"Inter-Denominational" Oxymoron?

Two very different approaches to the value of being identified as a “Baptist” ministry have come to my attention recently.  The particulars are not important, my opinions about the two institutions are of little interest to anyone, but there is a principle involved which is worthy of some careful thought.  One church involved has the kind of name which could just as well be a group of dentists, their name says nothing about their identity, so I dug a little deeper and found that they are an “inter-denominational” church.  The founder came from a Baptist school which says that it has not changed its doctrine over the years, but has not hesitated to be associated with this mystery church.

Let me be positive in describing the importance that I see in being identified by what I believe and where I stand.  My favorite illustration for the importance of denominations is found in our pockets.  Our money has specific “denominations” which represent specific values.  What if nickels dimes and quarters could be used interchangeably?  That would result in chaos and an inevitable loss of value.  There is nothing magical about the names of church denominations, some put more emphasis on baptism than “Baptists” do.  However, the names of churches have come to represent values, not just traditions, but differences in doctrine.  There are plenty of churches which use the name “Baptist” that are nothing like my church, but I believe that mine holds to the historical Baptist values.  The other churches are free to change their name, and likely they will.

Some people confuse a denomination with a church hierarchy.  We believe that a New Testament church should be autonomous in every way.  We call ourselves “Independent Baptists” but the designation should be unnecessary because Baptists have always stood for autonomy even if there is some compromise on that value in the large conferences.

Back to my fellow alumni at the mystery church, I could understand if he saw the values of our denomination as being corrupted and the names having human rather than divine origin.  In that case, though I would disagree with him, I could see him calling his fellowship a “NONdenominational” church.  If language means anything then an Interdenominational church is a mixture, conglomeration, and certainly a compromise of the various church traditions, doctrines, and values.  Which ones do they mean to include?  Which do they mean to exclude, if any?  Why are they not telling folks which five or six or more denominations they like?  Why are they unwilling to be identified with something identifiable?  I call the term “Interdenominational” an oxymoron because it speaks of an indistinct distinction, a non-specific specification, an unidentified identity.

At the same time that I learned of the previous church, I heard about a well-established institution making a strong statement about its Baptist identity.  Many of the marketing types would say that this is a risk, but that school has a solid history of trusting God to provide for them, and He has a long history of meeting their needs and blessing them beyond expectation.

That institution stepped even further out onto the ledge when it went on to say that its Baptist identity was causing it to limit its associations.  Some would call this “second-degree separation.”  I will not try to exhaust that subject, but “second-degree separation” seems like another oxymoron because it refers to separating from people who are not separating from others.  If someone is not being obedient to the clear commands of Scripture to be separate (Romans 16:17, II Corinthians 6:17), my choice not to link my ministry with them should be first degree separation.

It takes great courage to stand one’s ground while the battlefront seems to be moving quickly past, and the danger of being outflanked and left with little or no earthly support is very real.  In my view it is worthwhile to make that stand, even while I recognize my brother’s liberty to retreat.  I choose to stand even with a denominational name, because I believe that it expresses my values.  Above all else I stand because I want my ministry to mean something and, ultimately, to count for something.

“God is Light”

There are a great many descriptions of God's wonderful qualities and attributes in Scripture, but there are very few references to God equations, “God is...”  I have settled upon three:  “God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews 12:29, and “God is love,” I John 4:8,16, and “God is light.”  I John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

First of all, it seems interesting that there are so few God equations, but Pastor Ron Harrison has observed that some equations would tend to limit God.  For instance, there are times when we are comforted with the thought of God as our Rock, but He does not have a whole lot in common with a rock!  With light there are many points of comparison, and light is such a wonderful creation that it does not give any appearance of limitation.

I John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  In First John light is presented in opposition to the darkness of sin and man's spiritual ignorance. Just as we cannot approach a light without being illuminated, men cannot have fellowship with God without exposing themselves and submitting themselves to His light.  That light is purity and holiness without any compromise.  It was embodied by Jesus Christ, “The Light of the world,” His death on the cross provided the only way to life and light for us.

Several examples of God’s light from Scripture could be discussed, but my favorite is the light of Heaven.  God Himself, through His glory and His Son, provides the light of heaven.  This is a thought that makes it a place of hope and joy, especially in comparison to what the world has to offer.  We cannot imagine darkness in Heaven, but it is certainly part of the curse of Hell where there is no fellowship with God or man.  The truth that “God is light” fuels our reverence for Him as He is so far above us in power and purity.  The opportunity for us to be “children of light” (John 12:36) ought to move us to appreciate our fellowship with God and to make the most of it.  That means that we will constantly seek to reflect God’s light rather than obstruct it!  What are you giving to the world, a shine or a shadow?

Hopefully articles on the next two “God Equations” are coming.  Look ahead for yourself, if you wish, but by all means endeavor to appreciate Who and what God is and so improve your fellowship with Him.