How Sacred Are Relationships?

I thank God for this article by Paul Proctor: “Is Christianity All About Relationships?” Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. Proctor for bringing that out. I wish someone had written this as a letter to the churches about ten or fifteen years ago, because, frankly, I am tired of being batted all over the place like a ping-pong ball over the issue of love vs. truth.

What doesn’t today’s so-called church understand about these verses?:

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3)

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14)

Did not Jesus say this discipleship would cost us something? (Luke 14:28) Did He not say, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) Yet how did human relationships alone come to trump the truth? Are our proper relationships in our humanity or in Christ?

Here are some wise words from a friend on the topic of “house church hucksters” and the things they are foisting off on those who have left the institutions. One of these is the common man-made doctrine that everything is about relationships — even to the detriment of living out the truth:

“I just read Paul Proctor’s article. The same thing has been going through my mind and I have intended to write about it. I have not because my business has been taking up my time. But here are a few thoughts on the topic.

“For one thing, everyone is in a relationship with God. Of course, not everyone is in covenant with the Lord, but everyone has a relationship. Consider Romans 14:

Rom 14:6-8

6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. (KJV)

“I know that Paul is talking about how Christians are regarding the Lord but the truth be told, the lost do what they do according to how they relate to God. To deny God is a type of relationship. What is meant, of course, is a cooperative relationship with God. But the term is thrown about loosely.

“Second, the expression ‘relationship’ is used as a cover to prevent people from speaking into your life. How often have I heard people say that you can’t speak into someone’s life unless you already have a relationship. That is such a crock. The truth is, most people, because of their relationship, will not speak the truth to them. It is more readily done by the stranger who doesn’t care. The Old Testament prophets did not cultivate an agreeable relationship with the kings of Israel. They did not care. They spoke the truth whenever Yahweh commanded them to do so.

“Proctor is right. We do not worship the redeemed but the Redeemer. And, frankly, … house church hucksters are in a better position to control people and prevent them from speaking the truth because they define what it means to be in a ‘relationship’.”