In the state of confusion concerning the church today, we should have a proper attitude toward other Christian groups. First, we must acknowledge that all those who believe in the redemption of the Lord’s precious blood and who have received the life of God are our brothers and sisters in the Lord, regardless of where they meet or the way that they take. We should never think that Christians who do not meet with us do not have the Lord’s life, nor can we say that Christians who do not meet with us do not love the Lord. Neither of these concepts is correct. Apart from us, there are thousands upon thousands of saved ones, and among them there are many who genuinely love the Lord.
Second, we should have personal fellowship and contact with these brothers and sisters, but we should try to avoid having any relationship with their organizations. We associate with individuals because they are our brothers and sisters, not with the groups or organizations. However, our fellowship should have a twofold purpose. On one hand, we may receive some spiritual help from them; on the other hand, we may grant them some spiritual help. Except for these two reasons, fellowship would be unnecessary. We must learn to be upright and honest before the Lord. If others render us help, we should be humble to receive the help, and we must be willing to render help to others according to their needs. This is the greatest, even the unique, reason to contact other believers. If not for mutual supply, there is no need for fellowship. This should be our attitude toward other Christians.
We do not agree that our brothers and sisters should have a part in any Christian group or organization, because Christian organizations today have many problems. Even with those who preach the pure gospel, so to speak, their group, organization, and understanding of God are mostly not according to the truth. The Lord can testify for us that we have no intention to criticize them, but their organizations absolutely hinder people from following the Lord.
On one hand, we acknowledge that there are brothers and sisters in Christian organizations and that we should have fellowship with them. On the other hand, we do not agree that the organizations themselves should exist, nor do we endorse any contact with these organizations, because they hinder people from knowing the Lord. Although we do not endorse this, there is no regulation among us about it, and this is not an item of our faith. In other words, whether a brother or sister who breaks bread and worships the Lord among us contacts or participates in any Christian organization is a matter for him or her before the Lord. We do not exercise any control in this matter. However, for the sake of serving the saints, we must speak an honest word before the Lord. We do not agree that the brothers and sisters participate in any Christian group or organization. If some think that it is profitable for them to go, this is a matter of their own before the Lord. Perhaps some may not have an adequate understanding regarding this matter, but one day, if they are shown mercy, they will realize that these organizations cannot help them to gain more of Christ. However, we are not here to control the brothers and sisters. This matter should be public and open because in our responsibility in the service, we must speak honestly of this to the brothers and sisters.
In 1947 when we were laboring in Shanghai and Nanking, a Western brother from the China Inland Mission came to see me after a conference and said, “Thank the Lord for opening the door of the gospel at various universities; the Lord is blessing this work.” Then he added a humble request that we join them in their move for the gospel at these universities. At that time there were many Christian youth fellowships preaching the gospel at various campuses, but we had a different attitude. We paid no attention to what others did but focused only on doing the Lord’s work faithfully. We were entrusted by the Lord, and our brothers were at several universities in Shanghai. Hence, the gospel work at the National Chiao Tung University was very effective, and many brothers and sisters were pursuing the Lord. Moreover, many brothers at the Medical College of National Defense and even at the National Central University in Nanking were saved. Since our gospel work at various universities was very much blessed by the Lord, the Western brothers from the China Inland Mission hoped that we would cooperate with them.
At that time I replied, saying, “Regarding this matter, we feel that this may be good. However, there is a need for us to clarify a few matters. First, what we believe is also what you believe; our faith is the same as yours. In the matter of fervently preaching the gospel, we are the same, and there is no problem. Second, in the matter of leading the saved ones to be edified and to know the Lord’s life, we believe that you are the same as we. However, we have encountered a problem in China for over twenty years.” At this point he began to become nervous. I continued, “Brother, regarding the gospel that we preach, you absolutely say Amen, and regarding the truth of edification we speak, you also agree. However, since we were raised up by the Lord in China some twenty years ago, we have been opposed and troubled by Christianity. We have been opposed and troubled, not because of the gospel we preach or the truth of edification we speak but because we absolutely negate today’s organized Christianity. Brother, we agree with one another in terms of the gospel and spiritual edification. I simply hope that when you go to the campuses, you will present only the gospel to people and nothing else.” He nodded, and I believe he understood my answer and our position. From that time on, he never corresponded or met with us. We absolutely repudiate any organization of Christianity, but they cannot drop their organization. In this matter we can never be one.
This Western brother was quite understanding. He knew that because we could never abandon our standing, we could not agree to his request. In terms of the gospel and spiritual edification, he did not need to make any request of us. In terms of practice, however, he belonged to an organization that we could not be a part of and have rejected for over twenty years. He was clear that we rejected their form of organized Christianity, not the gospel or the truth that they preached. This is the reason I told him that it would be good if they brought only the gospel rather than organizational things to the young people at the universities. This is our attitude.
We acknowledge that many of God’s children preach the gospel and speak the word of life; we do not deny this. However, before the Lord and by His grace, we repudiate the organizations of Christianity. We do not endorse the saints’ contact with these organizations, but this is not a matter of exercising control over the saints. Whether or not the saints contact them is up to them.
Some brothers and sisters have asked why we do not invite brothers from Christianity to minister the Word to us and why we do not minister the Word to other Christian groups since some of the brothers among us minister the word quite well. Our answer remains the same; we cannot have a part in an organization. Some brothers among them truly may be gifted, knowing how to speak the truth and rendering help to people. We also confess that they need the blessing we have received and the light we have seen. Nevertheless, in order to avoid confusion and trouble, we should not have contact with their organizations. Christianity is full of confusion, and this hinders people from knowing the Lord.
For example, a certain Christian group that teaches orthodox doctrines sometimes invites a modernist to preach modernistic doctrines, including an overseas preacher who is quite popular in Taiwan. He is a modernist who does not even believe in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus, the conception of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, the virgin birth, the power of the Lord’s blood to wash away sins, the Lord’s resurrection, the Lord’s ascension to the third heaven, or the Lord’s coming again in the future. He does not believe in these seven matters. However, these matters are crucial points of the gospel. If they are taken away, our gospel is not really the gospel. This shows how confusion in Christianity hinders believers from knowing the truth and God’s salvation. When people listen to him, they may be touched by his eloquence, but in fact, they unknowingly have been damaged.
We have no intention to exercise control over the brothers and sisters by preventing them from receiving help from others. Based on our experience over the years, however, we see that the benefits we receive from the preaching of outsiders or from our preaching to other groups cannot offset the loss we suffer. It is not worth the effort, so it is better not to do it.
Based on our experience of over twenty years, we have come to the conclusion that we should not be concerned about what others are doing; we simply should live before the Lord. Toward others, we do not need to interfere, and toward ourselves, we should faithfully follow the light we have received from the Lord. A certain person’s preaching may be edifying, but we will not invite him to speak because of the confusion in his background and environment, nor will we go to his group. On the positive side, we are not being idle or wandering around. We have a specific commission and things that we want to accomplish. There is no need for us to invite others to carry out our commission. This is not being proud; it is simply the fact.
The Lord has commissioned us with a work in Taiwan that we will have a difficult time finishing even if we doubled our manpower and time. We truly have no time to do anything apart from our responsibility. Neither should we expect people from the outside to render greater help. If the Lord shows us that there is a group of people apart from us who can render us genuine help because of the blessing they have received, we would willingly invite them to share their blessing with us. This fellowship concerning our attitude toward other Christians and Christian groups is necessary because the saints are at different levels and in different conditions; that is, some know how to discern, and others do not. Please remember that this is our attitude; it is not a creed or a by-law among us. The saints have their own liberty. As long as they have not committed any obvious sin against the Lord, they can have fellowship at the Lord’s table.