The local church, the Work and the New Testament Ministry

[Cal]

Originally Posted by Steel

But no matter how much you try to twist what I said... The words are right there for all to see... That I didn't judge anyone... Which exposes you through your own spoken words.

I don't think I "twisted" what you were saying. Maybe I misunderstood you. It's probably the ellipses that are throwing me off.

If you are simply trying to say that there is a reality where we are all perfect, but we don't always live in it, then I agree (in a qualified manner).

The problem I've seen with people in the Local Church Movement is that they tend to play both sides of this. They accuse those "in Christianity" of being mixed, but suggest that those in the LCM are pure, or at least more pure, because they are "the Church."

But that's naive because by any reasonable definition we are all in the Church (the pure spotless Bride) and we are all in Christianity (God plus all our baggage).

We are all the Church and we are all Christianity. All at the same time. Just like the Church in Corinth was all messed up, and still God's church.

I don't agree that God accepts only Christ, in the way you seem to mean it. He accepts us because we are identified with Christ, but we are not Christ in the absolute sense Lee meant. I don't think that is good teaching.

And I still think my definition of grace is accurate. It's my experience. God is able to have fellowship with me even in my imperfections. If I had to be perfect (Christ) before I could talk to him, we'd never talk. I'm becoming more like Christ all the time. But I'm not Christ and never will be. I just don't agree with that way of expressing things anymore. I think Lee and Nee were off on that.