Sermon for Trinity 17 - Our Unity in Christ - The Rev. William Klock, Christ REC, Portland

Prydain ^ | 9/27/05 | The Rev. William Klock

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The Rev. William Klock: "Our Unity in Christ"
Considering some of the news we have seen lately about efforts towards reunification of the various churches, the sermon Our Unity in Christ by the Rev. William Klock of Christ Church REC in Oregon is quite timely. This point is quite pertinent to much of what has been going on:

We need to be realistic and acknowledge that there are factors in the Church that tend to drive us apart. But in our lesson from Ephesians we learn a second fact about the Church and that is that underneath all these differences and disagreements there is a basic unity. Notice that St. Paul doesn?t tell us to be ?eager to create the unity of the Spirit.? He tells us to be ?eager to maintain the unity.? Nowhere in Scripture are we told that we need to create unity in the Church, because there is already a God-given unity amongst Christians that arises from the very nature of the Church itself as the Body of Christ. Even if we wanted to create unity in the Church we would be unable to do it ? the unity isn?t from us, it comes from Jesus Christ ? only God can bring this kind of unity amongst so much diversity!

And here?s the rub with the modern ecumenical movement. While there are some working for a Biblical and God-centred unity, most today are seeking unity apart from the unity that we read about in the New Testament. St. Paul writes about a unity that comes from Holy Spirit when we, as Christians, are indwelt by him ? unity that comes as we are gathered together as the component parts of Christ?s earthly Body. The ecumenists, on the other hand, are trying to create unity based on wordly principles: they?re working toward an organisational unity and looking for strength in numbers. Is it any wonder that so many of the ecumenically minded ?united churches? were formed by the mergers of once great denominations that had dwindled down to next to nothing ? usually because they had adopted man-centred theology and a man-centred approach to Scripture that left them with little to say to the World that is life changing and miraculous.

While I think Rev. Klock is speaking for the most part of the ecumenicism that accompanies a liberalism that has departed from the historic faith, this is a good sermon as well for those to read who are serious about a unity that comes from, and is founded on, the Truth.

Posted by Will at 12 : 01 am