Angel of Light Ministers in the LC

[OBW]

If the LRC drops its exclusivity, what is left? The only things that are not mired in exclusivism are the common faith.

The ground separates. It is the core of the exclusiveness of the LRC. It is heralded as the means by which all can be one. Yet it stands as the means by which they become, as Ohio called it, the ministry of condemnation. And not condemnation of sin, but of churches and Christians. This is just another in a long line of remnant theology sects. And rather than somehow being in the center of anything, they become the most marginal.

The special lexicon isolates. It creates a false elevation of self-worth. How does claiming to know about the so-called sevenfold intensified Spirit give you an upper hand on anything. Either the Spirit is sevenfold and intensified or He is not. Doesn't really matter if you know it — or think you know it. Making declarations about God, Christ, the Spirit, and the church in a manner that involves multiples of modifiers does not change the reality of anything. If it is strictly for the purpose of worship, how is this different from trying to engineer a bigger and better sacrifice (something that is secondary to obedience)?

Nee's origins were a combination of Brethren teachings and inner-life theology. The Brethren may have brought about a more focused view of the end times, but they were also, in part, another exclusivist group. And there are many inner-life ministries that have similar lop-sided views of spirituality. Views that replace practical obedience with lofty-sounding faux spirituality. I do not simply say that they entirely dismiss practical righteousness and obedience, but they do tend to downplay it.

No matter how much they read from the gospels, the strongest portions of their theology is Paul. And it isn't even the "whole Paul." It is just the lofty declarations about "life," crucifixion, the church, etc., and not the practical issues that were being addressed when Paul said those things.

What is left to gather around?

Now I do not suggest that they ignore the fact that they have gathered together for years and just disband. But what is left will not be the thing that has the peculiar marks of Nee and/or Lee on it. Surely it will be different from other Evangelical groups. But so are those other Evangelical groups in some ways different from each other.

So maybe they can actually gather around Christ like so many other groups do. Groups that their leaders have declared don't gather around Christ, but something else. Say what you want about differences in doctrine. The reason that some are with certain groups may be to avoid doctrinal controversy. But the gathering is not about the doctrine, but Christ. They sing to and about Christ, not the doctrinal differences. They declare Christ, not doctrines. They participate in the Lord's table, communion, the eucharist, or whatever you want to call it, not in the doctrine. Just like the LRC, they practice in certain ways that they believe to be reasonably sound, or that are relevant, meaningful, and not contrary to their understanding.

What more can you want? Take away the rotten core of leadership and the exclusivist mentality, and the LRC is no more or less different from any other group than those groups are of each other.

The problem is in separating the group from the rotten core of leadership and exclusivist mentality.