Love and Unity: Brethren Value 8

The concept of love is highly desired in our society and has morphed into a religion itself. The religion of love allows no descent from the ranks. Proof? The tolerant gay culture. They are tolerant, until their lifestyle is called out for what it is, sinful and unnatural. These "tolerant" people become the most vile, intolerant people imaginable. They truly show that homosexuality is not a sign of freedom or bravery, but a sign of God turning them over to a depraved mind! They are everything but tolerant. We can repeat this with political parties, social ideologies, and any number of positions and ideals.

Love, to those who have a distorted view of love, carries the expectation that nothing harsh is said, feelings are protected, and we accept everything. To bolster this position of a sandy foundation, you find statements such as, "Love Wins!", and "Love not Hate". Other catch phrases are "Love is Love", "All are welcomed", and finally, "Hate has no place here". It cannot be stated strongly enough how tiring these statements are. These bumper sticker philosophies seem deep and wise to a depraved mind. From there, the followers of these philosophies pat the back of the other follower and compliment them on their intellectual prowess.

Christians, and Brethren specifically, do you not see the empty vanity? The hopelessness of these statements? If these things actually had depth and meaning, then why do homosexuals make up the highest rate of suicide, abuse, and substance addictions? Why do seemingly well put together individuals become snarling dogs when their political party, or better their god, is criticized? But Christians are the close minded ones? Who is really out of reality.

Brethren follow a different path. One of true love and unity. A love the world, no matter how much sex, or how many marriages, how many partners, or how depraved they go in their sin, they have never had, do not have, and never will have meaningful love. This love can only come from Jesus (The one of the Bible, not the fictitious god of Joel Osteen). How does the Brethren follow love and unity? First is the realization of what true love is. The Bible says that true love IS God. It gives us an entire chapter of what love is. Love is rejoicing with someone who has success. Love is crying with the family that lost a loved one. Love is telling the family member, friend, coworker, etc that they are sinning and God will judge them for it. Love is showing how they can be freed from that sin. Love is desiring the lost sheep to return. To Jesus. Love is Jesus, dying on the cross for the sins of the world, not His.

The Brethren exhibited this Biblical love. It is not just an emotion, for emotions sake. This love recognizes the individual, sees how God loves, and duplicates that love. But this love goes further and demands that Christians love their enemies. This runs counter to the world. Then, when we turn this love inward, the depth of meaning becomes much more robust.

For Brethren, we love each other through the victories and failures of life. It moves us to bear one anthers burdens and to lift each other up to our own level, nay, higher. Our love is an outworking of the love we received from our Lord Jesus, moving and shaping into His example and image. Sadly, the Brethren, in many circles, have adopted the worlds definition of love, and the mantra that love is acceptance. Sad.

The second part here is unity. The Brethren, because of their love, desire to be unified. Unity must be built on the bedrock of our faith, Jesus, the outworking of that faith, and doctrine. Our unity comes because of our love. But again, the world, with her "religious allies", have a warped unity. Unity today, in most churches, has a basis in a social agenda, or project. Unity in their devotion and following of their leader. Unity in music. Unity in whatever it is to rally around. What about unity in the authority of God's Word? They give lip service. In practice, they unify around a way to "discover" what is belief and faith is to their own mind, and ignore the foundation which is God's Word.

This unity push is how the pope (2024) can have leaders of every major religion gather and profess "unity". Do we forget that the Jews reject the Jesus of the Bible, the Hindus, reject the Bible, and the Muslims want to kill all who are not Muslim? Is that unity? The tolerant unity will unify, only so far as true Christianity is not present. But bring up Jesus' words that He is the ONLY WAY, and see where that unity goes. Early Brethren recognized the pitfall of unity for the sake of unity.

In the early days, the Brethren were isolationists. They unified with themselves, and no one else. They joined no groups, they offered no half memberships. To be connected to the Brethren, you had to be Brethren. They did not affiliate with other denominations, movements, or associations. This was the stance for many years. As the late 1800's and early 1900's rolled around, there was a push to move the Brethren toward more unification with other aspects of Christianity. By the time these things started happening, Brethren were already questioning other aspects of their belief system. They wanted to look like the other Christian movements and not so separate. This brought up the concept of unity at the sacrifice of Theology and doctrine.

Once the Brethren started to make these concessions, the fall started very quickly. By 1925, what held the Brethren as unique was effectively destroyed. Since then, the Brethren united with local groups that stood against Christianity, they are part of the World Council of Churches, the US Council of Churches, local secular groups, and even going so far as establishing social groups that work on uprooting Biblical truth.

This is no different than many other denominations and movements of our day. True Brethren do not form alliances and unity with the workers of iniquity. Light has no fellowship with darkness. As Brethren, we wish to be united with other Brethren who share in our faith and belief. In some ways we also unite with para organizations that can help further the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Brethren are very cautious about what groups they associate with and whom they extend the arm of fellowship toward, as all Christians should. Each one should take account of who we align with. Be careful of the social groups, organizers, and influences. Be careful of political pacs and parties. It matters not whether Republican or Democrat. The drive for each of these is to push for an emotional response that draws the heartstrings to a specific point and purpose. Not all are right or Godly. Unity with any of these groups, at the expense of truth, is a lie. True unity must be based on something greater, more, deeper. This is why Brethren are very cautious of any form of affiliation and unity. Another topic that might be important is the Brethren's position of apolitical.

Unity, must be based on faith, truth, and God's Word. Any deviation, violation, or rejection of those two things are not worthy of unity or love. Not that Brethren do not love those who are living in a lie, but we love because the poor sinner is going to face an eternity in judgment from God because of their rejection of Jesus Christ. We love them because while they are still lost, they are made in the image of God and that is worthy of respect and pity for their coming judgment. Unity and love, through a fellowship of faith, is reserved for those who are of and in the faith of Jesus Christ.