We have a Christ-centered, Biblical world view.
We believe that the Bible is the absolute authority in matters of faith and practice, and that it is the inspired word of God. We further believe that the Holy Spirit is actively engaged in the world to teach and guide us. We believe there are parts of the Bible which are clearly written and intended to be interpreted literally. Just as we also believe there is poetry, metaphors, stories, and parables that, while not literal, are intended to teach us the values, character, and ways of God.
We believe in one God; eternally existing in three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); in the fall of man who brought destruction on himself when he chose to sin against God through Satan’s temptation; in an eternally secure salvation and resurrection by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; that Jesus Christ was both fully man and fully God; and in the imminent return and reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination, but support all Christian denominations which are rooted in biblical teaching and who view Jesus Christ as the only way to eternal life. We hold to the essential teachings, while accepting discussion and sometimes disagreement on the non-essentials, with an attitude of grace and humility.
After reading some of your articles and your position, I will unsubscribe from your site. I am a true biblical believer in Christ and a Biblical Christian. I suspect from what I read that your views and mine would not be the same. Mike
Mike, perhaps you do have a better understanding of some doctrinal points. Is it really a good reason to separate from the family?
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. (We have some beautiful old phrases that I think capture the essence of the Gospel. I think this one fits here.)
I accept and agree with your Statement of Faith.
Yes I agree with the written statement. A more complete denture of my statement of faith is the southern baptist faith and message
I agree with confidentially statement
I have been blessed by having been raised and nurtured in the living faith by faithful parents and local churches along my life’s path. I cannot imagine how folks can live without the Living God in their lives. In terms of ministry, I am a better tender of new plants than the sower. My biggest problem is when I work w/new Christians, I assume they already know the Bible when they don’t. I have to dial it back and bring them up to speed. The statement of faith is orthodox and fits my understanding of the Scriptures quite well. The Baptist Faith & Message is a good piece of gear, too, as are many of the catechisms in the backs of numerous denominational prayer books. Double predestination Calvinists and I usually butt heads since the “God made some of us for hell” lacks concrete Scriptural backing. I have no problem w/single predestination…some folks like Moses and Paul are going to get the job done, even if they did not originally have plans like that. However, most of us get what Matthew got: Come, follow me. I’m far more likely to point to the Bible and its principles than I am to a specific theologian of any given denomination. I count myself as a Protestant in the line of Arminius’ reminder that “whosoever may come” rather than the school of Calvin. That is not to say that Calvin does not have good points, but he sometimes fails to leave room for the gift of free will that our Lord has given us by holding back His full sovereignty. There are some Catholic theologians who have good points, even though I may disagree w/some of the other points like related to the papacy and Mary, mother of Jesus. I do not know much of the Eastern Orthodox tradition other than to say it generally follows Scripture as do Catholics and Protestants.
I believe the Bible is the very Word of God from “In, to, Amen.” I believe the Old Testament is literal, and the New Testament the same with the exception of a few of the parables that Jesus used as teaching tools. If you can use me I am willing to be used.
After reading your statement of faith I am struck by the fact that Mahatma Ghandi disagreed with almost everything in your statement of faith. Yet you quote Ghandi and seem to want to use him as a baromoeter of whether Christians are meeting the standards set by Christ. Since Ghandi is by Biblical definition in agreement with what John calls antichrist, I am wondering why you quote him?
We use the quote not to endorse Ghandi or his beliefs, but to make a point that he made very eloquently…Christians are so unlike Christ. Ghandi disagreeing with our statement of faith merely says what everyone already knows…he was not a Christian.
There are verses that say…1. There is enough evidence in creation that every man knows that there is a God. 2. Scripture is written by man but inspired by God. I’m not saying Ghandi is saved or lost. We never know what takes place in a soul in death. I’m not saying I agree with all his statements. What I am saying is sometimes any person at anytime can speak a Truth that resonates deep in the soul of us all and has divine influence. In other religions there are some truths that are also found in Christianity. That doesn’t mean that whole other religion is true, but that it can hold some truths that are in the Christian religion. Jesus basically said to religious leaders the same thing Ghandi said, “ You say you are the children of Abraham, but you are children of the Devil for you do not do the things of God but your father the Devil.” Ghandi merely made an observation and was the same observation Jesus also made. Peoples lives do not always line up with their own teachings. Sometimes they even distort the teachings or add additional ones not God sent. It is way easier to have head learning and judge others than to actually live the life every day. If a person knows their Bible well and has a relationship with Christ, they are not going to get lost in some other religion. If you know the real thing you will not accept a counterfeit. You will be able to recognize all things false with your scripture as your reference point and with Holy Spirit conviction. I think the main point here is we fall short of living what we say we believe. Do we do the things (deeds) of God?
I agree with with your statement of faith.
I agree with your mentoring statement.
I agree with much of what is written above, although perhaps in different terms. However, I am curious as to how you decide what are “essentials” and what are “non-essentials”? Yours in Christ.
Thanks Tom. If you read the statement of faith, the essentials boil down to this: 1) the Bible is God’s word and can be trusted as his revealed message to the world. 2) man is fallen and in need of a savior 3) Jesus, both fully God and fully human, is the only savior able to redeem us, and that he DID die and rise for the purpose of saving those who believe. 4) The trinity, God-the father, God-the son, and God-Holy Spirit. You can’t get more essential than that. And other beliefs beyond those simply get farther and farther away from what we would call essential beliefs important to salvation. But it’s a fun discussion if anyone else wants to join in. What would you call essential and what would you call non-essential Christian beliefs. There are plenty of website devoted to this single issue. Feel free to share your thoughts.
I agree with your statement of faith. As the world grows darker, the need for true believer to stand for what is right and to not back down has never before been so important. Too many watered down gospels are misleading and deceiving most. Christ is looking for those who will not compromise the truth. http://mblordi.com
I agree with your statement of faith, except that the statement, “an eternally secure salvation and resurrection by grace through faith in Jesus Christ” needs clarification. Please let me explain. I do believe that Christ’s redeeming sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection redeems mankind and provides the means for our salvation. However, our salvation is not eternally secure, as Paul himself stated that he hoped that he, in leading so many to salvation through Christ, might forfeit salvation himself, “I pummel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). “See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22; see also Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21). In otherwords, God spoke through Paul to let us know that our salvation is contingent upon our daily acceptance of His grace and our cooperation with His grace (we must daily pick up our cross and follow Him). Our cooperation with God’s grace is an action of our faith in His redeeming sacrifice, but is not a one time action. It must be a daily walk with God. God will always respect our free will, even if that means to walk away from Him and abrogate our salvation. As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:18, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13).
I would certainly agree with the statement of faith…One God in form of three…Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That there is ONLY ONE way to the Father…that is through Faith in Jesus Christ…who was offered up as a PERFECT SACRIFICE…once and for all and There Be NO OTHER NAME Under Heaven by which men might be saved!! I”m certainly glad that our Father In Heaven loved us so much, knowing we could never get it right, that He….MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH…could leave the Glory of Heaven and wrap Himself Up in the form of His Son Jesus, and suffer the things He suffered to death that we might could live, breathe, be happy and peacful…GLORY BE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST “MY LORD AND SAVIOR”…because He knew If I could screw it up…I’m gonna!! That’s why I say LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE PEOPLE…He IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS….not by anything we can do or do not do…it’s ALL BECAUSE OF WHO HE SAYS “HE IS”!! All we have to do is step up and take our place in HIM and declare HIM AS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. As He said to Peter…”WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? PETER REPLIED THE SON OF GOD…AFTER THAT JESUS TOLD PETER WHO HE WAS. There will always be apples vs oranges…but I find when you keep things simple…there’s a lot less chance of being swayed by every wind of doctrine as Jesus simply put it!! So let’s keep the main thing the main thing, stay single minded, love God with All Your Heart, Mind, Strength and Soul and love one another as yourself!! K.I.S.S. The WhomSoEver
I agree but doubt I can help with anything more than emails or online mentoring. God bless and thank you.
After reading your statement of faith, I am now more convinced than ever that your sense and notion of what it means to be a living breathing Christian believer is extremely short sighted and even historically backwards. Jesus Christ the living God established His one, holy catholic and apostolic Church to be the pillar and ground of truth (1Timothy 3:15 D-R) before a single letter of the NT was penned, and given His Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to first Bishop St. Peter his apostle and subsequint successors. Furthermore, it is the Church with the guidance of the Holy Spirit which compliled and authorized the Canon of holy Scripture some near three hundred years after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the 120 faithful disciples and apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14). Lastly, it is a good thing that the Bible is not the absolute authority, otherwise the Catholic Church would be equally divided with 35,000 denoninations that believe such a ridiculous non-scriptural and non-historical falsehood and with wholesale disagreements and tens or even hundreds of millions of individuals claiming their own knowledge of divine truth because they believe in the absolute authority in the Bible? I had hoped that you’d of been better than most of the heresies, but no, you’re exactly the same as all the other heresies. Sorry, no thanks.
Ken,utn. I was like you many years ago – I relied on words instead of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I agree Jesus established his church. Were the words get tricky is the word catholic which only means universal. That part of the Apostle’s Creed is used in many denominations. Ex: Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and even in some non-denominational churches. .It does not mean the Catholic Church is Christ’s only church. cath·o·lic [ káthlik ] all-inclusive: including or concerned with all people useful to all: useful or interesting to a wide range of people all-embracing: interested in or sympathetic to a wide range of things Synonyms: wide-ranging, broad, wide-reaching, all-embracing, extensive, varied The word catholic (derived via Late Latin catholicus, from the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos), meaning “universal”comes from the Greek phrase καθόλου (katholou), meaning “on the whole”, “according to the whole” or “in general”, and is a combination of the Greek words κατά meaning “about” and όλος meaning “whole”.The term “Catholic” was first used to describe the Christian Church in the early 2nd century to emphasize its universal scope. You might want to purchase a Bible that has the Greek along side of the English interpretation of the Word. That helped me a lot to better understand the original meaning of words. I personally believe that only Jesus has the “Keys to the Kingdom” and they were passed to no mortal man. I also believe the Bible is the absolute final authority. I do believe the Holy Spirit helped guide the church fathers in determining the Canon but remember that was hundreds of years after the Crucifixion. I see no heresy in this Statement of Faith and I would caution you about labeling something a heresy when it may just be that you don’t have a complete enough understanding of the history or the Word. I know I have been guilty of saying something was non-Biblical before when it was just that I had not been given the spiritual understanding of it yet by the Holy Spirit. Maybe you might consider being mentored by someone who has the theological background to help you with your faith and your possible conflicts with the history and doctrine of churches and just learning how to have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. All we have to do is ask the Holy Spirit to give us the understanding and provide the means for us to learn and it will happen. “Because of Jesus”
Without going into too much depth, my non-christian life’s journey began with the first 23 years of my life not even knowing there was a god. As a child there was a santa, easter bunny, leprechauns, flying reindeers, etc.. I do not recall ever going to church with my parents. However, as per my parents [and extended family] always maintained in their casual conversation and jokes, the word/name “god” was used in colorful metaphors, as well as a frequent reminder that all Jew’s [whoever they were] are going to hell [whatever that was] because they killed a guy named Jesus [whoever he was.] Also, all Catholic’s [whoever they were] are going to hell [whatever that was] because they worship idols [whatever any of that was.] Even when I enlisted into the USN I was asked what religion I prefered. I had nio idea what the heck they were asking me, thus my old dog tags (which my wife still have) declare religion – “no pref.” Again without going into any serious details, after many years of drug abuse a miracle happened and I believed in God. From there I joined the only religious affliation I felt was reasonably available to me, and this due to my family and extended families cultural Protestantism indoctrination, thus I joined in membership with the Southern Baptist denomination. Even though my families did not practice a particular religious faith, they certainly taught me what not to practice, i.e. don’t be a Jew or a Catholic. I loved my new Christian faith and the fellowship and the brothers and sisters in Christ. I believed my pastors. However, over time, I began to notice that the “dots” wrere not matching up and anytime I challenged or contested something within the Bible, less than desiable things occurred or worse simple told “I was out of line for bringing such matters up.” A few years later and after enduring a year or more of spiritual desert, and in search of the one true Bible Church, and due yet to another incrediable miracIe I found it in the most unlikely place imaginable, the Roman Catholic Church. After a few months of Catechesis and receiving a conditional baptistism, holy eucharist and my children baptized and my marriaged blessed I have been a member of the Catholic Church ever since. After about 10-11 years I began to teach and to build a third year catechism confirmation course to teach youth and teens how to access and study the Bible and any book, chapter and verse in 15 seconds or less. My family and I have moved a number times since then, and I continued to to teach in whatever capacity needed wherever we moved in to whichever parish we resided for these past 14 or so years. I have taken 2 years of Catholic doctrine and theology. I love my Catholic faith. Why then you might be asking have I been browsing around here at this non-catholic site? I have browsed many non-catholic sites, most are awful. This one seemed on the surface to be slightly and even possibly a little different. Yet, as I witnessed in this sites “statement of faith,” demanding that I declare and swear that the Bible is the absolute authority, I discovered it is no different. Thus I knew it would be rediculous to go any further. After all, I have been there and done that and found this belief simply and plainly false. By the way, is your interpretation of the Bible or any single word there in “infallible?” If not, why ought anyone listen to anything you would have to say to them in regards to the Bible? I knew and learned most perfectly that my interpretation certainly was not infallible. If you would like to discuss such matter further, I would welcome to investigate some Catholic Apologetic sites I enjoy and Catholic sites in general. If you wish to converse with me further, you’re welcome to do so, feel free to e-mail me anytime, you have my e-mail address.
I see you posted in 2013. I hope this still links to your email. I was raised Southern Baptist. I took the Bible literally. One day like you the dots did not match. I began to see allegorical overlays in the scripture, ie. The symbolic meaning of forty and other numbers. The sea representing lost people, dry land representing righteousness and many more. I too, had been taught Catholics were idol worshipers. I decided to study Catholicism. I studied it four years. I ended up Episcopalian but with a Catholic Priest as a Spiritual Director. I felt their criteria for membership was harsh on a Protestant and a big hurdle to jump for some. Nevertheless, there is much good in the Catholic Church and I still study it along with my Episcopal faith. The keys to the church are simply Gods Truths and God’s power and Presence in the world. Our leaders, like Peter, are to impart these things to all believers through guidance and teaching. Jesus said we would do all the things He did and more. The keys are merely the mysteries of The Church of all believers. The Church teaches the keys and the Holy Spirit unlocks the minds of men to those who can believe. Peter was the first leader and authority of the Church. It is our belief in Christ (one of the keys) that gives us power over death and hell. Christianity is a journey. Let us let others grow in their journey even if they may be in error. God molds all of us slowly over time. None of us understand all things.
I believe that religon is man’s finite attempt to grasp an infinite God. When we attempt to define, label, organize or make God into OUR image, we are bound to trivilize Him and render him just another tool for our use. Therefore, we need to be careful not to interpolate things into His scriptures that simply are not there. This has been done. This is why there are 35,000 different denominations, and why the Pope thinks he’s God. Jesus did not split into three people. If he were God, he would not have been able to die on the cross, and his resurecction would have not been a miracle, and therefore would hve been insignificant, and would have no meaning. His sinlessness would have taken no effort, and therefore would have meant nothing. His death on the cross would not have been an act of sacrfice, an obidient son obeying the will of the Father, but a demonstration. His transformation fter his death, his ascension into heaven, all show what lies in store for us, as humans, which would not be the case if Jesus were a god-man demonstrating His diety. This does not exactly fit your beliefs, and if you do not wish to accept me as a mentor, I will understand.
Ken said “Yet, as I witnessed in this sites “statement of faith,” demanding that I declare and swear that the Bible is the absolute authority, “……… found this belief simply and plainly false” Okay Ken, if the Bible is not the absolute authority what or who is? We as Christians don’t “swear” to anything so that is rather a side issue. I don’t believe it says swear.
Ken, I took a Catholic Apologists’ course in college. (many years ago) and there are a lot of things I like about the Catholic faith. A few I don’t necessarily agree with like Regenerative Baptism, but I don’t discount it as wrong as there is the possibility I just don’t understand it yet. Why don’t you explain that to me please.
What is this sites view on Hell? Is it a real place? Do people go there? Which people go there? Is Satan a ruler or is he a fellow “inmate”? Is it eternal or do the inmates get cremated?
I am a believer of YHWH the Creator of life, known as God the Father. I believe in the only begotten Son of YHWH, whose real name is Yahshua Ha Mashiach, commonly known as Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible to be the true Word of YHWH(God) and that it is complete, nothing is to be added or taken away. Salvation comes through the shed blood of Yahshua(Jesus) when He died on the Tree of Calvary. May the blessings of YHWH(God) be with this ministries.
I have one question … before starting any program. You said you belive that salvation is eternal. I believe that too but I also believe that one can lose one’s salvation if stopped living by grace and by constant backslliding. Is this what you believe?
Salvation being eternal and the ability to lose it are mutually exclusive. They cant coexist. Ie you are either saved and ALL sins, including “backsliding” are covered by Christ or Christ’s salvation is incomplete or unable to cover all of our sins…which effectively nullifies a saving faith in Christ completely. So, no-we dont believe you can lose your salvation once it is heartfeltly attained by acceptance of christ as one’s savior. Christ covers all my sins. Said another way, grace is not something we keep or earn based on OUR actions or inaction. It is something GOD alone gives in response to our acceptance of his son Jesus Christ. So whether WE live by grace or not, it is God who offers grace freely as a gift. He does not take grace back because any one or number of sins…his grace is unlimited and covers ALL of our sins. As long as you dont teach otherwise, or cause someone to question their salvation (putting such doubt in their minds) then you could still participate.
B rad, Thanks for spending your valuable time on this website. Perhaps you can share why you think that those who have been once saved cannot be “unsaved?” I’ve always understood Hebrews 6:4 to allow that the saved could be damned if they fall back into sin: “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.” [RSV]. Any thoughts?
Tom, first, great question and great verse. What needs to be clarified here in my opinion is the definition of “backsliding” and “apostasy”. Every one of us sins, and we continue to sin. We live in a fallen world and we still carry the baggage of our flesh. Many believers still have questions, doubts, and confusions about their faith. Backsliding to me isnt about a willful rejection of the essential faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather the occasional drawing closer or farther from christ (like a pendulum) as we live our lives…for our faith is never a static thing. It evolves, ebbs and flows. And as such, i consider those sins covered by Christ’s death on the cross for all our past, present, and future sins. If backsliding is defined AS apostasy (the literal willful, persistent, complete rejection of the essential Gospel of jesus christ), then i believe this is what hebrews 6:4 is referring to. In that context, you would be correct-as such a rejection is comparable to never being truly saved in the first place. I cant imagine someone truly saved later completely rejecting christ. In other words, you EITHER have faith in the gospel that jesus was God in flesh, that he died for our sins, and was raised to life, or you dont. But its not just about falling back into sin. If that were the case i sadly imagine heaven would be a very empty place.
Mr. White, thanks for your patient reply. You said, that the ‘backsliding’ referred to in Hebrews ” is comparable to never being truly saved in the first place. ” I don’t see how “partakers of the Holy Ghost” could not have been believers in the first place – wouldn’t that make God a liar, deluding people into thinking they were saved when they were not? Wouldn’t that be WORSE than actually being saved, since if I believe I am saved, but am not, I would not be doing the thing(s) required for salvation, would I? Paul is consistent in this: Romans 11;22 “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” 1 Cor 9:27 “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” These verses speak of the ability to lose salvation once one has had it – even for PAUL himself! They would not appear to be addressed to those who are only deluded into thinking they are saved. If the only options for me are that I am either “saved” or “falsely saved and prone to backsliding”, how would I know which applies to me? If faith is not exhibited in our works (James 2:17 “17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”, see Romans 2:5-8, I won’t quote for brevity), then what assurance does one have at all of salvation? Thanks. Tom
Here is where I get confused by your mission and message. You clearly state in your Statement of Faith, and everything else I’ve read in your blog, that you are firmly based in Biblical teachings; which is exactly what I am seeking. If the bible didn’t say do it, then I won’t. So we agree there. But then you also reference your home church in the same Statement of Faith, whose website clearly indicates church services on Sunday. Where, how, why, and when is that EVER a biblical teaching? The commandments are clear that we should “Remember the Sabbath day”; it says zip about Sunday. You can’t claim to be biblical, then do your own thing. Sunday worship was invented and supported by the Roman Catholic church. It is NOT now and NEVER will be a biblical teaching. If you must talk the talk, then MUST walk the walk. My Heavenly Father and my Jesus do not support SUNDAY WORSHIP.
I think the purpose of this website is to promote unity among Christians of different denominations. That does not mean you will agree doctrinally on all points but only in the very basic points that Jesus came in the flesh as God/man, died for our sins, rose again, and offers us eternal life with repentance and belief. The Catholic Church changed many things to win over the pagans to Christianity such as December 25th not being Christ’s birthday, Easter, and many others. There was some similarities in the pagan religions so it was to help them understand Christian truths. So Jesus is born the light of the world and is the light that shines into the darkness. So his birth is celebrated on the pagan winter solstice to drive home a Biblical Truth. However we do not even know the date Christ was born. Sunday was supposedly the day Christ rose from the dead as Jewish days start at sunset instead of sunrise, ie Friday. Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon. So he would rise on Sunday. That is where that tradition came from. Jesus is the one true and only God. We do not worship the sun god Isis. Jesus/triune God triumphs over all Gods. I think Christians of other denominations are overly fearful of each other when maybe they don’t have to be. So if you happily worship on Saturday I think that glorifies God because that is where your peace is in your relationship with Him. As Christians we should worship every day, anyway. Jesus broke the Sabbath many times, healed on the Sabbath, etc.
I disagree. Jesus never broke the Sabbath. Healing on the Sabbath is not breaking it. The Bible is clear that Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath; and further it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath day. Life doesn’t freeze on the Sabbath day. People get ill, babies are born, accidents happen, life continues. It would be hypocritical to cease all charity towards others except on that one day because the God of charity and love that you worship doesn’t want you to help anyone else on that particular day. Should the mother of a newborn cease breastfeeding on the Sabbath day so she should not break it? Should pets be ignored for 24 hours? Should someone who is ill be left to care for themselves on that day because it’s the Sabbath? Should hospitals be shut down for that day? Should mothers be prevented from giving birth on the Sabbath day? Of course not. That would be ridiculous. Life happens every day. Likewise, should Jesus not have healed anyone on that day just because it was the Sabbath? That’s preposterous and hypocritical. And besides, breaking the Sabbath is a violation of the fourth commandment, and we know that Jesus committed no sin. He would not have been the Messiah if he had. As Christians, I think we are in agreement that Jesus is the Messiah; so he could not have broken the Sabbath. As for the unity amongst Christians, again the Bible tells us that the Messiah came to bring a sword. There can be no unity on Earth until we all hold the same beliefs. As you rightly said the Roman Church made many compromises with pagans which are still practiced today. How and why would any Bible believing Christian unify with that? The mixing of holy with unholy is the very definition of spiritual fornication and adultery, which you already made clear the Roman Church is heavily invested in. My Bible says that we are to come out of her, not join in, lest we partake of her sins and receive her punishment. Jesus walked the earth with no where to lay his head. He was alone. The servant is not greater than the master. Therefore I am not afraid to walk this Earth alone. There will be plenty of unity in heaven and I can’t wait to get there.
Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath by the Jewish leaders who were the experts of Jewish spiritual laws because his disciples were gleaning grain on the Sabbath which would not be helping someone else or be compassion. Jesus was accused many times. The Jews sought to crucify him because he was always going against all their laws and they accused him of being Beelzebub. But the Jewish leaders came up with many of those extra laws. They were not handed down to Moses. So the problem isn’t with Jesus but man’s interpretation of scripture to suit their own purposes. Spiritual fornication or adultery is not following the ways or commands of God of which I agree with you we should not do. I’m not taking up for any denomination. Merely stating what they say is their reason for doing what they do. I do not even know if they tell the truth as I wasn’t alive during the time of Constantine. Some would say Constantine did all these things for would domination. But my faith is not based on any of those things. My faith isn’t in men, their political manipulations, or their opinions. But God answers my prayers and seems to offer more support and presence when I do as I feel He would be pleased in what I do and he seems to make it clear to my spirit when I’m not doing as well as I should. This website seems to be to help Christians be more kind to each other and more understanding of opposing doctrines but I am wondering how they think that is going to happen. I see several people getting upset over it where it could have an opposite effect. I don’t think all people saying they are Christians are going to agree with each other. My unity is not based on agreeing with people but rather being kind to all persons and loving them. I definitely don’t agree with everyone. It isn’t possible. Even the disciples tried to compete to be the one to sit closest to Jesus in heaven. Competition and jealousy certainly isn’t unity. I’m horrified at some of the things my own church promotes. But I’m tired of running away and looking for a perfect church. Sometimes I thought some denominations were right on everything. Then I’d study my Bible deeper and find issues with their doctrines. So I follow scripture the very best I can and I can identify with Paul when he said we look through a glass darkly. If you are growing and happy in the church you are in and they worship on Saturday then I have no desire to try to dissuade you from that. I wish there were more people who were devoted to the Bible and church. Most churches teach love God with all your heart and mind and your neighbor as yourself. Love your enemies. Love those who wrong you. It’s when people use religion to hate that freaks me out a little. But that seems to be a tendency in human nature which I try to overcome human nature in my own self. If there was no such thing as religion to cause division, man would find some other thing to be divided over and already does, politics, wars, etc. If someone is way off base in belief, I pray for them because God can speak to them and is the finisher of their faith. He is their authority. I am nobody’s authority. I do good to do the simple things God tells me to do like love God with all my heart and mind and my neighbor as myself.