Lateral Ministries: Following Jesus Beside You

The church is a fellowship on the move, a truth movement dedicated to unity, and a unity movement dedicated to the Truth. As the cherished hymn says, “What a fellowship!” However, if we are true, we must indeed be a movement: moving in truth towards greater unity.  But what does it mean to be a truth AND unity movement? It’s easier to be one or the other, but both?  Briefly, it means truth, as revealed through Christ by the Holy Spirit in Scripture (John 17:17), is held to be essential (John 18:37; Rom 1:18, 2:8; 2 Cor 13:8; Gal 2:14; Eph 4:15, 21, 25; Col 1:5; 2 Thes 2:10, 12; 1 Tim 2:4, 3:15, 4:3, 6:5; 2 Tim 2:18, 3:7-8, 4:4; Titus 1:1; Jas 5:19; 1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 1:6, 8, 2:4, 21; 2 John 4) foundation of Christianity. Though exhaustive agreement on every point of Scripture isn’t realistic in this age, comprehensive agreement on the essential foundations of the Faith is a no-compromise issue (Rom 14; 1 Cor 1:10; 2 John 9–11). Those who will not be bound by essential Christia...

2 Corinthians 10:1–6 is a super important New Testament passage in which the apostle Paul teaches about spiritual warfare, especially its ultimate aim. I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (ESV) The Holy Spirit teaches us four truths in this great text: 1. Spiritual warfare is "not according to the flesh," which means it...