What is the Bond of Union?

Answer: Love. "Above all these things put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness." Col 3:14

"That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ." Col 2:2

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 8:35-39.

What Experience Perfects Us in Oneness?

Answer: Entire Sanctification or Perfection.

In connection with his prayer for oneness, the Savior prayed the Father to sanctify the disciples and all that would believe on him through their word, which include us. "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." John 17:22, 23. Sanctification, perfection and the glory of Christ, all relate to the same experience, and this makes God's children one. "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb 2:11.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelist; and some, pastors; and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of faith, and of knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Eph 4:11-13.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet 1:18-19.

The salvation of the Lord, which qualifies us for heaven, makes one on earth. A religion of divisions will deceive the souls. The chief object of God's ministers is to "perfect the saints." And when perfected in love and holiness, they come into the "unity of the faith which was once delivered unto all the saints." The blood of Christ not only purifies from :all sin: and "all unrighteousness,' but sweeps away all erroneous doctrines. The Comforter guides into all truth, which involves the removal of all error. It is true that cleansing from error is not as instantaneous as from sin. But the pure in heart have perfect fellowship, even though all previously educated errors have not yet disappeared. There is therefore no real cause of division but sin. Therefore to cry against sects and division without first being wholly sanctified, and then leading people into this precious paradise of holy love, is nothing but confusion mocking confusion; or Satan buffeting Satan, as the devil flogged the sons of Sceva. All efforts of union but that of God's holiness is like pounding cold crooked pieces of iron against each other to make them fit together. The more blows, the more crooks, the more differences. Put them into a furnace of white heat, and they will lose their cold, stiff, crooked individuality, and flow into one mass. That is God's way of uniting his people, in the fire of the Holy spirit. All tinkering up platforms of union is wasted time. Each effort has only molded another sect calf for the people to worship and wrangle over. Freedom from sin knits together in love. But all merely strapped-up unions are bundles bound together to be burned. Bible salvation is all that is needed. This obtained, both union of heart and soul, and harmony in outward worship and life, will follow as a result or fruit of the spirit. When "baptized by one spirit into one body." And made to drink in the one divine spirit in his fulness, there will be no trouble to "worship God in spirit and in truth." For all such "know the truth, and the truth makes them free." On the plane of Bible holiness, no outward observances are made a rest, in fact nothing is made a test of fellowship. For holy men "judge not from appearance, but judge righteous judgment." "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. Fellowship is of the spirit (Phil 2:1). And exist where heart purity exist. It is the conscious blending of hearts filled with the same Holy Spirit. One may have led into all truth, the other not. This does not interrupt fellowship. Nevertheless it is the duty of such as "know the truth." In meekness to instruct others who do not. Ignorance of some truth does not destroy fellowship, but resisting the truth does; because it forfeits salvation. We must not sanction people's error, but if saved, show our love and fellowship to them, so long as they do not get the evidence that their wrong doctrines have become wilfull, or they have in some way lost salvation. To ignore fellowship simply because of some doctrinal error is bigotry. To agree to disagree, or to put on an equality truth and error, is babel confusion. To know the truth is our privilege; to teach the truth our duty but to have fellowship with the pure and upright of heart is an involuntary and spontaneous fact. Sects are the result of carnality; nothing but perfect holiness destroys carnality, and thus removes both sectism and its cause. The fire of God's love saves the soul, harmonizes all hearts that receives it, leads them into perfect and uniform obedience to all truth, and drives afar all who refuse to pass through its purging fire, and gain the plane of holy fellowship.

What is a Sect?

In a little tract entitled "Sects,: written by the founder of the Free Methodist sect, who signs his name, "Rev B.T. Roberts," the following definition is given:

"The word 'sect' is from Latin 'secare,' to cut off, to separate. The word section is from the same root. Hence, a section, is a portion cut off, or separated from a body of which it forms a part. A sect of Christian is a part of the entire Christina body, separated from the rest by some peculiar doctrines or tenets which they hold exclusively, or to which they give especial prominence. This we believe is a fair definition of the world sect, as commonly used by those who know the meaning of the words which they use."

"This we confess is a true definition and explanation of the word sect. But how any man of ordinary intelligence can thus correctly define sects, as separate, cut off portions from the body of Christ, by some exclusive party doctrines and then turn around and say it is right thus to sever the general body of Christ into fragments, is a mystery of iniquity. It well demonstrates that fact that a heretic (sectarian) is subverted and sinneth. To justify and sanction such schism from the general body is to sin against God, and utterly disregard His Word.

What Does the Bible Say of Sects?

They "devour the man that is more righteous than he; and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things that have no ruler" over them. "They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?" Hab 1:13-17.

"That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." 1 Cor 12:15. Sects and schism mean the same thing.

"Now I bessech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good works and their fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Rom 16:17, 18.

"A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition reject: knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." Tit 3:10, 11.

"But there were false prophets among also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways: by reason of whom the way of truth shall be eveil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth now, and their damnation slumbereth not." 2 Pet 2:1-3.

The words "damnable heresies," are rendered "destructive sects," in the German version.

"First of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be division among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which approved may be made manifest among you." 1 Cor 11:18, 19. Here we see that heresies means the same as divisions. And in the margin the translators put it in plain English. "sects." Paul declared the Corinthian brethren carnal, because they were inclined to schism, saying, "I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos," 1 Vor 3:1-4. In Galatians 5:20 the apostles classifies "heresies," translated "sects," in the Emphatic Diaglott, with murders, and the whole catalogue of "works of the flesh," and declares "that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

God help men to flee out of heresies-sects-and be complete in Christ. Since God's Word renounces, sects they cannot be His church.

Can We Observe The Ordinances Outside All Sects?

The New Testament clearly shows that Christ enacted certain ordinances, namely baptism, or in plain English immersion; the washing of the saints' feet; and the Lord's supper. But we need join no sect to observe them. They do not belong to any sect on earth; but they are placed in the body of Christ for the exclusive observance of the members. Sectarians who do not discern the body of Christ are not even qualified for their observance. See 1 Cor 11:27-29.

Can We Meet to Worship Without a Sect?

It is so that God's children cannot meet to worship Him unless they meet in some sect name, some name other than the one Christ told us to meet in? Thank God, we find no difficulty in assembling together outside all sect names and inclosures. But sectarians are actually so blind that they think holy men cannot convene together to worship God and enjoy any means of grace unless they join some earthly craft; as though all grace were in the sect, and nothing in Christ.

Is The Church Visible Without A Sect Organization?

Another plea for sect idolatry is, that the church is invisible, unless organized in sect order. This is another superstition of the dark age. The Holy Spirit, who organizes the church, is indeed invisible, but his organization is visible. As the invisible wind which is a symbol of the Spirit, produces visible effects, so the church of God is a visible effect of his unseen power. Being composed of actual men and women, a city set upon a hill, the light thereof cannot be hid; "and as terrible as an army with banners," she always was visible, and needed no sect-founder to make her such. Paul was not addressing disembodied spirits at Corinth, when he said: "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." Nor is it only the hidden man of the heart that belongs to the church; but "know ye not that your bodies are members of the body of Christ?" 1 Cor 6:15. And our physical bodies do not become invisible when God sets us into the body of Christ, and remain so until a sect-builder comes along and organizes us into visibility. Not only are the members of the true church visible, but also is the organization itself. Every gift and office that makes up the divine institution is visibly exercised in all members, by all the members, by the invisible operation of God :who is over all, and through all, and in you all;" and "who worketh all in all."

In Coming Out of The Sect do We Have To Form Another Sect?

This is the final question, and we are very thankful to God that we can answer, NO. God forbid of the harlots should be "conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity." If that were so, sectism were a sin from which there would be no escape. But the voice from heaven says, "Come out of her, my people." So there is a way out of her, "and it shall be called the way of holiness."

When a non-professing sinner is converted to God, and born of the spirit, he is therby made a member of the church of God, but it is no sect at all. And since there is no command in the Bible to join any sect, he can obey all the Word and keep salvation, in the church, without ever joining a sect, and so can every saint of God on the earth do the same. But should any number of such disciples of Christ through false teaching be led into a sect corporation, and afterwards discover deception practiced upon them. Cannot they renounce the sect organization and come out of it, as the Word of God commands them, and remain only in the church, which is the body of Christ, as they were before when they were decoyed into the sect? To deny this fact is simply perverse cant. If men were to come out of sects and join themselves together, and make their own creed, they would be another sect. But the church of the living God is not thus produced; but she is the result of men and women being saved in Jesus, and therefore joined together by the Lord in the :bond of perfectness." The question is not, what system is most practical for all Christians to step upon, as the basis of union? But, what foundation do all Christians actually and necessarily stand on? By abiding only in Christ, his body the church, we stand on the foundation which includes all sect or cut-off faction. If the Word of God had said, "We are all one in the Methodist body," or any other human corporation, then Methodist would occupy the divinely appointed platform of union, and every other name and order would stand condemned for the sin of division. But since the Word commands us to abide only in Christ, and declares us "all one in Christ Jesus, "one body in Christ," by staying in him only, in whom all Christian must abide, and in whom there are no sinners, we are joined to all saints, and separated from all sinners, and stand free before God, of the great transgression of sectism.

Therefore, since every intelligent reader of the Bible knows that the Protestant sects and Romanism are not church of God; that every sect corporation yokes together saints and sinners, which the Bible forbids; since the most bigoted confess that "the church [meaning the sect] will not save anybody;" and since Christ alone can save and keep us, and "we are complete in him," why not abandon the sect, and abide only in Christ, and his body the church? Since there will be no sect in heaven, why cling to them on earth. Why insult the wisdom of Christ by the imputation that the church he founded is not practical, and some man has, in these last days gotten up a better one, which do you prefer? In the name of Jesus Christ, whose word will soon judge us, we beseech all men to escape from all sin and sinners, from all sect clans, and sectish bands, and take refuge in Jesus Christ, and his own church, which is the "pillar and ground of the truth."