Once more (it is a little while) I will
shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and
they shall come to the Desire of All Nations. Haggai 2:6,7
It seems
a terrible thing, even to think, but as we have touched so very much of what is
called 'Christianity' we are bound to believe that, because vast numbers who
call themselves Christian are in an utterly false position, and the system
itself has become so largely an earthly, traditional, formal, and unspiritual
thing, this worldwide shaking is quite necessary and will be eventually
justified. If we were writing a treatise, we could show that what is called
'Christianity' is really the greatest enemy of Christ.
It will
be seen that it is not a matter of substituting another and better system for
an old and poor or bad one. Some people seem to think that it is all, or
largely, a matter of the order, technique, and form, and if we returned to the
"New Testament" form or order of churches, all would be well. The
fact is that, while certain things characterized the New Testament churches,
the New Testament does not give us a complete pattern according to
which churches are to be set up or formed! There is no blue-print for churches
in the New Testament, and to try to form New Testament churches is only to
create another system which may be as legal, sectarian and dead as others.
Churches, like the Church, are organisms which spring out of Life, which Life
itself springs out of the Cross of Christ wrought into the very being of
believers. Unless believers are crucified people, there can be no true
expression of the Church.
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