Sunday, September 14, 2014

Go Out From Her Midst - 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1

2 Corinthians 6:17 - 7:1 ESV 
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
​ Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

There is a confessing movement within the United Methodist church in the US. In may be hard to believe that some in the church saw this to be a necessary action, to confess in the gospel of Jesus and the authority of Scripture. Yet when asked to confirm these statements of faith, only about 15% of the churches were bold enough to confirm the core beliefs of Christian faith. 

During an upheaval in my previous congregation I sent a email to our church leaders and the pastor asking if we support the doctrines listed on the United Methodist website, and if not, was it possible to head in that direction. There was a resounding silence. 

There has been much conversation in the decades since the beginning of this confessing movement about an eventual split in the in the Methodist denomination. This may be in the future of the Methodist church but it has no impact on The Church, the body of Christ. All who confess Christ and follow Him are in Christ, and are not identified or limited by any denomination, but by the name of The Lord. The unity of that body is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit given to the Church. 

If you find yourself in a church, regardless of denomination or persuasion, that does not confess Jesus Christ and His testimony, you need to go out from their midst. It is a personal decision to follow after The Lord. It is our own walk with The Lord for which we will all give an account and are held accountable. 




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