OPINION
OPINION
"While many of our contemporaries are deeply affected by violence, fear of the future or the anguished question about the meaning of life, Christians must be more than ever the ardent and vigorous witnesses to the hope that fills them."
With hundreds and hundreds of denominations, sometimes Christians are asked why we have so many separate groups. Jesus wanted his followers to be “one,” and at least as far as organizations are concerned, we aren’t.
What would it take for us to be “one”? Could we all join one existing church? No: too many compromises would have to be made. Could we form one new church based only on what we have in common? No: our beliefs differ too widely.
Jesus gave the solution in John 17:21:
"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
We learn three important things in this verse:
•
Christian unity is a work of God not something we can artificially force.•
Evangelism is our priority purpose — Jesus commanded it.•
Cooperation in the gospel strengthens witness.According to Jesus, the epitome of Christian unity is cooperation in the advancement of the kingdom
of God. Since the church is believers in Christ, not an organization, then church unity is not
organizational, but is oneness of heart.
Jesus illustrated this unity by describing his own oneness with the Father. They are one God, and
have one purpose. This is how Christians are to be one: having Christ
’s life in common, they are topursue the saving purpose of Christ together.
When Southern Baptists talk about cooperation, this is exactly what we mean: working together to
tell the world of the Savior Jesus Christ.
What does it take to work together this way? We must agree about why people need salvation, what
God has done in Christ to provide salvation, and how we must respond in order to have salvation,
so we can cooperate to tell people about salvation. This is why Protestants are Protestants: we believe some important things together.
The source of our agreement is the Bible. We come to know the Living Word through the written word, and Protestants believe the Bible is sufficient to lead us to unity in every truth of God.
What we call
“The Cooperative Program” is our way of living out the unity Christcalled for, working together to spread his saving name.
Preamle Of The Ecumenical Church Foundation
Jesus Christ calls us to unity. In obedient response to that call and in recognition and affirmation of his prayer, “that they may all be one”
(John 17:20-23),
those churches whose members proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and who choose to express and bear testimony to such common witness do hereby constitute ourselves into the Ecumenical Church Foundation®
In so doing, we seek to enable our members to work together, to engage in dialogue, to overcome divisions and misunderstandings, to engage in prayer and work for unity, and to give, as far as possible, a common Christian witness and service, doing together all things save those which we must in conscience and obedience do separately.
+Horst-Karl, Xth BP TIFPEC
