Keys to Christian Unity - Humility!
It is beautiful to see Christian leaders striving for unity. Francis Chan's sincere hunger for the truth is touching.
It is interesting to see these former evangelicals turning to orthodoxy and finding streams of truth in the writings of the early Church fathers. I found the last ten to fifteen minutes to be very feeding. I like how Hank Hanegraaff changed his stance on the group “The Recovery” and how he feels united with them and considers them brothers and sisters in the Lord. Hank humbly admits that he knew so much doctrinal truth -- he was the Bible Answer Man for years -- yet, he did not experience the life and passion for Christ as some of the members of this group, which is sometimes considered cultic.
It reminded me of the early days of the Jesus Revolution. We were not steeped in theology but we had a living vibrant relationship with the Lord. This theological expert Hank Hanegraaff admits that these newbies on the block, the Recovery group, had something he did not have in his spiritual life, and his visiting them led to a profound change in his life.
I cannot wait to read Francis Chan’s book on Christian unity.
I feel we need both, the wisdom and guidance of the old, and God’s fresh moves of the Spirit. There is a lot to be said about the Holy Spirit leading the church, and I don't believe these 50,000 some branches of Christianity were all wrong for not sticking only to the original church fathers of the Catholic or Orthodox churches. Some of them may have been moved by the Holy Spirit at that time to reach a particular people.
I remember reading the history of the original church councils and how by 400 A.D, some of the bishops attending had such obnoxious displays of their wealth that it offended many. I think these new moves of the Spirit over the centuries were God’s way of stirring up the church. In saying this, I am not negating the truths of the early Church fathers, but how easy it is for elements of the church to solidify and lose the simplicity found in Jesus.
In my perhaps not so humble opinion, I think we need to be all a bit more inclusive and embrace the fascinating differences of Christian believers and pray more for each other and not criticize.
Beautiful verses on the Holy Spirit also being our teacher and guide.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16: 13 When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas, but will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
Jon