Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapped
Oneness does have much to do with good works. The Bible is clear about it once you look into it. However, my explanation was a summary of my impression of someone else's explanation, so that connection probably wasn't very clear, and that's my fault. Rather than type an explanation, you are welcome to watch the rest of the video on oneness. It explains how the Father and the Son are one, and how Jesus says that the evidence of their being one is the good works He does
Trapped
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Ya know, you bring up an interesting point here. One thing that I've noticed is that I think modern Christianity is very big on works. But if you compare that to the local churches, you realize the local churches are NOT big on works. I'm wondering if there's a middle ground here. The LC focuses pretty much exclusively on the subjective and corporate experiences of Christ and the living in the spirit. Which is fantastic. However I do think works are needed and necessary and I think this may be one reason why the LC doesn't have a lot of fruit, among other large reasons that are discussed here on this site. Anyway I do believe Jesus does talk about works a lot, and I think that in the LC they just somehow gloss over that. I think works do show Christ's life and his humanity and they do impress people and gain people for God
But with that said, I do also believe that good works should come out of the life of Christ in our spirit. We're always told in the LC that if we are doing good works outside of our spirit then it's wood, hay, and stubble. Lee would say that for sure it is. But on the other hand the LC has very little works, if any at all. So the important question is can Christians be one anywhere else but in their mingled spirit? Maybe not according to Lee, but I will say at least modern Christian churches are very giving and very charitable and loving. Which, it's hard to say that any local churches are like that because they're so preoccupied with the inner experience of life and "the church life" that they rarely if ever even think of how to help, and if anyone comes to them who needs help they seem to clam up and go into their shells. But, so far you haven't shown me anything that's coming close to contending with the ground of locality as an objective doctrine. Jesus may have talked a lot about works, but the rest of the Bible we see God trying to gain a unique group of people to become his bride, to be called out of the world, and to represent him on earth. For this I believe he needs a corporate army. I do think Nee and Lee are biblically correct about this. Lee may have been wrong in his wording, shoot he may be conflating the ground of locality with the ground of oneness. But it doesn't remove the fact that the Bible clearly gives the archetype for the way to meet and it clearly says that we are not to meet at the place of our own choosing
But I do think that modern Christianity has something on the LC. They do seem to care about people a lot, and they do seem to put their money where their mouth is. Whereas the LC might just pray for someone, modern Christians might go the extra mile and actually DO something about someone else. I do think the LC are short in that way, and I do think it's a matter of practice, or failure to act, or failure to express Christ's humanity to a good extent
Btw I DO think that God is in modern Christian churches, and I think there's a certain type of love there that may be short in the local churches
The difference between them may be very important. As far as I know most modern Christians are very big on "doing what Jesus would do." Whereas those in the local churches are very focused on the inward experiences of Christ, living out Christ, and living in the spirit of Christ. The problem with both is they only focus on one or the other. If you ask a Christian in a modern church about the spirit they might give you a long blank stare. They don't even know! They don't even know they have a spirit. Many of them at least. How close are they to their spirit? How much do they exercise their spirit? Have they ever exercised their spirit? Have they felt the indwelling God ever? Sometimes I doubt they have. I think most of their doings and behavior is in the soul. They probably don't even know the difference between their soul and their spirit. This is pretty important
On the other hand those in the local churches seem very dull when it comes to charity, helping the needy, giving, loving, not judging others, not being closed off, being open minded, accepting and loving the downtrodden. Which lends to being more in the condition of Laodicea. This is a problem
So I see both sides have shortages