By David Gilbert
The Body--Being Light in Darkness, by Charles Colson, Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas, 1992
Where is the one true church? Surely all these churches can't all be right. Which one is the right one?
These are questions many people entertain when they first become interested in Christianity. They see the squabbling, bickering and doctrinal wars among those who call themselves Christian and sometimes search for a group that seems above the fray.
Having been a member for nearly 30 years of an organization that claimed to be God's one and only true church, I found Chuck Colson's book The Body to be a refreshing refocus on the differences between the visible church and the invisible or universal church.
Rather than take the narrow view that somewhere on this earth is an esoteric organization of believers that has all the right doctrines and all the right practices and is therefore the true church, Mr. Colson takes the broader view that the recruitment of members of the church is universal, yet the church is broken down into visible fighting units, like denominations or governmental structures.
While sometimes we view the development of denominations as a bad thing, Mr. Colson points out that God can turn a less-than-perfect situation for his own good purposes.
Because there is so much diversity within the Christian community, a wider range of people with varying understandings and views can be reached for Christ.
While God is not the author of the confusion in Christianity, nonetheless, he can use it for the furtherance of his kingdom.
Mr. Colson is careful to acknowledge that though everyone born from above is part of the universal or invisible church, a mark of such a person's salvation is their involvement in a healthy part of the visible church or church particular.
Mr. Colson also points out that there is a tension between the universal church and the visible church.
Too often throughout history, the visible church has only coincidentally resembled the invisible church. That's because all humans, and thus all human institutions, have been influenced by the fall of Adam.
While we see the biblical model of a church "without spot or wrinkle," reality checks are in order.
Indeed there is a difference between the church of faith and the church of fact. The church of fact is in a constant struggle to be the church of faith. There are times when the church apparent is frustrating, disappointing and downright sinful.
Yet those are times when Christians should not despair, but strive even more for the unity of the faith and focus on the essentials of salvation.
Chapter Seven: The Sin of Presumption, is particularly insightful. Whenever someone begins to think that his or her way is the way, then presumptuousness lies at the door.
Mr. Colson writes on pages 86 and 87: "The belief that there is but one method or formula by which to enter the kingdom is what we call the sin of presumption: presuming to know the mind of God and to program by human means who is or is not secure in the faith and hence in the church....
"When we regard our own methodology as normative, we eventually question the faith of those who do not conform to it. This presumption, so contrary to biblical teaching, is a major cause of the disunity that plagues and cripples the witness of the church.
"And it is all the more dangerous because it often begins with the noblest of motives: the desire that others will experience what we have.
"Unfortunately, it can soon become harshly judgmental and can even result in writing off entire denominations or traditions."
It is painful for me to realize that our fellowship and I myself at one time called any Christians not in our group "Christians falsely-so-called" and their churches protesting daughters of the harlot of Revelation or other such disparaging nomers.
It was a perverse form of gnosticism--if you had the right understanding and did the right things based on that understanding, then you were part of God's elect.
Thanks be to God Almighty, who took us by scruff of the neck and, as it were, said, "Quit treating your brothers and sisters that way!"
And thanks be to Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice is big enough to cover even this horrible sin of exclusivity.
Of course, Mr. Colson warns that we must be discerning. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Not every organization that claims to be Christian is following Christ.
The answer is to become less judgmental but yet be discerning enough to recognize and flee from apostasy when we see it.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998