When Opposites Are The Same Series

A cartoon pictures the door of an office in the central government

building of Moscow. The sign reads, Commissar for the Electrification of all

the Russias. Underneath is a bit of paper on which is written, "Please

knock-bell out of order." We can see the humor in the great inconsistency of

one who plans to bring electricity to everybody else, but whose own bell is

out of order. It would be helpful if we could see it in ourselves as easily

as see it in others. The church is the only organization on earth that

claims to be able to set the bells of joy ringing in every heart. Yet, the

claim is often mocked, because our own bell is out of order. While we claim

to be able to give light to all in darkness, our own light often flickers,

and even goes out. Kenneth Slack said, "The world cannot believe claims

which are denied in the very body which makes them."

For example, in the early church there was a movement among high caste

Hindus in South India toward the Christian faith. They found Hinduism

inadequate to meet the challenge of modern knowledge. On the very threshold

of their baptism, however, they discovered that Christianity was divided, and

that if they united all over the country with various missionary societies,

they would find themselves in separated parts of the church, which did not

cooperate with one another. They quickly drew back, for why, they asked,

should we who were united in paganism enter a new faith which is supposedly

superior where we will become divided, and less of a unity and brotherhood.

The church had said, "come to us, for we ring the bells of reconciliation for

all men." But when they came, they saw the small print which told them that

the churches own bell was out of order, and they left.

This is the tragedy of a divided church. Is the solution a great giant

of a church with all denominations united? This is like trying to make peace

among all animals by putting them in a common cage. They might be together,

but without bars they would still tear each other to pieces. No external

plan can fulfill spiritual ideals. The solution to the problem of Christian

unity is for Christians to learn to live according to Biblical principles.

It is folly to work for conformity, which is unrealistic. It is wisdom to

give heed to Paul's clear teaching that opposites can be the same. Paul

teaches that Christians can dwell in unity even though they have opposite

convictions. Eating meat, and not eating meat, are opposites. Keeping the

Sabbath, and not keeping it, are opposites. Yet, Paul says Christians can be

on each of these sides for the same reason; with the same motive, and with

the same result-the glory of God.

When two men saw a log one pulls while the other one pushes, and then

they reverse. They are always doing the opposite thing from each other, but

all the time they are working together for the same end. T. DeWitt Talmage

says this idea relates to the church. He writes, "The different

denominations were intended, by holy rivalry and honest competition, to keep

each other wide awake. While each denomination ought to preach all the

doctrines of the Bible, I think it is the mission of each more emphatically

to preach some one doctrine. The Calvinistic churches to preach the

sovereignty of God, the Arminian man's free agency etc. ..." Each

denomination has its unique contribution to make.

If this be so, then it is Billy Graham and not his critics who is on

Biblical ground by cooperating with men of opposite convictions. Graham is

operating on the Biblical principle that opposites can be the same, that is,

that men can have radically different views, but be equally holding those

views for the glory of God. The critics object that some of the things

believed by certain groups are not Biblical. Paul is fully aware that some

Christians may be in error, but he clearly teaches here that a Christian has

the right to be sincerely wrong on non-essential issues. In fact, it is

better to be sincerely wrong on a non-essential issue than to be

indifferently correct, for conviction is what counts in these areas.

Paul knew that the weak Christians were wrong in their attitude on meat

and certain days, but he recognized that if they were persuaded in their own

minds, they could practice their mistakes for the glory of God. Is Paul

saying, Christians can be weak, and have strange, almost superstitious,

convictions and practices, and still be pleasing to God? That is precisely

what he is saying. I can believe that parents can sincerely believe that