Embracing One Another: Buff Scott Jr.

  As believers in the Messiah, we are instructed to accept one another, just as Jesus accepted us—flaws and all. The apostle Paul declared, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ as welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom. 15:7). I accept and welcome all of those who are caught up in the web of organized (partisan) religion. When permitted, I will happily work with them in areas that do not violate my conscience. I will try to be kind and considerate, in spite of their flaws. After all, I have my own. I will be sincere and speak from the heart. If my brothers can accept me on that level, we’ll embrace each other and serve the Lord together.

However, we all must be free to function in areas where the Lord has gifted and landed us. If you can tolerate me as I pour out my plea for change (reform), I will in turn tolerate you as you cling to the bosom of religious orthodoxy—should that be your walk and decision. We’ll be brothers, not enemies, and we’ll lend a helping hand to each other along the way.

Our approach to matters of importance may vary. Some of us are outgoing and outspoken (extroverts), others of us are quiet and shy, maybe even withdrawn (introverts). There is room in the body of believers for each trait/personality.

I suspect that if some of us had lived in the days of John the Immerser, we would have frowned upon his tone, for he was far more outspoken than most reformers today. And if we had been in the presence of Jesus when he opposed the religious leaders and sectarian systems of His time, we probably would have objected to His demeanor. Both Jesus and John were reformers in that they opted for change. Both men were outspoken, outgoing, and bold, but lovingly kind to those with receptive hearts.

I must admit that I have a problem with organizational structures and programs and projects within the body of believers that have supplanted the simple, informal but serious life depicted in the lives of early believers. Literally, and in this vein, we have organized ourselves out of practical existence. Overall, our programs, projects, and organizations have deflated our capacity and our enthusiasm to reach the unreached. As W. Carl Ketcherside once noted, “Jesus said to get out and go, but we have come in to stay.”

That's the history of organized religion. We gather each week in the safety and comfort of our elaborate “sanctuaries” to “pay our dues” while some professional orator spoon-feeds us with messages—“sermons”—we can almost repeat word-for-word. I think the Lord would be far better pleased if we, instead, by-passed modern-day “worship services” and talked to some unregenerate person about the glories of heaven and the Man who provided and paved a highway there.

To express it still another way, we should be out in the “mainstream of life” instead of warming a pew every time the church doors open. The “world” is located in the “mainstream of life.” The “world” is not located in our church structures. The world will never be influenced as long as believers remain pew and ritual addicted. The greatest mistake made along the way was when we began to construct church idols, in about 200 A. D. Since then, Christianity has deteriorated.

When our walk with the Lord becomes largely a set of rituals and formalities, He needs to take us behind the woodshed and “show us more of an excellent way.” But change is slowly happening. Praise God for that.