The local ground of the church is the ground of the Body. Since a local church is the expression of the Body of Christ in that locality, the ground of the local church is also the ground of the Body of Christ. We should never think that the local ground is detached from the Body of Christ. No, even though it is the local ground, it is the ground of the Body, not the ground of a sect. The ground of locality never results in a sect.
There is only one Body of Christ. Since the local ground of the church is the ground of the Body of Christ, it is the unique ground. Moreover, since a locality should have only one expression of the church, there can be only one ground of the church in a locality. This one ground of the church is the local ground. There should not be two churches or two grounds in one place. Therefore, the local ground is the unique ground. Besides this local ground, there should not be any other ground in a place. Once there are other grounds, there will be divisions into different sects and denominations.
Regardless of the place, if there are two “churches” in a certain locality, either one of them or both of them are wrong. Once there are two congregations, there are two grounds. Once there are two grounds, there is at least one sect or denomination. The local ground is of the Body and cannot be divided; therefore, it is also the unique ground.
Since the local ground is the unique ground, it is also the ground of oneness. Wherever there is the local ground, there is oneness. Nothing apart from the local ground can cause Christians to be one. The local ground is the only place where Christians can practice oneness.
For example, some who practice the Sabbath take the Sabbath as their basis of oneness. This kind of “oneness” divides them from others. Others come together because they have the same opinion concerning head covering. This kind of “oneness” also divides them from others. Still others come together because they have the same opinion concerning baptism, whether it is by immersion or by sprinkling. Once they come together in this way, they divide themselves from others.
We must see that apart from the local ground, any kind of “oneness” that is based on the same opinion is actually a division. When we are united with a group of people based on a certain opinion, we are automatically divided from other believers. Only on the local ground can there be oneness without division. For example, in the locality of Taipei there are brothers who agree on baptism by immersion, brothers who agree on baptism by sprinkling, and brothers who keep the Sabbath, pursue holiness, and focus on the Pentecostal experience of the Holy Spirit. Even though these believers have different opinions, they are all in Taipei. If they stand on the local ground, however, they will spontaneously be one. But this is not the actual situation. When some who agree on baptism by immersion come to Taipei, they form the Baptist Church. This shows that they have a ground other than the local ground, which divides them from other Christians. Those who agree on baptism by sprinkling, keeping the Sabbath, pursuing holiness, or focusing on the Pentecostal experience of the Holy Spirit also gather together with others of the same opinion. Each group has its own ground apart from the local ground. They take their opinion as the ground. As a result, the local church in Taipei is divided.
I believe that the brothers and sisters can see clearly that when we stand on a certain opinion, rather than on the local ground, there is division. When we stand only on the local ground rather than our opinions, there is oneness. Therefore, the local ground is the ground of oneness. It would be a great blessing if the brothers who agree on baptism by immersion would not take this as their ground, even though baptism by immersion is scriptural. It would also be a great blessing if the brothers who agree on baptism by sprinkling would not take this as their ground. Similarly, it would be a great blessing if those who keep the Sabbath, pursue holiness, and focus on the Pentecostal experience of the Holy Spirit would also abandon their ground. If they would all give up their ground as a result of seeing that their different opinions cannot be the common ground of oneness among Christians, all the brothers with different opinions would be on the local ground, and everyone would spontaneously be one. Therefore, the ground of oneness can be preserved only on the local ground.
Today many Christians say, “We are all one in Christ.” Although this sounds nice and spiritual, we cannot be one if we are only in the Lord but not in a locality. There is an annual convention in England called the Keswick Convention that is attended by many people from different denominations and sects. At this convention they often like to sing a hymn, which basically says, “We are one in Christ.” However, once the convention is over, each believer returns to his respective sect or denomination, and once again they are divided. Their oneness is temporary. Once they leave the Keswick Convention, they are divided again. This confirms that oneness cannot be practiced only “in the Lord,” without the local ground.
Over the past thirty years I have met many such believers. They shake hands joyfully with me and say, “Brother Lee, we are one in the Lord.” I often replied, “Brother, when we are in the Lord, we are one, but if we are in the denominations, we are not one.” To merely speak of oneness in the Lord is not practical; it is an empty theory. If we are still in denominations, the oneness in the Lord is damaged. We may hold other people’s hands and say that we are one in the Lord, but this is a oneness only in word, not in reality. In order to have the oneness in reality, we must leave every division and come to the local ground. Is merely holding hands and declaring that we are one in the Lord sufficient for the oneness if we remain Baptists, Lutherans, and Wesleyans? This is not possible. Let me repeat: to be one merely in the Lord is not practical; in order to be one in reality, we must come to the local ground. When we abandon all grounds other than locality, we will be one.
All the matters related to the church are real only on the ground of locality. Even the universality of the church is real only on the ground of locality. Those who speak only concerning the universal church have not touched the universal church in actuality. They are touching sects and divided groups. The genuine universal church must be expressed in localities. Therefore, the local ground is universal. Although this ground is local, the universality of the church is real only on this local ground.