecclesiastical separation because she was concerned that no grace was being shown in that doctrine. Of course, the first passage that comes to mind is,
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (KJV)
Admittedly, I doubt that it is possible to get even two Christians together that agree down to every jot and tittle let alone a Church or group of Churches. There is far too much of the world, flesh, and devil in the Church today to get that much agreement. We have allowed tradition to become the primary thing in too many churches. We have adopted the poor theology of “nonessential doctrines” and the pithy saying of “In essentials unity; in nonessentials liberty; and in all things love” which on the surface seems very noble but have led to many ignoble and ungodly associations.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (KJV)
If there is anyone that understands his/her need of grace and mercy more than I it would be a surprise. I claim the title “Assistant Chief of Sinners” only because Paul said he was Chief so that position is taken. Yet, I could have never received that grace if I had not believed the truth about me being a sinner and Christ being the only Savior. Grace and truth came hand in hand with Christ.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (KJV)
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJV)
While God offers, grace, mercy, love and a host of other things to every person on the planet if they reject this truth about Jesus Christ they receive none of those things. Rejecting the truth here means Hell later.
How important is truth? Let’s call the roll, as one Brother put it.
1 Cor 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (KJV)
Eph 5:9-10
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. (KJV)
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (KJV)
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (KJV)
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (KJV)
John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (KJV)
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (KJV)
I think it is very clear that truth is vastly important and I have not exhausted that passages that prove this point. Just as James says that faith must express itself in works in order for its life to be seen truth also expresses itself in doctrines. For those not familiar with the term, doctrines are instructions, teachings, etc. Sometimes they are called rules, disciplines.
2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (KJV)
2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (KJV)
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (KJV)
In the Old Testament, doctrines were usually called laws but the word torah can also used as a precept or teaching. While we are free from the sacrificial and dietary laws we still study the moral and other precepts of the Old Testament making the appropriate application of them to our lives. This why Paul says that all scripture is profitable. By studying that parts that we are made free from we can better understand the grace and truth we experience from the Cross.
These doctrines are important for our own personal wellbeing but also for the wellbeing of the local assembly called the Church. They keep a Church strong and also are designed to keep us out of wrong associations.
1 Cor 5:7-13
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (KJV)
Paul had to teach the Corinthians to practice church discipline and toss out persons who called themselves Christians and yet lived in open sin. He deals later with how to restore a repentant person. He says that you aren’t even to have lunch with them because it implies that you are in fellowship with the person and even condoning his actions when you should be convicting him and helping to bring him to repentance.
Trying to get him back into the way of truth is the best grace that you can show this person. In essence, you are enabling that person if you still associate with him. You are helping him justify his actions and stay under the judgment of God. Your concept of grace is not based in truth if you refuse to shun him.
The same goes with an ecclesiastical or church organization. If they are holding to false doctrine and you accept them in the name of grace or love then you are in sin. You are in fellowship with a group that you should not even have lunch with let alone endorse by joining or having fellowship with them. You aid them in staying in their false doctrine rather than being obedient to the truth given by Paul to break fellowship with them.
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (KJV)
2 Cor 6:15-18
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (KJV)
You avoid those who have false doctrine not buddy up with them or as some have done “infiltrate” them to try and change them or bring people out of those groups. It doesn’t work because it is not of God. God says to come out not go in. To do anything else is not walking in truth and thus your grace is not grace if it is not based in truth. It is a false grace.
Jonah preached from outside Nineveh. He didn’t go in and join the Ministerial Board of Ecumenicism or the Chamber of Commerce. Lot tried that and not only did he fail in winning a convert he lost all of his family except two daughters who were so infected by the Sodom doctrine that they got their Dad drunk and slept with him. You call folks from without to come out not become a leader in the organization or even a member. It will only end in heartbreak for you and your loved ones.
When you go in, you align yourself with an enemy of God. In the work place, you have to deal with people from all sorts of backgrounds and as Paul said to avoid them you would have to leave the planet. Your choices are limited. Who you fellowship with as a Christian or a Church body is your choice and you must choose well and choose on the basis of truth and sound doctrine.
I am not much of a game player. It’s just not my thing, however it is almost a perquisite of membership here at Macedonia to play 42. It is similar to card game called Spades that I learned while I was in Greece on an Air Force TDY back in 1971 except that you use domino tiles instead of cards and trumps are numbers instead of suits.
The key to winning is to at least take enough points in a hand to make your bid. You make your bid based upon what you have in your set of tiles and what you hope your partner has. You pick a number and that becomes trump. Normally the tile with the highest number wins but a double six can go down if flames by a one (ace) and a blank if ones (aces)or blaks are trump. Many a hand has gone down to the last tile when a person finds out that someone other than his partner still has a trump and the hand is lost. Strategy is a great thing but most times it is the luck of the draw. Since I am still a novice I tend to not bid unless the hand seems so obvious that I cannot resist. I have been on the winning team more often if I just help my partner or spoil the plans of the other lads than if I take the lead.
Let’s pretend that I and three other church leaders are in a theological 42 game. It is not a perfect analogy so do not take it further then it is meant to go but it does make a point. The goal of the other three guys is to form an association or fellowship between the groups and they have asked me to play as well. Let’s say they lay down tiles that say, grace, love, and mercy. They are looking for me to play. Looking at those tiles I am mighty tempted lay down my unity tile so that we can all join hands and sing, Kum-by-ya. However, I know what else is in their hands.
I know that the lad who played the love tile practices infant baptism whereas the Bible clearly teaches baptism by immersion for believers only. I know that the one that played the grace tile ordains people that the Bible clearly teaches against ordaining. I know that the lad who believes that Jesus plus works saves whereas the Bible clearly teaches salvation by faith alone played the mercy tile. I put the unity tile face down before me and reach for the only tile I can play and that is the truth tile. I put it next to theirs and it displays their errors. Truth trumps all and I win the game and they go off to find another player that is not such a stickler for truth or one that is a novice that they can con into playing the unity tile.
The same goes with every other group that comes to my table or asks me to come to theirs. I don’t just look at the tiles or theological premises they lay down but I look at the whole hand even the ones they might try to hide. Now, those lads are not happy with me but what makes them angrier is that I don’t just take comfort in that I won that game. I go out and expose the error so others won’t play with them. Paul said to mark them and so I am going to mark them. That is the job of every Christian, not just a pastor, but it definitely a pastor’s responsibility.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (KJV)
Sadly, all Christians should be of one accord and speak the same thing and be of the same mind, but they aren’t. Some who claim to be Christian aren’t really Christians. Some try to hide their doctrines behind plain brown wrappers or as vanilla wafers. That is not unusual for those for those who have crept in unawares or who lie in wait to deceive. It is cowardice or compromise with the culture if a group has the truth and hides it in paper bag like what they have is something to be ashamed of or illegal.
I have more respect for a Liberal who calls himself by his denominational name than for a Conservative who tries to hide what he is with a vanilla name. It’s even worse if he uses a vanilla name on the door but his true name on his articles of incorporation while being associated with a group that carries the true name. In times of war, both combatants will shoot spies and traitors whereas if you are openly wearing the uniform of who you serve only one will shoot at you and might even treat you fairly well as a POW if you are caught.
Gal 1:6-9
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (KJV)
Personal and ecclesiastical separation is a doctrine and truth of Scripture. There is no grace for the person teaching false doctrine. Pauls says let him be accursed. The grace here is for the child of God that he may be protected from such men/women.
1 Tim 6:3-5
3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (KJV)
Verse 5 of this passage will certainly keep me from fellowshipping with a lot of folks but while Paul was discussing a different matter the application can be made. If you want to argue with Scripture i.e. doctrinal truth you are in deep trouble. We must take care that we seek truth in all issues and the grace to obey it.
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (KJV)
We live in days where this is the norm not the abnormal. Everyone is flitting around like butterflies or maybe more like hippies on drugs wanting to use grace as a catchall for anything they want to believe whether it is truth or not.
1 Tim 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. (KJV)
This has been the goal of this message to present sound doctrine on ecclesiastical separation primarily, but also as a call to personal separation. It is all I can do the rest is up to the reader or hearer of the message.
I John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. (KJV)
Finally, where is the grace in ecclesiastical separation or for that matter anything else? It is in Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. With that truth comes grace, mercy, peace and love. They are all contingent on truth. Truth brings all and Truth trumps all. Maranatha!
