The World is Watching the Church

1. “the principle of the practice of the purity of the visible church in regard to doctrine and life,” and
2. “the principle of the practice of an observable love and oneness among all true Christians regardless of who and where they are.”

So far, so good.   It would be very hard to argue that both of those things are not important. If the church abandons any attempt to have correct doctrine, then it is not a church; it is nothing other than a social club. If a church does not manifest observable love and oneness, then it is not a church; it is nothing other than a debate club.

In this short book, published in 1974, Schaeffer is very concerned about the first principle.  He looks out at the world and sees the increasing influence of “liberal theology” in the church.  In Schaeffer’s telling, liberal theology follows the currents of the secular world.  When the secular intellectual world latches onto a new idea, the liberal theologians are right behind exclaiming, “We Christians agree with that too!”  Over time, liberal theologians drift farther and farther from orthodox faith. 

This worries Shaeffer mightily.  How much?  Shaeffer describes the worship of Molech, in which parents would place their infant first-born children into a fire burning inside the idol of the god.  Pretty gruesome practice.  Schaefer: “Modern liberal theology is worse than following the Molech of old.”

Set aside for a moment whether an argument like that was needed in the mid-1970s.  Is it needed today?

If you look at the language of church discussion, it is fairly obvious that most Christians believe that is exactly the right sort of language to use.  It makes no difference whether the church is Fundamentalist Baptist or a Hip Episcopalian.  Both churches spend quite a bit of time making sure everyone knows they are not like those other churches.

And, let’s be honest here, the problem has magnified in the Age of Trump.  Sometimes it seems like people pick their church based on which side of the political divide they believe the church falls.  Could you go to a church where the pastor or priest supports Trump?  Could you go to a church where the pastor or priest opposes Trump?  Did you answer either of those questions knowing nothing else about the church in question?

This is a problem.  A big problem.  And interestingly, Schaeffer describes the problem perfectly.

All too often young people have not been wrong in saying that the church is ugly.  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we are called upon to show to a watching world and to our own young people that the church is something beautiful.

The world is watching the church.  What does it see?  “Your children will see the ugliness, and you will lose some of your sons and daughters.”

Finding right doctrine is incredibly important.  A godly Christian should never cease in the quest to find a pure, perfect doctrine and to live a pure, holy life. 

Showing Love to other Christians is incredibly important.  As the 1960’s hymn says, “They’ll know we are Christians by our Love.” 

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand, and together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side, and we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Faced with those two important principles, keep pure doctrine and demonstrate love, the church will constantly struggle when they seem to conflict.  We should all be able to agree that abandoning one principle or the other is wrong.  So how do we navigate?

Let us also agree, at some points in church history, establishing doctrinal purity is the paramount task.  This is exactly why the Creeds were written.  This principal led to the break between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches.  It led to the Reformation.

But, might there not be other times when showing the unity of the church, showing love to other Christians, might not become the paramount task?

We are at such a moment right now in American society.  The political divide is deep and increasingly bitter.  You undoubtedly have a very strong reaction to the phrase “President Trump.”  Should the Church mimic that divide?

The world is watching.  If the church looks no different than the political divide, then why do we need the church?  Can anyone watching the church actually agree with Jesus when he said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35)?

Let me be very clear.  This is not an argument for abandoning the quest for doctrinal Truth.  This is not an argument that there are not sharp disagreements on theology across churches or that we should pretend that those differences are not incredibly important. 

It is an argument for something more fundamental.  Love one another.  And that means love those Christians in churches who have theologies which you firmly believe are wrong.  Love those people in churches which seem to be dominated by people on the other side of the political spectrum.

If Christians cannot love, truly love, across the political divide, then may God help us all.  If Christians cannot demonstrate that love transcends the political divide, then Christ is not with us.

The world is watching.  At this moment, it is time to rise above politics.  It is time to demonstrate love.