Never Stumble

Over the past decade and a half, the Church of God has gone from a unified organization of 150,000 to a seeming endless number of splits and splinter groups. The Living Church of God has not been immune to ministers and members leaving the fold. In the past year, several have decided that they want to form their own organization and go a different way. When those who consider themselves the people of God cannot get along and agree, a blight spreads across the name of the Church of God. The continuing in-fighting interferes with our fulfilling our calling and mission to this world. In the immortal words of Rodney King, “Why can’t we all just get along?”

To help members remain strong in times of confusion and doctrinal disagreement, we have heard numerous messages in recent months focusing on the full truth of the Bible and making sure our foundational beliefs are stable and strong. In addition to knowing the truth, is there anything else we need to do to prevent future disruptions and losses? Many unconverted people have knowledge of the truth. Unfortunately, their hearts are not converted. Only when the heart begins to be convicted does an individual change and become truly converted. The New Covenant addresses this very problem. God wants our hearts and our heads converted. We must know the truth and be moved from the heart of our being to act on that truth With that in mind, what does the Bible have to say about stumbling and falling away? Is there any way that we can make sure that we do not veer from the truth or go off with some tiny splinter group that is not fully following the way of God? The good news is that God does not leave us ignorant of how we can be protected in a time of splits and apostasy. The truth is simple and clear.

The apostle John wrote the final books of the Bible near the end of the first century. He witnessed firsthand the first seventy years of the Christian church. In his letters, he concentrated on the essentials that all Christians need to know. In I John 2, he gave a one sentence way to avoid getting tripped up and falling away.

1 John 2:10-11

10 He who loves his brother abides [Strong’s Concordance: stays, remains, dwells, stands] in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

John wrote that loving your brother removes any cause for stumbling. Truly practicing this fundamental teaching of Christianity keeps us in the light of Biblical truth. It helps us see clearly and protects us from doctrinal error. Mr. Meredith has mentioned that in his years of experience, most people leave the church because of conflict with others. Conflicts come before doctrinal disagreement. Verse 11 backs that statement up.

11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

This verse indicates that having hatred for a brother is a cause of spiritual blindness and walking in darkness. Hate blinds. Getting offended at real or perceived problems or slights leads to being unable to see what is real and what is true. James indicates that a basic cause of fighting and conflict is selfishness and lust (James 4:1-3). Wanting your own way and obsessing when you don’t get it leads to hate and conflict. Hatred is an intense emotion filling you with deep revulsion of the person hated. Emotion moves you to act. When the emotion is negative, you will act in a negative, or ungodly, way. When individuals hate others, they either seek to avoid them or destroy them. Or they start accusing and blaming the other person for their own problems. (See "hate." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2007 and http://www.answers.com/topic/hate).

How can we put John’s observation and admonition to practice and avoid stumbling?

Know Your Brother

To love your brother, you must know your brother. The Bible gives some encouraging statements about those who practice love towards the brethren.

Malachi 3:16 (KJV)

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

Those who are diligent to do as God says speak often to one another. A basic principle of group dynamics is that those who are deeply involved and connected with others in a group are the strong members of that group. Those who are not connected and not involved tend to be on the fringe and are easily pulled away.

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Paul was inspired to write that those living at the end of the age should make every effort to assemble together and to stir each other up. His writings indicate that we may feel like quitting, so we just don’t come to services or make an effort to be with each other. As the end approaches and our strength fails, when we see negative event after negative event, we need each other more than ever – to stir each other up to love and good works and to exhort each other. If we are on the outside or on the fringe, we won’t be stirred up and we will be likely to stumble.

Peter wrote in I Peter 4:9 that we should “Be hospitable to one another.” Paul exhorted the Romans to be “given to hospitality” (Romans 12:13). In verse 10, he encouraged them to “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love…” Verse 13 indicates that a product of that brotherly love and hospitality is “distributing to the needs of the saints.” When you know your brother and practice brotherly love, you will be able to take care of needs that he or she has. When the Worldwide Church of God was at its strongest, there was a strong connection among church members. Hospitality was practiced as a way of life. Members got together. Needs were met. Obviously, in today’s split Church of God, the same conditions do not exist. If we want to prevent future splintering, we must begin to practice, as a way of life, hospitality and the other principles associated with active brotherly love.

Do Not Offend Your Brother or Be Offended

A second basic principle that helps us practice love towards our brother is to not offend others or be offended by others. Paul told the Romans that “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak” (Romans 14:21). We should make every effort to avoid doing things that cause others to stumble. Christ gave the disciples instruction on how to handle offenses in Luke 17.

Luke 17:1-4

1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

Christ made the statement that offenses are an absolute certain condition of human existence, but He strongly warned about the perils of offending others. At the same time, Christ addressed the flip side of the coin. He taught that when we are offended, when someone does wrong to us, we need to practice forgiveness. Instead of dwelling on hurts and offenses, the solution is to forgive and move on. Forgiveness puts you in the light. If you do not forgive, you will likely be filled with hate and will soon be blinded. Too many have failed to actively apply this principle. Instead of practicing forgiveness when offended and hurt, too many have allowed anger, hurt, and frustration to fester into hatred and bitterness. When hatred and bitterness overtake a person, his/her eyes become clouded and the brain becomes addled. It becomes easy to fall into doctrinal error and spiritual darkness.

In Colossians 3, Paul further explains how we can put John’s one sentence statement to work.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Practicing brotherly love is key to remaining in the light and never stumbling. In the years to come, those who are diligent to “put on love” will be bound together in perfection and will never stumble.