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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