On the Balance Between Faith, Truth and Unity

One of the important questions that any Christian needs to ask them self is what will be my relationship with my fellow believers? Some have tried to avoid the question by never interacting with other Christians. Others only interact with those who think and believe just like themselves. Still others freely move about from group to group, church to church, uninhibited by any preconceived walls of separation. An important and related question is how will I remain committed to the truth of God's Word when I am with Christians I don't agree with?

I would like to share an email that I wrote a friend and colleague recently. It speaks to the difficult issue of the balance that Christians are called to: how to live passionately believing the truth found in God's Word and living in harmony with my Christian brother and sister, even if we don't agree theologically. He was wondering what our ministries would look like and how effective we would be if we truly learned to live in harmony with all of our Christian brothers and sisters. Our discussion was based on Jesus Christ's prayer in John 17, particularly verses 20-23 where Christ prays that His followers would be known as for living in unity with each other. Below is the email:

It was good to visit with you yesterday in the truck , however short, as we travelled to Langley and back. Maybe we can fit in a walk next week or share a cup of coffee/tea together. I always treasure those times together. Please forgive the following lengthy discourse.

I wanted to interact more on what you were sharing yesterday. If you don't have time now, read it later. I was intrigued and encouraged by what you shared concerning your 'bombshell idea' at your meeting yesterday. As I said in the truck, I don't think the idea of 'our ministry being more effective if we find loving ways to live in greater unity' should be a bombshell, but it may be to some. What encouraged me beyond just the idea itself is that you were asking the group to wrestle with Scripture and how it impacts our ministry and not just wrestle with the latest missiological principles or Mission trends (which I am not opposed to doing). I always believe we do best when we find as many ways of bringing the Scriptures into our discussions, thoughts and strategies as possible. If I were leaving my burning house and had only enough time to grab my favourite missiological book or my favourite theological book, I think you know which one I would grab. So thank you for bringing the Scriptures to the forefront of the group's thinking and I pray they will take your thoughts to heart.

If I might, I would like to continue to build on the foundation you laid yesterday as you shared your thoughts on John 17, particularly verses 20-23. Without a doubt our effectiveness in building God's kingdom among First Nations People would be greatly enhanced by better learning how to live out Christ's prayer for unity in these verses. That would be true among any group of people, not just Native. Native people in particular though cherish the ideal of unity within community more than some cultures do, even if they struggle to live it out on a day to day basis. I think our living this particular ideal out in a Christian context would touch a heartfelt need and desire in the Native communities we minister in. I believe that in many ways NAIM has sought to do that although certainly not perfectly. Let's continue to dialogue about how we can collectively do that better.

There is the other side to the equation of effectiveness that Jesus' prayer in John 17 touches on: that of commitment to holding to and living out the Truth of God. This is the focus of the preceding verses. Unity without truth is not biblical unity. But we must also say doctrinal purity without unity is not biblical purity either. In fact it is oxymoronic to profess to hold to doctrinal purity all the while dismissing by the actions of our lives the truth of John 17:20-23. The challenge is not in choosing one or the other, nor is it in emphasising one over the other but in seeking how we might live out both. I don't think of these as two horses hitched to opposite ends of the wagon, competing with one another for which direction the wagon will be pulled. Rather, I see them as two horses hitched together, that when properly used, will pull the wagon to where it ought to go. The challenge or difficulty does not lie with the horses but rather in the skill of the driver to properly make use of both horses abilities and to make them work together. (And just to carry the illustration a bit too far, if the wagon represents the need to more effectively bring the Gospel of Christ to the First Nations communities, then I would suggest the wagon is big enough that it needs two horses to pull it!)

Unquestionably, without some tangible expression of unity towards my Christian brothers and sisters, our ministry effectiveness will be diminished. How do I credibly speak of the love of God while exhibiting little love or unity towards His other children? How would you or I feel if our children said they loved us and yet did not lovingly accept their brothers or sisters, our other children. I have seen families whose children's only ability to relate to one another is through their parents and are unable to directly relate to one another in a healthy functioning way. For the Christian to act like that would be a kin to what Paul describes in 2 Tim3:5, "...having a form of godliness but denying its power." But that is only one source of power for effective ministry and witness. Paul said in Romans 1:16-17, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...for in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed..." Paul then spends the next 8 chapters expounding the doctrinal truths which empower the gospel.

I say this because I don't want us to look at our effectiveness as coming from one or the other, unity or doctrinal purity, but from both. To live out Biblical unity I must hold to Biblical orthodoxy in belief. To truly hold to Biblical orthodoxy in belief I must live in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I must love my fellow family members in Christ and I must also love the truths found in the Word. As you know, throughout Church history, the Church has often done well at one or the other but seldom has done both well at the same time, both principles lived out iin harmony with each other. How can I tangibly live in unity with the brother/sister I disagree with theologically? Conversely, how do I not sacrifice Biblical orthodoxy on the alter of unity. That is the challenge we must continue to strive to ask and answer. I think the older I get the more tolerant and accepting I get towards my fellow members of the Body of Christ, whether or not I agree with them. At the same time, I remain as committed and passionate to doctrinal purity as I ever have been. I must continue to pursue a passion for and a humility in my understanding of God's Word and at the same time cultivate graciousness in attidute towards other members of the Body who hold to different understandings of the Word.

It seems to me that living in Biblical orthodoxy/purity in the context of NAIM means agreement with our doctrinal statement. We are a diverse group of Evangelical believers here at NAIM. Yet we find ways to graciously live in harmony with one another (most of the time). We need to bring that to the larger context of God's Kingdom, especially as it is visibly portrayed before the Native audience. We also need to demonstrate commitment to believing the Word and the specific truths found in it or else we will inadvertently reinforce 'universalistic' tendencies in Native thought concerning salvation and the means and paths to relationship with God. If our unity communicates, however unintentionally, that all thoughts and beliefs are okay, that all roads lead to God, then we are doing them a disservice. If, as you rightfully point out, we can't demonstrate a basic ability to get along with other Christians, if we can't figure out how to play in the sandbox together, than we will also do the Native community a disservice. They naturally reject the latter. The former, however, remains important.

These are just some thoughts (and somewhat disorganized and incomplete at best). They are not meant to tear down your 'bombshell idea' but rather to enhance it and build upon it. As you laid a valuable foundation yesterday, I am not suggesting a different structure be built from the one you began constructing but I am suggesting an idea to build into that structure. What do you think?

Let's keep talking about this. NAIM and the Body of Christ needs this valuable discussion.

Thankful for you today! Your little brother,Scott

Of course, this leaves many questions unanswered. When do I interact on questions of faith and practice with those I don't agree with? When do I remain silent? Is there an appropriate time to sever the relationship, or at least pull back and distance myself, because of differences? Is it possible to achieve unity with Christians I don't agree with? What does that look like?

These are all good questions, as are many more. We need to continue to struggle to answer these questions because we cannot deny that our Lord Jesus Christ asked us and prayed for us to remain strong in our commitment to Biblical truth and also to remain united and committed to my fellow believer.

Which one do you tend to favor? How will you address the corresponding weakness on the other side of the equation?