An Inkling
As I wrote yesterday, I am writing a daily series of blogs on why I believe our larger church has crossed a line toward biblical unfaithfulness in its decision to revise our ordination standards. Here’s the first reason, chosen as first because it also serves as a caveat: this decision destabilizes foundational doctrines of the church, and will, in time, lead to a broader crumbling of those foundational doctrines. Among those foundational doctrines I would include our understanding of God’s grace, the nature of sin, and the meaning of repentance, forgiveness, transformation, and sanctification. This is not simply about sexual ethics. That’s the arena in which we’ve had this debate, but what’s at stake is much, much more. I’ll return to some of these in posts yet to come.
But first an historical example. When the early Unitarians decided that the Congregational Church was wrong about the Trinity, and went their own way in 1825, it resulted in the tearing of many congregations and relationships – painfully so. (Sound familiar?) Here’s the caveat part of the example: those who went with the Unitarians did not immediately become non-Christian. Indeed, many of them showed a greater resemblance to the character of Christ than did many of the Trinitarians who remained in the Congregational Church. They continued in a personal relationship with the Lord, and looked to Jesus as Savior. That sounds Christian to me.
Nonetheless, in setting aside the Trinity, a foundational doctrine inextricably joined to other foundational doctrines, they made a choice that so destabilized their overall Christian teaching that it put them on the course toward what they have now become – something quite apart from Christianity. Check out the Unitarian-Universalist website if you want to see just how far apart.
Some of those affirming the change in our standards are good friends of mine, and some are family. We love each other. I can look at their lives and see that they display the character of Christ much more broadly in their lives than I do. That does not change the fact that they are embarking on a course that will, over time, inevitably lead their congregations quite apart from anything recognizably Christian.
Thankfully, the One who is judge is also our Savior. We all need his mercy. Tomorrow another reason…
Blessings,
Keith
