Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations. (Haggai 2:6,7)
It seems a terrible thing,
even to think, but as we have touched so very much of what is called
'Christianity' we are bound to believe that, because vast numbers who call
themselves Christian are in an utterly false position, and the system itself has
become so largely an earthly, traditional, formal, and unspiritual thing, this
world-wide shaking is quite necessary and will be eventually justified. If we
were writing a treatise, we could show that what is called 'Christianity' is
really the greatest enemy of Christ.
It will be seen that it is not a matter of
substituting another and better system for an old and poor or bad one.
Some people seem to think that it is all, or largely, a matter of the order,
technique, and form, and if we returned to the "New Testament" form or order of
churches, all would be well. The fact is that, while certain things characterized
the New Testament churches, the New Testament does not give us a complete
pattern according to which churches are to be set up or formed! There is no
blue-print for churches in the New Testament, and to try to form New Testament
churches is only to create another system which may be as legal, sectarian and
dead as others. Churches, like the Church, are organisms which spring out of
Life, which Life itself springs out of the Cross of Christ wrought into the
very being of believers. Unless believers are crucified people, there can be
no true expression of the Church.