When Paul speaks of “the same thing,” he means Christ and Him crucified. Thus, for us to speak the same thing means that we all speak concerning Christ and Christ crucified. From experience I can testify that, although according to history it is impossible for Chinese and Japanese, Germans and French, to be truly one, I have seen real oneness among the believers from these different nationalities. It is beautiful to see the genuine oneness between Chinese and Japanese believers and also between German and French believers. Such a oneness is possible only when we concentrate on Christ as our unique center and unique portion. As our unique center and portion, Christ is in all the saints (Col. 1:27) to even become all the saints (Col. 3:11). Whereas many of today’s Christians are divided because they emphasize many things in place of Christ, we are one because we have nothing but Christ.
Christians are divided because they care for many other things instead of Christ. For example, some argue concerning the name in which we should baptize believers. For us, the all-inclusive Christ must be our center and our unique enjoyment. As long as people have a living faith in Christ Jesus, it does not matter whether they are baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus or into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Because the Lord has raised us up to carry out His recovery, we focus our attention on Christ and not on any practices. We have turned away from everything else to the Lord Himself. This has caused others to spread rumors about us and to criticize us. For example, beginning in 1968, some brothers and sisters were convicted of their oldness and wanted to be buried in the waters of baptism. Eventually, some rumors were spread that we teach re-baptism. The opposers quoted Paul’s word in Ephesians 4 concerning one baptism. However, that refers to a baptism which is one in nature or in kind, not to the practice of baptizing a believer one time. It is a fact that we neither teach nor practice re-baptism. If some believers are convicted of their oldness and want to be buried, they should not be condemned for it.
Others have criticized us because we practice calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Some have even said that this is a mantra and is the same as oriental chanting.
In the past some were distracted by what they thought was a better way of meeting. However, our center is not a certain way of meeting—our center is Christ Himself. Should someone come to you and criticize the way of meeting and propose another way, you should reply, “I don’t care to talk about this. I only know Christ and Him crucified.” Talk about things other than Christ, even about the church meetings, can be a snare. In the Lord’s recovery our only choice and preference is Christ crucified. The best way to silence the gossiping tongue is not to respond when someone seeks to turn you from Christ to other things. Suppose a brother comes to you and says, “How did you feel about the meetings last week?” You should answer, “I don’t care about the meetings—I care only for Christ.” However, if you begin to talk about the meetings, the door will be open for gossip and criticism.
Many Christians today do not talk at all about Christ. In their conversation they are preoccupied with many other things. In the local churches we all need to speak of Christ crucified. Do not discuss the meetings, whether they are high or low, and do not talk about the church, whether it is good or bad. Likewise, do not speak about the elders, whether they are right or wrong, capable or incapable. Our attitude should be that we care only for Christ, for the church of God in every place, and for the Lord’s recovery. God’s goal in His recovery is to recover Christ as everything to us.
During more than fifty years in the church life, I have observed that many saints in different countries and cities have not yet been absolutely rescued from the degraded situation of Christianity. Even some of the dear saints in the Lord’s recovery talk in the way of the practice of today’s Christianity. Instead of speaking of Christ and Him crucified, they talk about the meetings, the elders, and the saints. When others want you to talk with them in such a way, you should say, “I do not have any heart for this. My only preference is Christ. I only care for Christ, not for the condition of the church or the meetings.”