One day in Santiago, Chile, a friend of mine asked me to take a walk with him. On the way he stopped about six times to preach Christ to different people. This gave me so much joy that soon I also was preaching Christ to the strangers we would meet on the way. We stopped to talk to a gardener that was carefully manicuring his spotless hedges. He listened silently to my words as he worked. When I stopped, waiting for a reply, he straightened himself, looked into my eyes and said emphatically:
“Look, I honestly tried. I attended all kinds of services. I tried all the denominations I could find. Each one basically said, `Only we are right. All the others are wrong!’ You and I know that cannot be possible. It is impossible for anybody to know which church is the right church.”
This was an honest seeker, deserving an honest answer. I said,
“None of the churches save. Only Christ, the Son of God, is the Savior. Put your complete trust in Him and in His substitutionary death in your stead. Believe that the Father resurrected Him on the third day. Then His precious Blood will wash all your sins and you will be saved. His indwelling you will empower you to overcome temptations.”
We talked to him for quite a while, but he would not come to any decision. Finally, we left, still praying for him and remembering how our dearest Lord Jesus prayed that the believers would be one so that the world would believe that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. If the early Christians had not split, splintered and slivered into an ever increasing confusion of antagonistic denominations, that dear seeker in Chile, might have been saved a long time ago!
We could never join nor be one with those that do not believe that all are sinners deserving eternal hell and that all need to repent and believe that the Lord Jesus Christ shed His Blood on the Cross to wash all our sins. The Lord said:
“Come out from among them and be ye separate!”
We only can be one with true born-again believers. As you ponder the following words of our Lord Jesus Christ, don’t be surprised if your innermost wholeheartedly prays the same way:
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:20-23).
I am going to pray now. Would you care to join me?Heavenly Father, remember that Your Son Jesus prayed for the future believers–which includes me, the reader of this book. I have become a Christian because of the testimony of the early apostles that is written in the Bible. I also pray for myself and today’s Christians. May we be of one heart and mind. Like You and Your Son are one, as You are in Your Son and Your Son is in You, may we Christians today be in You and in Your Son. As a consequence, may the world believe You sent Your Son to be our Savior. Thank You that Your Son has given us the glory You gave Him–the glorious unity of being one. As You and Your Son are one–Your Son in us and You in Your Son, may all of us born-again believers be perfected in oneness. May this be the way that the world will know You sent Your Son. May the world also understand that You love them as much as You love Your Son. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Heavenly Father, remember that Your Son Jesus prayed for the future believers–which includes me, the reader of this book. I have become a Christian because of the testimony of the early apostles that is written in the Bible. I also pray for myself and today’s Christians. May we be of one heart and mind. Like You and Your Son are one, as You are in Your Son and Your Son is in You, may we Christians today be in You and in Your Son. As a consequence, may the world believe You sent Your Son to be our Savior. Thank You that Your Son has given us the glory You gave Him–the glorious unity of being one. As You and Your Son are one–Your Son in us and You in Your Son, may all of us born-again believers be perfected in oneness. May this be the way that the world will know You sent Your Son. May the world also understand that You love them as much as You love Your Son. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
From Conversing With God – Chapter 18