May, 1998

Dearest brother/sister in Christ,

May the fullness of God's grace be manifest in your heart and life this day. As we write this letter to you, we rejoice in the awesome privilege we all have to be children of God and members in particular of the Body of Christ, individually and collectively commissioned to spread the truth of God's wonderful Word across a dying world.

At the June 12-14 CES  10^th Anniversary Celebration in Indianapolis, we will be unveiling the details of a new "Partnership Program" that will change the way we handle this monthly newsletter. Our friends who are not at this time financial partners with us, but want to remain on our mailing list, will begin receiving our newsletter on a quarterly basis instead of monthly, beginning with the July issue (i.e., the next one would be October). These quarterly editions will be shorter, newsy and addressed to a general readership.

Those who choose to partner financially with us will continue to receive the newsletter monthly. In addition to the quarterly edition mentioned above, you will receive a "meatier" newsletter in the other months of the year similar to this issue in heart and depth. These editions will either be addressing current issues on the Christian scene or other subjects more of interest to those who share our vision and commitment. You will probably know if you are in this category by what happens in your heart as you read this issue. If you agree with us, please consider partnering with us in the accomplishment of our shared vision. We will be telling you more about this Partnership Program in the June newsletter, so stay tuned.

We love you very much, and we continually rejoice at the privilege we have to be part of the lives of wonderful saints like you. We look forward to reaching millions more whose hearts hunger and thirst after righteousness, those who will choose to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. We ask you to pray fervently for us as we do for you. We hope to see you at our 10th Anniversary Celebration next month here in Indianapolis.

Sharing one spirit with you,

John, Mark & Karen Anne, John & Jenivee

Before ascending to the right hand of God, Jesus commissioned his followers to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in my name." This goal has yet to be accomplished, owing at least in part to a divided Christendom. Clearly, the best and most efficient way for Christians to accomplish this mission would be by unifying their efforts. But achieving such a unity would require several things: general agreement on what message ("good news") we are supposed to communicate; a common desire and conviction that the goal is worth sacrificing for; a willingness to overlook denominational differences and seek common ground. Recognizing these things has led many Christian leaders of this century to work toward interdenominational unity, and this movement has progressed to the point that on the eve of a new century, the word "unity" has become a Christian buzzword.

We have in mind three reasons for addressing this subject. The first is a matter of principle. Is "unity" God's primary purpose for the Christian Church, justifying any and all compromises to make it happen? To put the question another way: does the Bible support the ecumenical slogan, "doctrine divides; service unites"? The second is a practical matter. We are in relationship with many groups of believers who are hampered by a lack of unity, making it difficult for them to establish themselves as viable churches or fellowships that can serve others in their communities.

The third reason is a matter of perception. Because in the past few years we have objected to the prevailing ecumenical sentiment among Christians, some have concluded that we do not value Christian unity. We want to set the record straight. We very much believe in the value of unity among believers, and recognize that the Scripture makes this abundantly clear: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity" (Psalm 133:1). The fact is, we believe we are passionately pursuing true  unity among Christians in the way God's Word says to go about it, which we trust will become clear for you as you read on. You will see that we propose a truly biblical standard on which to unify Christians ("all those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ as Savior"), and we are deeply committed to doing our part to see this become a practical reality. In the process of arriving at a biblical "bottom line" for unity, we will identify the Trinitarian underpinnings of the modern Ecumenical movement and why we have been excluded from the "unity" advocated therein.

We trust that this study will help you discern truth from error, and help you not feel obliged to compromise your own convictions in an attempt to be unified with those who promote unbiblical teachings. We urge you to take the time to read and reflect upon the Scripture verses that we mention in this letter and determine for yourself what they reveal about God's will for our lives. The fact is that there are many other verses that address this vital subject but space limitations prevent us from including them.

To clarify biblical unity, we first need to step back a bit and look at the basic prerequisites for any  group to achieve any  mission. From this perspective, all "unity" (or "oneness") is the result of common goals, sacrifice, good leadership and cooperation. You will recognize many applications to Christian fellowship as you read this.

Crucial to generating unity is a common standard or goal around which people can rally. This goal may simply involve the "positive" pursuit of supplying something needful that is lacking, like providing an alternative product that works better than the competition's. Or the goal may have a primarily "negative" focus of getting rid of something that is hurtful, or defeating a common enemy, as the Allies uniting to block Hitler in WW II. Often goals that motivate sacrifice, heroism and devotion combine both  positive and negative aspects that help define them. For this reason, politics and war often make "strange bedfellows" because they can unite otherwise antagonistic nations or groups in an organized effort to defeat a common enemy.

 The unity of a group of people is all about the individual mindsets of those involved. Obviously, unity comes from likemindedness, that is, a unity of thought.  This requires a concrete standard, goal or ideal that different people can think about in common and become "one" with. Then once a common goal is established, people can make specific commitments to work together to achieve it. The more this goal is seen to have value greater than the comfort and immediate wellbeing of the individuals involved, the more sacrifice and effort they will be willing to expend to achieve it. In pursuit of a compelling goal, people will endure all kinds of criticism, aggravation and persecution, sacrificing even their very lives. And what is even more  amazing, they will work side by side with people they would ordinarily avoid or dislike in any other context!

It helps if people recognize that division destroys vision , and that goals will not be achieved if their energies are directed inward toward themselves instead of outward toward the goal. Potential personality conflicts pale in proportion to united commitment to pursue a common goal. A "burning desire" to reach a goal "burns up" a host of petty problems between people.

Another prerequisite is good leadership, that is, someone who "goes first"3/4 setting an example, taking risks and shouldering responsibility for the achievement of the goal. Either the lack of good leadership or an unwillingness to follow leaders can have the same result: nothing achieved. You have no doubt heard the saying, "Nothing happens without leadership;" but it is equally true that "nothing happens unless people unite  with leadership." Both problems are caused by lack of conviction that the goal is worthy of sacrifice, because both "leaders" and "followers" must give up something to achieve the common goal.

Now that we have established the general contours of the concept of unity, we want to address the subject of Christian  unity. Without much prompting, we are sure you can see how the above principles can be applied by Christians, who almost universally agree that unity is essential. Where they differ is how to achieve it and at what cost. Therefore we will begin by letting God's Word establish how Christians are to have and maintain unity among themselves. We will see as we proceed that Christian unity is the result of a combination of right teaching and right attitudes.

 The following verse may set the highest standard for Christian unity found in the Bible, a unity based on the Lordship of Jesus Christ himself. We will be noting our emphasis in bold type throughout this discussion.

But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony, and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissentions or factions or divisions among you; but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments.

Clearly, the Lord Jesus wants no "factions" or "sects" in His Body. But it is important that we note how to avoid such schisms: by being "perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments." God's Word is clear: the first way to avoid division, sectarianism and dissension is for Christians to be "perfectly united" in a "common understanding." We are not going to eliminate division by merely decrying it and trying harder to get along; we must each work  toward understanding God's Word so we can all have a common  understanding. To drive out the darkness, we must introduce light. True biblical unity comes first from embracing the same truths and holding to them faithfully. Contrary to the prevailing contemporary "wisdom" that "doctrine divides," Scripture makes it clear that accurate teaching ("sound doctrine," "truth," etc.) is profoundly unifying  for those who accept it.

 The assertion that sound doctrine is unifying is proven by Ephesians, the great doctrinal treatise to the Church. The first thing to note is that two very important uses of the word "unity" in the Bible are found in Ephesians 4:3 & 13. Because Chapter 3 is a parenthesis, the word "therefore" in 4:1 relates back to Ephesians 2:19-22. These verses are the crescendo of this unparalleled revelation showing that each Christian is a member of the household of God, indwelt by the spirit of God that binds us together forever as members in the Body of Christ. Chapter 3 is an elaboration on the truth of this "one new man" (2:15) by delineating the "Secret" of the One Body of Christ. This "secret" is the magnificent "calling" that is worth living "worthily" for (4: 1).

The essential relational attitudes we should have in the Body are then set forth (4:2). Without these attitudes to accompany the doctrinal "pillars" that follow, there will be no real unity because without them we will not serve one another with our knowledge. We will use our knowledge to elevate ourselves above our brethren. Unless each of us makes the necessary effort to embrace these Christ-like qualities, even a common understanding of the truth will not be enough to achieve true unity. God's standard for unity involves both right doctrine and right heart. One without the other is like a head without a body.

Then we are exhorted to "keep [guard] the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace" (4:3). It is important to note that we are not exhorted to "acquire" unity, because God has already given it to us in Christ. Holy spirit, God's gift to each believer, is our common denominator (1 Cor. 12:13). We are to stand in the unity that He has established for us by providing so graciously for every believer.

Although there are many truths in God's Word, we need not speculate about which "ones" are most important for Christian unity. It is no accident that verses 4-6 follow verse 3. "One  body, one  spirit, one  hope, one  Lord, one  faith, one  baptism, one  God and Father" are the basic doctrinal pillars undergirding the Church. Would it not make sense to say that these "ones " constitute the "common understanding" we read about in 1 Corinthians 1:10? Wouldn't clear teaching on each of these be powerfully unifying for Christians if they chose to agree with and adhere to these truths? Verse 7 then tells us that each one of us has the potential to do our part to achieve this unity.

Verses 8-10 set forth the magnitude of Jesus Christ's accomplishment in the contrast between His descent and His ascent to His position as Lord. Verses 11 & 12 show that genuine spiritual leaders are necessary if God's people are to grow up in Christ. Then comes verse 13:

This verse refers to the gathering together of the Church when we will have full knowledge of the Son of God and be perfectly unified in Him. Considering these two uses of the word '"unity," it seems to us that God is saying that the perfect unity we will one day have at Christ's appearing is possible to approach in this life if we will go about it according to the directives of His Word.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was passionate about unity. He spoke of he and his Father being one, and of he and all of his followers becoming one (John 17:21-22). John 17:23 says: "May they be brought to complete unity." But he was also honest about the effect the truth would have when it was spoken in this fallen world (Matt. 10:34). He would be the occasion for a division of opinion. While the book of Acts chronicles many examples of both the unity and the division that occurs when the truth is spoken, Jesus Christ is our chief example of the fact that whenever the truth is spoken, both unity and division will be the results. Those who believe the truth will be unified with one another, while those who refuse to believe the truth will be divided from those who do. While his desire is for all to come to the truth, the influence of sinful self-centeredness guarantees that some will seek their own way. We dare not turn from right teaching just because some have divided opinions about it.

The unity we are passionately pursuing3/4 that unity that is prerequisite to accomplishing our goal of making available God's Word to all men3/4 requires a standard or a common ground upon which each of us can choose to stand with like passion. That common ground can be nothing but the truth, because God is a "God of truth" and Jesus Christ is "the truth."

The practical unity of the One Body is directly proportional to the extent each individual member is unified with the Head of the Body, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9,10; 1 John 1:3), a unity that begins with the written  Word of God. The closer that each of us gets to the Lord Jesus Christ, the closer we get to one another. How does one become intimate with the Lord? Jesus himself gave us the answer: "Whoever has my commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves me...and I too will love him and show myself to him" (John 14:21).

It seems very clear, therefore, that knowing the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ that is found in the written Word of God, of which Jesus is the main theme, is indispensable for genuine, biblical unity. The more biblically accurate one's perception of Jesus Christ is, the greater the possibility that person has for intimacy with Him, and therefore with others who are also intimate with Him. Satan understands this, and that is one reason why he has leveled the brunt of his assault at distorting the identity of Jesus Christ. Among Christians today, that distortion is found primarily in the false doctrine that Jesus is God. This false teaching has created division in the Body of Christ since its inception, because to many people it is unscriptural, illogical and virtually impossible to articulate or practically apply.

Can we find other biblical support for the idea that "false doctrine divides?" We will now look at some verses that clearly show the relationship of false teaching to division.

I appeal to you brethren, to be on your guard concerning those who create dissensions and difficulties and cause divisions in opposition to the doctrine [the teaching] which you have been taught. [I warn you to turn aside from them, to] avoid them."

 Notice it does not say "persecute" or "torture" those who create such divisions by teaching contrary to God's Word." It simply says to "be on guard," to "warn" and to "avoid." For instance, our book The Gift Of Holy Spirit: Every Christian's Divine Deposit  warns our readers to beware of the common teaching that it is possible for a Christian to receive more holy spirit after being born again. We believe this is the kind of teaching that Romans 16:17 is referring to because it divides the body of Christ into "haves" and "have nots."

Those who have had the experience of "the anointing," "laughter in the spirit," being "slain in the spirit," etc., etc., are told that they have now been "filled" with the spirit as they were not before. Even the term "spirit-filled" as commonly employed is divisive, because it implies that there are some Christians who are not  filled with holy spirit. "Speaking in tongues," an ability every believer can manifest immediately after being born again, is taught by many Pentecostal denominations as a "second work of grace" or a secondary filling. This is a clear example of how false teaching "creates divisions" and "dissentions" contrary to Scripture, and why we must warn people not to be deceived.

If Romans 16:17 says we are to avoid  those who teach such things, how are we to be unified  with them? Again, we must be faithful to the text of Romans 16:17 and be "on guard," "warn" and "avoid" those who promote such division in the precious Body of Christ. We do not really value unity in the Body if we are tolerant of those who destroy it.

Some of us have been considered "heretics" by the "orthodox" Christian community for many years. As such, we have often been excluded from Christian groups (and been considered unsaved) even while trying very hard to get along with and to work within traditional ministries and churches. Having thus endured the pain of rejection by other Christians, one would think that we would be quick to get rid of the idea of "heresy" altogether. But we cannot get rid of an idea that is intrinsically biblical, even if it would take the pressure off us. The godly thing to do is to be clear on what truly constitutes "orthodoxy," (right  teaching), so that "heresy" (wrong  teaching) is meaningfully defined. When "orthodoxy" is not real orthodoxy, then "heresy" is not real heresy.

What is a true "heretic?" According to Titus 3:10, it is one who teaches and/or practices error and thereby introduces division into the Body of Christ. We then face the issue of the proper treatment of "heretics." Since people who teach wrongly are still biblically our "neighbors," we are nonetheless commanded to love them. But the way we are to love them is different than how we would if they were teaching and practicing the truth. God's Word has clearly spoken. We are to avoid having fellowship (full sharing) with them until they change. We are not to try to "unify" with them just because they are a Christian.

What it means to "avoid" a fellow Christian must be determined according to the dictates of our own conscience in accordance with our sometimes complex and obligatory social relationships with others at work, in our families, neighborhoods, etc. We can have many kinds of relationships, even relatively close friendships, with others of different faiths than our own. But to be obedient to God's word, there must be some  sense in which we reserve our most intimate relationships for those whom we can trust to give us sound biblical counsel and the genuine love of God.

The testimony of both Scripture and history is that "evil companionships corrupt good character" (1 Cor. 15:33). This means that when people who hold the truth come into an intimate relationship with those who do not, the convictions of the one who holds the truth are more likely to be diminished than the deceived one is to be converted.

We are fundamentally responsible for the choices we make concerning those we allow to influence us. Therefore we ought not become vulnerable to those whose "opinions" and "judgments" are going to influence us in the wrong direction, though we may sometimes be criticized for not being "authentic," "vulnerable" or "real" by those who would like to be closer to us. To be obedient, we must wait until God reveals to us, or we are convinced by our own experience, that we can safely commit ourselves in an intimate relationship to another person. Such a person is then in a position to deeply influence our beliefs, our attitudes and our behaviors in a godly direction.

The Bible contains a variety  of verses that recommend avoiding intimate fellowship with those who habitually teach and/or practice error. There is no  verse that tells believers to unify in spite of false doctrine. Jesus tells his disciples to "leave" the Pharisees, who were "blind guides" (Matt 15:14). Note these other clear verses on the subject.

(14) If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.

(15) Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.

(Please  read the following verses also: Mt 16:6,11; 1 Cor. 5:9-11; 2 Cor. 6:11-18; 1 Tim. 1:3 & 4; 2 Tim. 4:14; Titus 1:9; 2 John 7-11).

Notice that the commandment in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 is for the sake of helping the other person, more than just keeping ourselves pure. The purpose of not associating with them is to exert godly "peer pressure" on them so that they would be "ashamed" and repent. Today the prevailing attitude of unlimited toleration runs counter to this biblical directive. There is little or no social pressure applied in a godly direction. In fact, it seems like the only ones who are "avoided" these days are those who are unenlightened enough to insist that there is a standard of belief and practice required before seeking to be unified in an intimate relationship with another Christian.

Though it is a lot easier to just get along with everyone and pretend that doctrine doesn't matter, fidelity to the text of Scripture demands that we do our best to uphold the truth. The fact that God gives people the freedom to have their own opinions does not mean that we ought not to try to influence their opinion in the direction of God's Word. In fact, God says that is exactly what we should  do.

We acknowledge the fact that not all teachings are crucial for the fruitful practice and communication of the Christian Gospel. On some topics the biblical evidence is not conclusive, or the practical consequences are not especially harmful, and reasonable believers can come to different conclusions without affecting the integrity of the Gospel. In these areas there is room for "heterodoxy," or a variety of competing interpretations, none of which must be established as "right" for Christianity to be the liberating and powerful experience that it ought to be. In Speaking the Truth in Love: The Purposes of C.E.S.,  we include in this category "major doctrines" that aren't crucial (i.e. not essential to the integrity of the Gospel) and "minor doctrines," or those without practical significance.

Since being established as the foundation of orthodoxy in 325 AD, the Nicean creed ("One God in three persons") has been the litmus test for what constitutes true Christianity. In our opinion, those who aggressively promote this creed as the standard of orthodoxy are included in the number of those who "create divisions contrary to the doctrine you have received." The unbiblical language of this creed has been a stumblingblock for many Bible-centered Christians through the centuries, and a chopping block  for others who died at the hands of those who espoused it. Do we not trivialize their ultimate sacrifice when we say that the Nicean creed is an acceptable criterion for true Christianity, and that it doesn't really matter because the most important thing is for all Christians to be unified?

In the April 13, 1998 issue of Newsweek  it was reported that Professor Marguerite Shuster of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California analyzed more than 3,000 sermons presented by mainline denominational ministers. Of these, only 20 focused on the Trinity, and in her opinion many of these were only marginally "orthodox." Apparently, very few pastors and Bible teachers even attempt to teach the Trinity, and when they do, they often drift into some "heresy" or another. It is no wonder, then, that German Trinitarian theologian Karl Rahner noted that "despite their orthodox confession of the Trinity, Christians are, in their practical life, almost mere "monotheists." How are Christians to be united around a doctrine that is seldom expounded, much less clarified  to the point that leaders can rally their troops to promote and defend it?

An important distinction must be made: there are those (the vast majority) who marginally accept the incomprehensible Trinity either because they trust their teachers or they are intimidated by the system. There are others who aggressively teach the Trinity as the cornerstone of Christianity and persecute dissenters. In either case, we love all our Trinitarian brothers and sisters, recognize them as fellow Christians and seek opportunities to bless, enlighten and learn from them. But we are not naïve about what committed Trinitarians are taught to think about those of us who actively teach others to reject the Trinity. Nor are we hopeful that we can develop successful, cooperative relationships with them as long as they think us to be heretics.

Many non-Trinitarians of our acquaintance are not aware of the fact that admission to an Ecumenical movement that is gaining ground globally is based on agreeing to a Trinitarian "bottom line" for Christian unity. We will quote from Robert McAfee Brown's The Ecumenical Revolution: An Interpretation of the Catholic-Protestant Dialogue  (Garden City NY, Doubleday 1967). McAfee's is only one of many books that document the same fact, and these are just a few representative samples of many declarations of the Trinitarian basis of ecumenical unity:

In 1910, an international gathering of missionary societies met in Edinburgh, Scotland to establish a basis of cooperation among themselves in the dissemination of the Gospel around the globe. They were disturbed by their exportation of denominational differences to the point that when their native associates were asked what faith they were, they would respond "Presbyterian," "Assembly of God," "Baptist," etc., rather than "Christian." From this gathering came what was known as "the Life and Work movement," whose slogan was "doctrine divides, service unites ."

However, McAfee notes that the Life and Work movement found its aversion to doctrine to be unworkable in practice (our emphasis):

The Faith and Order movement had an equally difficult time finding any doctrine on which they could universally agree except the doctrine of the Trinity. This was in large part because the Roman Catholic delegation would not agree to an exclusively biblical  standard for doctrine. Their doctrinal positions have admittedly never been derived from the Bible alone, but developed through the authority of the Roman Catholic Church as the "Mother Church." Since modern resurgence of interest in "unity" is in line with these earlier attempts at ecumenical unity, we must note that the lowest common denominator of the modern unity movement is also a Triune conception of God. Anyone not accepting the Nicean formulation of "One God in three persons" is not welcome to the party.

Since we too see that there are many reasons to value Christian unity, we have searched for a true standard under which this can legitimately occur. Either God is "Triune" or He isn't. If He isn't, then belief in a Triune God is a false standard for unity and will not have God's support. Only truth  will suffice. Is God a God of truth or of "half-truth?" We agree with half of the Ecumenical formula: Christians are those who invoke Jesus Christ as their Savior , and find it to be a very biblical statement. Peter's sermon on Pentecost contains the first use of a phrase that we believe is profoundly important for defining the least common denominator for true Christian unity:

(20) The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

(21) And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for salvation] will be saved.

This phrase also occurs in Romans in the same context of salvation. Does it not describe those who recognize that Jesus Christ is their Savior ? In other words, if they were paratroopers jumping out of a plane and their parachute failed to open, they would cry out to the Lord Jesus for salvation.

When Paul went looking for Christians to persecute and imprison, he looked for "all who call on [his] name." (Acts 9:14). This is the earliest designation for members of the Body of Christ, and we see no reason to believe that God has changed his mind (see also Rom. 10:11-13).

So we see that the biblical phrase for designating members of his Body is those who call on his name , or recognize him as Savior. Anything added to this is "creating division and dissension contrary to the doctrine."

This provides us with a practical way of obeying the command of Galatians 6:10: "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." We are to be "especially good" to our fellow Christians, despite any doctrinal differences. Unfortunately, Christians are often better behaved toward non-Christians than they are to their fellow believers. This provides a disgraceful witness to the unbelieving world of the love of our Savior. If this love is not strong enough to unite those who embrace it into a basic brotherhood, how authentically can it reach those who don't embrace it? Thus unbelievers have just cause to question the legitimacy of a love that seemingly fails to translate into any semblance of a brotherhood of believers in Christ. If they could see a prevailing kindness manifested to even doctrinal "enemies," they might be persuaded of a powerful spiritual love uniting "all those who call on Jesus Christ their Savior." We must recall Jesus' own words in this regard:

(34) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

(35) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

We are to accept  all those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus as fellow Christians. However, this final use of this phrase "calling on the Lord" exhorts us to fellowship  (have intimate communion) with those who call on his name out of a pure heart .

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Some members of the body of Christ will be deceived and refuse to be corrected. These are not "of a pure heart" biblically, though they may be totally "sincere." With these brethren there can be no practical unity, though we remain one with them "in Christ." We must entrust them to the wise Master before whom we are all accountable, and do our  best to be unified with Him at all costs.

In closing, consider with us the following verses:

(5) Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

(6) That ye may with one mind and one mouth [with like passion and speech] glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(7) Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Once again we see that Jesus Christ is the standard for oneness among believers, and that such oneness glorifies God and Christ. In verse 7, the word "receive" is far from a passive word. It means to "reach out and take to one's self." It means to overlook differences as much as possible for the sake of the goal of magnifying the one true God.

Each of us must decide for himself whether or not we will respond to God's call to true unity. Spiritually we are seated together at the right hand of God. With His nature of holy spirit in us, we have limitless potential for practical unity today. Each of us can mine all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in the depths of the secret of the One Body. We can be bonded together in the love of God by a common belief of and passion for the truth. We can see an incredibly diverse group of individuals become one in heart and spread the true gospel over the whole world.

 If  you feel somewhat spiritually isolated and perhaps somewhat stagnant in your spiritual growth, and if  you like what CES  is teaching and doing, and if  you are unencumbered in regard to occupation (family circumstances, etc.), why not ask the Lord if He would have you move to some place where there is a "CES -affiliated Fellowship that is growing in the Lord together." Indianapolis and Charlotte are two such places, and there are others. If you are interested, we would be happy to discuss this with you further.

Tentatively, John Lynn is planning to return to Tanzania and Kenya in September for about two and a half weeks, with a possible two weeks in India also. It does not look like either John S. or Mark will be able to accompany him. If you are interested in going, and/or helping him teach (basically the material taught in Truth Or Tradition? ), please contact us.

If not, you are missing out on some dynamite, and very practical, teaching that we believe will greatly edify you. The first tape in 1998 was Take My Word For It , a biblical study of faith. The second was A Matter Of Life And Death , an entertaining look at the subject of death and its aftermath. The May/June tape will be a dynamic teaching on salvation that Mark Graeser first did in Africa. John L. called it "the best teaching on salvation that he has ever heard." As it stands now, the remaining bi-monthly teachings for 1998 will be on "the mystery," who is Jesus Christ, and what is genuine Christian leadership. Subscribe today and receive all six tapes for only $25.

That is the title of our brand new seminar which is Part One of the two part series, Growing Up In Christ.  Part two is Teaching And Activation In The Manifestations Of The Gift Of Holy Spirit. 

As set forth in Galatians 5, the fruit of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control. These qualities are what comprised the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because each Christian has within him the incorruptible seed of Christ, His divine nature, each of us has the potential to bear the fruit of the spirit and be like Jesus.

How do we cultivate these vital elements in our lives to maximize our own spiritual potential and reach others with the truth?

It is certainly not by operating the manifestations of the spirit, because there is no Scripture verse that says anything like that. Each of the fruit is an attitude, i.e., a mental quality. There are eleven teachings in this seminar, including an introductory teaching and two teachings on love. We believe this seminar will be of great benefit to you, and it will very well may open your eyes to a subject the importance of which you may have overlooked.

The seminar comes with a detailed syllabus and the cost is $30. It will be available by the end of this month so order your copy today.