Hey...let's COEXIST!

Sounds attractive, doesn't it?? Why don't we just get together and Coexist? Wow, sounds GREAT!

Yuuuuuckkkkk....gag me! I've really been disturbed by this "trendy" sign popping-up everywhere I look.

The first time I saw this sign was on a SMART car bumper as it whizzed past me at 10 to 15 mph over the speed limit on my way to work . My first impression was that it was something the Obama campaign would have printed, touting his claims to be a Christian, his indisputable ties to Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, and his support of the homosexual agenda and abortion rights. What made this even worse was seeing it pop-up in Christian circles - even a church that we know was using it to draw newcomers to Christmas services!

Now before you go labeling me an unloving, Christian, radical-nazi, I understand that many authentic Christians probably see this as an expression of God's love for all mankind. I think there's a deceptive and destructive element to this seemingly harmless symbol, though.

First of all, I thought the gospel of Christ was about LOVING God, first and foremost, and LOVING one another unconditionally.

"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking..." 1 Corinth 13:4-7

Remember this? Doesn't Paul's description of LOVE sound like a far cry from COEXISTING?? Coexisting conjurs up pictures of primitive fish crawling up out of the primordial ooze and abstaining from their survival-of-the-fittest instincts. And I'm sure that's exactly what the creator of this emblem was trying to convey. But is that really how we want unbelievers to view the Body of Christ?? The BRIDE of Christ?? Please say it isn't so! I want outsiders to feel LOVED as they come to church! Not just that we're willing to "get along" with them for the sake of everyone's sanity.

Which brings up another point. Doesn't coexisting sound alot like, "Hey, why can't we all just get along?" This sounds nice enough. World peace, right? Hmmm...sounds a lot like the Hippie movement of the 60's. Is it Biblical? Will we ever come to a point in time when all nations and men will put down their swords and give one another a great-big, global bear-hug? No - not until Jesus Christ returns to claim His Church and rule with righteousness.

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains." Matthew 24:6-8

So when a church uses this emblem to attract people to their services, does that mean the church is willing to accept everyone's different beliefs and creeds? Let's say a Muslim starts attending a Christian church, or an atheist, or a homosexual, and they propagate their beliefs among other church members. And they're proud of their positions, so they keep coming and interacting with others who listen patiently and kindly.  Are those Christians expected to just COEXIST with non-believers of drastically different beliefs - views that are really Satan's deceptions at the core? Where do you draw the line?

Throughout the New Testament we see the pattern that the church MEETING is for the feeding of Jesus' flock - not primarily outreach. In fact, in Revelation 2:14 Jesus reprimands the Church in Pergamum:

"You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,
who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin
by eating food sacrificed to idols and by commiting sexual immorality.
Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitins." Rev 2:14-15

I think we resort to dumb advertising schemes like this to excuse our OBVIOUS lack of witnessing and outreach in the workplace, in the marketplace, in our neighborhoods, in the theaters, etc. When was the last time you relayed the gospel, or heard somebody else teaching it outside the church?? Yep...I'm guilty, too. If we're relying completely on outreach only in the church, we're opening ourselves up to some serious dangers! That's one reason why our Western church is SO watered down! We've been permeated by professing Christians whose lives don't reflect an ounce of repentance or sanctification! And they're spreading their own self-serving, human religions in our sanctuaries - refusing to be changed by the Truth that they hear every Sunday. It's true! We have SO MANY churches with rosters full of "Christians." Shouldn't our communities be different then?? Las Vegas is a PRIME example - gobs of huge churches and a decrepit culture. Where's the power?

Then I started reflecting on church discipline.  I agree that we need to be a loving and welcoming culture to unbelievers. But if someone hears the gospel at church, doesn't leave a changed person, and persists in sin week-after-week, we need to heed the direction of Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 and correct them - NOT JUST "COEXIST" WITH THEIR DECEPTIVE BELIEFS...ESPECIALLY IN OUR CHURCHES.

"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you...
And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief
and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?"

And later in the same chapter...

"But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone
who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy,
an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.
With such a man do not even eat.
What business is it of mine to judge those OUTSIDE the church?
Are you not to judge those INSIDE? God will judge those outside.
'Expel the wicked man from among you.'"

The church should be a safe haven for God's true church - His "Ecclesia." "Coexisting" in our churches without discipline of those professing different creeds is dangerous.

Can we love one another? Yes - only by Jesus' grace. Can we invite people of different faiths to church? Of course! Is the idea of promoting ourselves as a "coexisting" community a good way to represent God's kingdom? No. The principles behind it are deceptive and creep into our church like death. To quote Galadriel's Lord of the Rings monologue:

"Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived its time had now come."

Satan will exert his authority more and more until Christ returns to put him in his place. His deception slowly but surely creeps into the church like a "nameless fear."  Let's not make his job easier by stooping to this level.

Can you tell that this struck a chord with me?? I'd love to hear from any fellow Christians who feel the same...