Hi Eric,

This Blog caught my eye this morning as very relevant for several reasons.

I have been a participant in a study group in our Moravian church for the past two years. We first formed our study group to explore the proposed full communion agreement between the Moravian Church and the Episcopal Church USA (TEC).

We soon found that we were going to have to spend time studying Jesus High Priestly Prayer, the ecumenical movement, the National and World Council of Churches initiatives as well.

We were surprised to find how definitions of words like ecumenism are coined and evolve within a secular perspective. We were able to distinguish between two very different understandings of ecumenical. One, the historic biblical ecumenism that often gets referred to in John 17 and the modern ecumenical movement that is the brain child of the Council of Churches from which many of the Social Justice initiatives are incubated. I will try to Copy Past one of our final reports “Wait on the Lord” Also your can see all of the documentation we found to support our conclusions that this modern ecumenical movement is not biblical.

Visit our Study Group web site at http://www.Moravians.org/wordpress
See “Wait on the Lord” document and “Response to Full Communion with the Episcopal Church”

Here is a past of “Wait on the Lord”

Would appreciate comments.
Lee

Petition against Full Communion Agreement with the Episcopal Church

An Appeal to
Wait on the Lord
To Consummate
Having invested a significant amount of time studying the ecumenical movement with those who participated in a group study of the full communion proposal between the Episcopal Church USA and the Moravian Church I feel both compelled and qualified to endorse this response.
The following comments are gathered from the body of research and reports assembled by the Study Group and presented in its entirety at: http://www.moravians.org/wordpress
A recent article in the March 2010 issue of the Moravian entitled: Ecumenism Moravians and Lutherans Gather describes a celebration of an ecumenical movement that appears alien to that for which Jesus prayed in his last prayer for His disciples. This manmade partnership is not made in heaven. This is not the plan of our Chief Elder as revealed in His High Priestly Prayer.
This is not judgmental of Lutherans, Episcopalians or Moravians because among them most certainly are many who have, by grace, received the gift of communion in faith with all believers.
It is troubling that a powerful and reassuring prayer by Jesus spoken to the Lord for the disciples to hear has been first improperly used as a reason for forming full communion partnerships and secondly ignored for the transformative power and promise contained in it. The transformation here is not about God’s unifying power but rather how this prayer was used as justification by ecumenical leaders to organize their churches for the politically motivated agendas of the World and National and State Councils of Churches.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
The article in the Moravian reported on a gathering in Winston Salem this January of ecumenical leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Moravian Church in America. The meeting began with reports by the coordinating committee on the “hurdles they faced in creating the partnership and initiatives they have achieved” as well as the “hopes and dreams they have for the partnership.”
Sadly, the account in the article of the partnership describes a unity that differs from the Biblical unity synod delegates were asked to vote for. What has emerged is a response to modern ecumenism that depends on manmade agreements that form partnerships for objectives other than spreading the Gospel.
This entire 17th chapter of John is Jesus’ prayer…Jesus prayed for his disciples, including those of us who follow him today. He prayed that God would keep his chosen believers safe from Satan’s power, setting them apart and making them pure and holy, uniting them through His truth. Jesus prayed for all who would follow him, including you and others you know. Jesus’ great desire for his disciples was that they would become one. He wanted them unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. Jesus prayed for unity among the believers based on the believer’s unity with Him and the Father. Christians can know unity among themselves if they are living in union with God.
So how can church leaders promote the ecumenical unity that Jesus Prayed for?
Not by organizational unity between denominations. There is no indication in this passage of John (or any New Testament passage) that God prioritizes organizational unity.
The duty of those who believed and followed Christ during his ministry here on earth, and the duty of believers through the ages, even unto this present day, is to spread the Gospel, and to teach its Truth, God’s Holy Word in its entirety.
Jesus’ disciples are bound together by His presence in our activities (spiritual unity) and by the Word received by the Lord from the Father and given to them/us (doctrinal unity).
What is this ecumenical movement about?
There is a perilous move afoot in this last hour that threatens to deceive even the very elect (Matt. 24:24). Its power, like that of Eden’s serpent, lies in its subtlety. It appears to be something that it is not, and woefully, many of today’s Christian Churches, in fulfillment of 2 Thess. 2: 11, are believing the lie.
What is the lie?
It is the oft-heard and increasingly accepted notion that we should “unite.” It is the same dictum that was issued by Nimrod at Babel and Constantine at the birth of the Roman Church.
Why is it a lie?
This call to worldly unification is wrong, primarily because of the means that are used to achieve the unity. For example, the stated is to downplay and/or disregard doctrinal distinctions because it impedes unity. Ecumenical candidates for full communion can labor for 10 years or more over differences of doctrine, government and practice until the language of the agreements can be massaged to a point that potential partners can deliver the final verdict that no differences exist that would prevent full communion partnerships…shared ministers…shared decision making, and shared treasures.
We must not ignore the documented doctrinal differences that have caused the recent rift between the Anglican Church and the Episcopal Church USA. The problem is that many will see our 60 page formal agreement as a simply statement that we agree. We must consider how this would affect our witness mission.
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” 2 John 9-11″ “ Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition [doctrine/teaching] which he received of us” 2 Thessalonians 3:6. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” 1 Timothy 4:16
The foregoing scriptures make it abundantly clear that we are not permitted to “overlook” doctrine for any reason.
The Dilemma.
But shouldn’t we be “of one mind” and “in unity through the Spirit,” and doesn’t the Bible say that we should not be divided as illustrated in Philippians 2:2 and 1 Corinthians 1: 10? Yes, to both questions. To the best of our ability, we should be at peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12: 18). The question is not whether or not we should be united but rather how is real unity achieved. First we must realize that upon entering into the family of God, through true repentance, belief and confession (Acts 3:19, Romans 10:9, 10), we automatically are made one with all other true believers (Romans 12; 18).
Ours is a spiritual unity that can never be broken or improved upon (1 Corinthians 12; 12, 13, Ephesians 2; 13-15; 4; 3, 4). Not withstanding this blessed fact, we cannot deny that outwardly, many claiming to be a part of the Body of Christ are divided today. Admittedly, this is wrong (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). We must ask ourselves two questions: 1) Why is it divided and 2) what can be done to alleviate the division?
“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3). And, “. . . I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you…” (1 Corinthians 11: 18, 19a).
From these scriptures, we find four reasons for division: 1) Carnality; 2) Envy; 3) Strife; and 4) Heresies. These are the reasons for divisions among those claiming to be believers. Rather than forsaking doctrine to achieve unity, why not forsake the causes of disunity: Carnality, envy, strife and heresy (false teaching)? We should not forsake doctrine to achieve unity –we should forsake the deeds of the flesh and unity will result.
Modern ecumenists use misquotes of the William Temple Speech at the Second World Conference on Faith and Order, Edinburgh, 1937 to support organizational unity. Actually Temple states in that speech:
Our faith must be more than the trust, which leads us to rely on Him; it must be the deeper faith, which leads us to wait for Him. It is not we who can heal the wound, of His Body. We confer and deliberate, and that is right. But it is not by contrivance or adjustment that we can unite the Church of God. It is only by coming closer to Him that we can come nearer to one another. And we cannot by ourselves come closer to Him. If we have any fellowship with Him, it is not by our aspirations but by His self-giving: if our fellowship with Him, and in Him with one another is to be deepened, it will not be by our effort but by His constraining power. “The love of Christ constraineth us. To that we come back. Because He died for all. all are one in His death. Not by skill in argument, not even by mutual love that spans like a bridge the gulf between us — for the gulf though bridged is not closed by any love of ours — but by the filling of our hearts with His love and the nature of our minds, with His truth, the hope may he fulfilled. It is not by understanding one another, but by more fully understanding Him, that we are led towards our goal. We can help each other here, and learn one From another how to understand Him better. But it is towards Him that our eyes must be directed. (Phil 3:10-14)
Our discussion of our differences is a necessary preliminary: but it is preliminary and no more. Only when God has drawn us closer to Himself shall we be truly united together, and then our task will be, not to consummate our endeavor but to register His achievement..
Right Teaching for Right Unity.
Since we have already seen what is prohibited in the pursuit of unity (dismissal of sound doctrine), let us explore the Godly, Biblical means by which we should pursue “the unity of the Spirit,” The fourth reason for division, heresy, means “false doctrine” or “false teaching,” False teaching causes division. Conversely, sound doctrine and accurate teaching of the Word will promote unity in the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4: 11-16), Ephesians 4: 13 refers to the unity of the faith.” It is essential that we understand what “the Faith” is – what constitutes “the Faith?” If we know what constitutes “the Faith,” we will know what to teach and what to embrace, the result of which will be the much sought-after “Unity” that we so eagerly desire these days. Right unity is not reserved for denominational organizations and will not include individuals who continue to believe or endorse, teaching that questions if Jesus is the only way to salvation…the triune nature of God…Sharing the Lord’s Supper…baptism… the virgin birth… the resurrection…repentance from dead works… the inerrancy of Scripture…and confession of Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
The irony is that followers of the modern ecumenical movement will passionately deny the need for Right teaching because they claim it is divisive, irrelevant and will lead to the death of the church.
If right teaching were faithfully taught and eagerly embraced, the true unified Body of Christ would flourish.
Redefining the Faith.
In the article in the Moravian unity advocates maintain “Lutherans and Moravians have developed a relationship based on a common confessing of the Christian Faith and recognition of baptism and sharing of the Lord’s Supper.” This, when biblically accurate, is indeed, an “essential work of Christians.” When compromise leads to a disregard of divisive doctrine as non-essential, that is tantamount to “denying” the Faith. Revelation 2:13 says to hold fast His name and do not deny the faith.
Why Unite?
In the full communion proposal with the Episcopal Church USA and the Moravian Church “Finding Our Delight in the Lord” we must unite so that the world will come to Christ.
We seek this relationship of full communion so that our mission as Christ’s church will be more effectively fulfilled and each of our communions might be more complete because of the spiritual treasures of the other; and we do this for the sake of the world,“ so that the world may believe.”(FODitL)
The premise that Christian unity causes sinners to convert is, however, nowhere to be found in scripture. Rather, the Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts of sin (John 16:8), the goodness of God leads to repentance (Romans 2:4) and the preaching of the Word is necessary for conversion (Romans 10:14-17).
Although some hold to the false premise of “unity for conversion,” the majority of unity advocates, including the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, and the ecumenical partners wish to unite for a different purpose; they wish to speak with one powerful voice lobbying against the evils of capitalism, they will end world poverty by lobbying for redistributing income and wealth through compensation payments by those they blame for such things as capitalistic oppression, Global Warming, and they promote a socialist healthcare system. The documented goals of their unity are socially and politically motivated.
Their initiatives are apparent from their communications and press releases:
· First the NCC speaks here and here on our behalf on Heath Care.
· Next the NCC speaks here, here, here, here, here and here on our behalf on Global Warming.
· Now the NCC speaks here and here on our behalf on Immigration reform.
They are coming together and striving for “social change,” whereas Philippians 1:27 says:
“. . . that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”
Our Christian “unity” should be to promote “the faith of the gospel” (defined above) – not to “rescue America or the world from social, economic, or political woes” This latter focus by ecumenical partners reveals that both the means to attain and the purpose for the unity that these movements seek is seriously flawed. In a nutshell, their position is: “Disregard doctrine to effect Social change.” Saints – this is not the gospel! Though it may appear good and proper on the surface, a closer examination reveals treachery and certain harm to the true cause of Christ. In this day of ecumenical zealotry, we would be wise to remember the words of the Master:
Mathew 7:21, 13, 14 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. . therefore enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it.”
Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Wherever we find ourselves in Christian dialogue with one another, waiting for unity is our task. He will not fail to unite believers. Biblically correct shared missions between Christians are appropriate but unity of an organization will only be realized one conversion at a time.
These must be the topics of discussions that occur within our communities, our churches, our denominations and between ecumenical partners. We must do our part preparing the way so that the Lord can unite. We must have the faith to wait on the Lord and “then our task will be, not to consummate our endeavor but to register His achievement.”
It is for this among other reasons that those of us who have studied the proposed full communion agreement between the Episcopal Church USA and the Moravian Church Northern and Southern Province oppose this agreement as inconsistent with Gods Word to us.

Comment by Lee — April 30, 2010 @ 7:43 am