Wellsburg, NY 14894
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
1 Corinthians 1:10The term "Kindred Minds" emphasizes the true unity of which the Apostle Paul speaks—a Bible based Christianity that centers on a common understanding and agreement regarding that "one faith" which is at the heart of the "unity of the Spirit." That faith is not a private personal faith, but the faith which is ours collectively as true New Testament churches which are "the pillar and ground of the truth." It is a faith commonly believed and taught. It is a faith clearly revealed in the Word of God—the final authority for all faith and practice.
In a day in which doctrinal emphasis is considered unimportant, even detrimental, to church growth and unity, many have abandoned the old paths for the broader way of inclusivism. But is that the kind of unity of which the Bible speaks? True Biblical unity is always centered in the common faith of God's people and therefore is doctrinal in nature. Maintaining the unity of the Spirit demands holding fast that "One Faith" and making it the basis of our labor together in the Lord.
It also requires us to maintain a Biblical standard which some will find offensive. But that is not surprising since they were also offended at our Lord and His word. The "offense of the cross" will only cease when men either submit to the truth in Jesus Christ, or when we so dilute the preaching of the Word of God that there is no longer any offense. The latter is the trend of our day.
In the words of Charles Spurgeon, "We do not pretend to be un-sectarian, if by this is meant the absence of all distinctive principles, and a desire to please parties of all shades of opinion. We believe and therefore speak. We speak in love, but not in soft words and trimming sentences. We shall not court controversy, but we shall not shun it when the cause of God demands it. . . We would ply the trowel with untiring hand for the building up of Jerusalem's dilapidated walls, and wield the sword with vigor and valor against the enemies of Truth."
It is our hope and prayer that those who read and consider the things that we publish here will come to see the importance of the Biblical Faith that is at the heart of any true unity. That churches, who identify themselves with that body of Truth, might work together according to the New Testament pattern. May the Lord bless us to that end. Amen
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love:
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.