The Mark of the Christian - Schaeffer 5

The fifth post in this series of reading and responding my way through Francis Schaeffer’s book, The Mark of the Christian, move us to a section (For True Christians Only) where Schaeffer seems to want to make a special point.

FOR TRUE CHRISTIANS ONLY

In looking again at John 13, he emphasizes that the Christian is to have “a special love to all true Christians,” (p. 11), and he then moves from there to warn that not all who call themselves Christians are Christians. There are many people who, either because of apostasy or deception, think they may be Christians, but are not. Thus, magnifying the responsibility to identify with, and to show genuine love, to all true Christian.

The point being: there are no parties or sectarianism in the Christian faith, all Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ and are deserving of our love to them.

Key statements from this section (pp. 11-12):

If we look again at the command in John 13, we will notice some important things. First of all, this is a command to have a special love to all true Christians, all born-again Christians.

The meaning of the word Christian has been reduced to practically nothing. . . . Because the word Christian as a symbol has been made to mean so little, it has come to mean everything and nothing.

Jesus, however, is talking about loving all true Christians. And this is a command that has two cutting edges, for it means that we must both distinguish true Christians from all pretenders and be sure that we leave no true Christians outside of our consideration.

We must include everyone who stands in the historic-biblical faith whether or not he is a member of our own party or our own group.

You can read a full online edition of The Mark of the Christian here >>

Blessings
3 John 8
Bill H.