Another point we need to check is whether they have some background of Christian organization. The church in any locality must be a pure local church and should not belong to any Christian organization. Although a local church should have fellowship in Christ with the churches in other localities, it should not have an organizational relationship with any Christian organization. Once it has an organizational relationship with a certain Christian organization, it has the background of that organization and becomes a sect. On the surface, a congregation may appear to have no special name, no special belief, and no special fellowship. Furthermore, they may be the only ones meeting in a place and have no separate administration. Thus, it seems that there is not a problem. However, after checking further, we may discover that there is a thread behind it, an organizational relationship, an organizational background with a certain Christian organization. Although their posture seems nonsectarian, the Christian background that it is involved with is really a sect. Even though it may not hang out a signboard, it may belong to a certain denomination far away in a foreign land. This group may say, “We have no special name, no special belief, no special fellowship, and no special administration, and we are the only ones meeting in this locality,” but we would say, “You are linked to a sect; hence, you are a sect.”
The six items above are conditions which constitute a sect. Any one of these is enough to constitute a group as a sect. Since any one of these items causes the Body of Christ to be divided, any one of them causes believers to become a sect. If we use this measuring rod to measure various Christian bodies, we will see that almost all of them have these conditions and, thus, have been constituted as sects. These numerous sects cause the large circle of the church to have many small circles within it, and they divide the church. But within the large circle of the church there is still a group of people who are only inside the large circle, rather than in one of the small circles. Every group that is both in the large circle and a small circle is a sect because this causes the church to be divided. Any group that is only in the large circle and not in any small circle is not divided and is not a sect. Perhaps the brothers in a small circle might say to us, “You are divided from us.” We admit that we are divided from them, but we are not responsible for the division because they have placed a circle of division upon themselves. If they are willing to eliminate their small circle, then we would not be divided. Therefore, although there is division between them and us, the division is with them, not with us. This is like the previous example of the assembling together of the students. Since the gymnasium is the designated place for assembly, only the ones who go to the auditorium are in division; those who go to the gymnasium are not in division.
Let me speak a little more on this. Let us draw a large circle representing Taipei. Suppose some missionaries of the Presbyterian Church come and preach the gospel in Taipei, and some people are saved. Naturally speaking, these saved ones belong only to the church in Taipei. They are only within the circle of the church in Taipei. But the Presbyterian missionaries will not only impart salvation to them but also put them into a small circle—“the Presbyterian Church.” Thus, even though they did not divide themselves and are only a group of believers, they are within two circles. Later brothers from the Holiness Church may also come to Taipei. They will preach the gospel, and some people will be saved. Naturally speaking, these saved ones also belong only to the church in Taipei. They and the previous group of saved ones are all together in the circle of the church in Taipei. But regrettably the brothers from the Holiness Church also put them into a small circle—“the Holiness Church.” Then after another period of time, the brothers from the Baptist Church will come. They will also preach the gospel, and people will be saved. These saved ones also belong to the church in Taipei, and it should be sufficient that they are within the circle of the church in Taipei. But the brothers from the Baptist Church also place them into a small circle—“the Baptist Church.” Later some nondenominational brothers also come. They preach the gospel in Taipei and save some people. In what small circle should they place these saved ones? Of course, it is wrong to put them into any of the small circles. Eventually, they may let these saved ones remain in the large circle of the church in Taipei. Now the situation of the church in Taipei is divided. But it is obvious that the responsibility of this division is not with these saved brothers but with the brothers who drew all of the small circles.
Let me give another illustration. We can still use a large circle to represent Taipei. The Presbyterian missionaries are the first to come. They preach the gospel and people are saved. They say, “Because these are brothers in Taipei, they are the church in Taipei. Let us not add the name of Presbyterian to them; it is sufficient that they are in the circle of the church in Taipei.” Then the brothers from the Holiness Church come and preach the gospel, and a group of people are saved. These brothers also see that those who are saved in Taipei belong to the church in Taipei and should not belong to the Holiness Church. They realize there is no need to give them another name, no need to add another small circle on them. When those from the Baptist Church come, preach the gospel, and lead some to salvation, they also say, “Those who are saved in Taipei should be turned over to the church in Taipei and should not be considered as members of the Baptist Church.” Even though three groups of people come to preach the gospel, those who are saved through them are not divided but are simply in the large circle of the church in Taipei. If another group of brothers, who are without any denomination, also comes to Taipei and leads some to salvation, and says, “Since we are in Taipei now, we are brothers in Taipei,” they will join the previous three groups of brothers to be the church in Taipei. Thus, even though they come to Taipei at different times, they are not divided; rather, they are one. If this were the case, this would be a beautiful situation!
In fact, however, this is not the case. Today in Taipei the believers are divided. Most of them are in a two-layer association instead of a one-layer association. Instead of being only in the large circle of the church, most of them are in the large circle of the church and also in the small circle of a denomination. Originally, we were all worldly people, perishing in the world, but one day the Lord saved us from the world into the church; now we are people in the large circle of the church. Paul is here, Martin Luther is here, you are here, and I am here. All of us are in this one-layer association. But difficulties arise because some feel that one layer is not enough. A group of people adds the Presbyterian Church as a layer, another group adds the Baptist Church as a layer, and still others add another kind of “church” as a layer. Thus, they have an association of two layers, a circle of two layers. Originally, it was sufficient simply to have a one-layer association, a one-layer circle; it was enough to belong to the church. However, now they feel that it is not enough simply to belong to the church; they want also to belong to the “Presbyterian Church,” the “Baptist Church,” or other kinds of “churches.” In this way, when another layer of “church” is added, a small circle is formed, division occurs immediately, and a sect is produced.
Once a brother met another believer. After talking briefly, they found out that they were both Christians and rejoiced together. But in talking further, one believer asked the other, “In which church are you?” This question was hard for the brother to answer. He really could not say which church. He said, “It is very difficult to describe the church where I am. It is the church that Paul is in, the one that Peter is in, the one that the reformer Martin Luther is in, the one that you are in, and the one in which I am. This is the church I am in.” When the other person heard this, because he thought that the brother was joking, he said, “How could there be such a church? How could you and I be in the same church, since you and I have never met before?” The brother said, “Yes, you are in the same church I am in, but I am not in the same church you are in.” The first brother was only in the church, that is, only in one layer of association. The other believer, however, was in the church and also in a denomination, and therefore, he was in two layers of association; this is not right.
Therefore, if the brothers from all the denominations bring only the gospel, bring only the Savior, and bring only the Bible here, without their different denominations, and if, after leading some people to salvation, they give these saved ones to the church and do not set up their own denominations, then it will be simple, and there will not be any problem at all. But in actuality, bringing in something additional creates difficulty. In addition to bringing the Savior and the Bible, they also bring different sects and denominations. The result is division which causes the church to be in utter confusion.
As God’s children, what should we do under this kind of situation? We should be wise and in the light. We must see that even though the church has been divided and sects have been produced, we must be those who belong only to the church, not to any sect. It is best that these sects were removed, but if they are so deeply rooted that they cannot be removed, then we need to jump out of these small circles of the sects. This is to be freed from sects, to be freed from denominations.
Dear brothers and sisters, herein lies the difficulty we have encountered among the children of God throughout all these years. We absolutely cannot acknowledge that divisions are right, and we absolutely cannot acknowledge that it is right for a person to be in divisions, in denominations. We must keep speaking according to God’s word, saying that everyone who sympathizes with God’s heart must leave the sects and stand on the pure ground of the church. It would be best if all the sects and denominations could get rid of their own congregation; this would make the matter much easier. But, in fact, their different congregations are so deeply rooted, there is no way to get rid of them. Therefore, we can only hope that God’s children would care for God’s desire and come out of the sects and denominations. Because of this, we have incurred the displeasure of others, and we have been accused of sheep stealing. Dear brothers and sisters, we should be clear by looking at this picture of the large circle and the small circles. We are not stealing sheep; rather, we are bringing sheep back. The sheep have been stolen by the sects; now we are bringing them back. God’s children must clearly see that, as Christians, we can only be in one place—the church; we cannot be in the denominations, in the sects. Christians should be only in one circle, not in two circles; they should have a one-layer association, not a two-layer association.
Perhaps someone may say, “I was saved in the Presbyterian Church, and it was the Presbyterians who preached the gospel and led me to salvation. Therefore, should I not belong to the Presbyterian Church?” I have already said that even if the apostle Paul preached the gospel to you, you should still not say that you belong to Paul. You should not take the instrument of your salvation as the basis for where you belong. You should thank God and the brothers from the Presbyterian Church for bringing you the gospel, the Savior, and the Bible. But you should say to them, “I am sorry, but you should not have given me the Presbyterian Church.” Forgive me for using this small illustration: It is right for parents with tuberculosis to give life to a child, but it would not be right for them to give their disease to the child. The child should say to the parent, “I am grateful that you have given me life and have raised me, but I do not want the disease you have given me.” The brothers from the Western world crossed the wide ocean to bring us the gospel, the Savior, and the Bible, and they also transmitted the life of Christ to us through the Holy Spirit. For this we should be sincerely grateful to them. But they brought something extra, that is, they also brought different denominations and sects, which we cannot accept. We must respectfully say that, on the one hand, we are grateful to them, but on the other hand, we should rid ourselves of the improper things. As saved ones, we are people in the church; we cannot become people of the denominations. We can belong only to the church and not to any denomination. We should be only in a one-layer association, not in a two-layer association. To be in the two-layer association damages the church of God and frustrates God’s purpose. Therefore, we must be delivered out of the second layer, the second circle, to serve God together with those who are standing on the pure ground of the church.
This is the reason we cannot remain in any denomination but rather need to meet separately. We should never think that we are simply one more group of Christians meeting together among many existing Christian groups. Perhaps because you feel that this place is better, more spiritual, and more edifying, you come here to join us. This attitude is not adequate. We still need to see why we have another meeting. We need to see why we are not in the Catholic Church nor in any of the Protestant denominations. We need to see that we have another meeting because the other congregations are sects, divisions, and two-layer associations which frustrate God’s purpose and damage the church of God. Therefore, we need to be delivered thoroughly and come back to the pure ground of the church, not belonging to this sect or that denomination but belonging only to the church and being people who are only in the church.
Let me say again that we should not shut our eyes and be Christians in a foolish way, going to any gathering indiscriminately and considering it as the church as long as there is a leading of the Holy Spirit. We should not be like this! We should be people in the light, people with a clear mind. We need to truly know what is the church, what is a sect, and what is being divisive. We need to clearly discern and carefully consider. We need to leave the things that are not right and come back to the things that are right!