What Is Small in the World Is Great in Christ

And what is great in the world is small in Christ.

At the moment of baptism, over two years ago, it was just the two of us, water, and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit overtook us both completely and we asked each other the words: do you wish to be baptised in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and give your whole life to Him?

We both did. It still took some time after that before we truly came out of the closet with our faith, and goodness, I never would have believed the commotion that begins when you tell people you have come to faith. You could playfully describe it under the overarching theme of "open season on believers."

In a short time we received a flood of contacts from various congregations and religious sects — each one no doubt well-meaning, yet quite literally recruiting us to their particular congregation. Some described their worship services as great parties, boasting about their amazing praise music and band... "Proper parties and so much fun you won't believe it! Come to us, we were told" — dozens of times.

We are two sinners, saved by grace and in need of grace, who are simply seeking truth in Jesus Christ. Strengthening our patience and faith, the Lord guided us to proceed in peace and visit different congregations and events, churches and online gatherings, remembering the words of Paul: "but prove all things; hold fast that which is good;" (1 Thess. 5:21, KJV). This we did, and daily reading and studying of the Bible, together with prayer, gave us understanding — sometimes more, sometimes less.

Time passed, and now well over two years have gone by, and we still have not publicly wished to commit to or belong to any single earthly congregation or church, even though the pressure has at times been intense and even unbiblical. We understand that for many people the institution is an important source of support and community. We do not judge anyone who finds a spiritual home there. We simply want to say that sometimes you do not find one single, fixed congregation — and that is not at all unbiblical, nor does it say anything about your faith in Jesus Christ. The relationship with Jesus is always personal and does not require a church or congregation. The purpose of this text is to bring faith to those who are in the same situation and may feel worry or a sense of being an outsider because they do not belong to a congregation or church. You can still believe and remain in the faith.

All the phenomena we encountered on the New Age side have unfortunately surfaced in various congregations as well, in their own form of miracle-chasing. The New Age "light language" has seamlessly become "speaking in tongues," hypnosis-induced collapses have become the mighty work of the Holy Spirit. Praise dancing in faith and ecstatic dance in New Age spirituality? The general chaos, shouting and screaming, shaking, serpentine convulsions, compulsive repetition of mantras — all familiar from New Age circles, where people were supposedly being freed from childhood traumas. Now the same thing happens by the same pattern in congregations, but in the name of Jesus, with the pastor saying, ripped from biblical context, that the more you sow (into the offering), the more you shall reap.

In one congregation I was told, after a short talk in which I was sharing about my own faith journey, that "You belong on big stages, and we as a congregation need to offer the same experiences to those rescued from New Age as what they had there." In my mind I thought, Lord have mercy, and I said plainly that this speaking engagement confirmed the truth: I will not be standing on stages again.

It is an utterly absurd idea that people rescued by grace from New Age spirituality would crave the very thing they just fled! Those rescued from New Age long for peace, for grace, for the word of Jesus — not tricks, fabricated miracles, or hype and spectacle. No more level-jumping games or false teachings.

When we asked the recruiters from many congregations about teachings that could not be found in Scripture or that directly contradicted it, we were told that we were not the right kind of believers and that we should watch what we say... or that we were dividing the congregation and that we should just love, not question. Our questions were sincere, because we truly wanted to understand and learn. We were not looking for a fight but for truth. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11, KJV). Why was this Berean attitude suddenly wrong?

In many congregations there was a beautiful surface and exterior, with many fine words (at first), but deep darkness and talk behind our backs in the end. In the beginning, the loud prayers of brothers and sisters, the WhatsApp groups set up on our behalf — all of it stopped dead, because we were too "strict," too "judgemental," or asked difficult questions, and because we did not bow to worldly authority or join the desired congregation. We understand that leaders fear those who cause division, but there is a difference between someone dividing maliciously and someone sincerely asking for biblical truth. The question arises: how Christian is the congregation or the believer who says, "I cannot pray for you because you will not join us"?

We understand that saying these things aloud can be challenging, but if we cannot have mature conversations about difficult matters without backbiting, lies, and rumours, then what good is a congregation where you are not allowed to read the Bible and ask questions about the teaching?

It has been, frankly, horrifying to see the same serpent on both sides of the coin. And so the words of Jesus — "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matt. 24:22, KJV) — are indeed true, for God has sent so great a delusion that the believer's best hope is in the Bible and in reading it, and in Jesus Himself — not in churches or congregations.

Nearly 2,000 years have passed since the resurrection of Jesus, and the church institution developed in the 4th century has throughout its history also absorbed the agenda of the enemy — to which Jesus implicitly refers in the verse above. It has been said that wherever someone plants a congregation, Satan pitches his tent next door. This is the truth, and on this planet you will not find a single perfect congregation or church. It is futile for us to search for a perfect congregation — there is none — but rather for teaching and practice that is in accordance with the Bible, holding fast only to what is good.

Should we then be without an earthly place to gather, or should we abandon congregations and churches altogether? The answer is yes and no. We do not urge anyone to leave a congregation unless the Holy Spirit confirms it. We are speaking to those whom the Spirit has already spoken to, but who are afraid to obey.

We must not place ourselves under the authority of any congregation or man-led institution by compulsion in this age. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26, KJV). We should not, at baptism, be obligated to join any earthly congregation or institution, for show me the congregation that preaches the pure gospel as it was from the time of the apostles, without the addition of man-made systems of control and governance.

Such a church or congregation is hard to find. Yet we know that there are individual pastors and congregations who sincerely seek the truth. God knows His own.

What about the biblical command to obey leaders? "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls" (Heb. 13:17, KJV). This is true, BUT only when leaders teach the word of God purely. When teaching contradicts Scripture, we remember the words of the apostles: "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29, KJV).

What can we do? Believe in Jesus Christ and in His words: "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father... But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:21, 23, KJV).

We can attend, and it is indeed good to attend various gatherings, without placing our trust in man-made traditions. This is about the freedom to choose, not the obligation to leave or to join. Corruption in the spirit also means not daring to defend the word of God, which is supposed to be unchanging and eternal.

A recent example of this is the internal split of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland into what is effectively two churches, caused by the dispute over the definition of marriage and the rebellion of bishops. This is merely one milestone in the coming disintegration of our church, which truly began with the acceptance of female ordination — demonstrating deep rebellion against the clear word of God. The current state of the church is the logical continuation of earlier unbiblical decisions: When you give Satan a little finger, he takes the whole church.

Though numerous churches have become corrupted in regard to God's word and have fallen away from Jesus, we can still trust in the permanence and holiness of God's word. Bibles are available to everyone (still), and every believer can verify for themselves what the Bible says. Beyond this, we know that Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit as our advocate and wisdom: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13, KJV). The Holy Spirit tells every follower of Jesus everything they need to know — if only we believe it.

For many, this is everyday reality: you hear the Holy Spirit saying that something happening in a congregation or church is wrong (such as overlapping "speaking in tongues" without an interpreter), but the pressure of the crowd and the desire to belong keep a person in the pew, in silence.

The fear of being shut out from the community is powerful, so out of fear of loneliness we swallow hard and accept many unbiblical practices. We do not trust the Holy Spirit within us, who says, leave — this place is not according to My will. We would rather trust the large crowd, the charismatic preacher, than the quiet truth of God that speaks in every believer.

Yet here is the hope: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:27–28, KJV). Jesus knows His own, even if they are alone, even if they are outside the institution.

If you are alone in your faith and have not found a congregation that teaches the truth, do not fall into despair. "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27, KJV).

The Holy Spirit is a sufficient teacher.

The house church is the biblical model. The early church gathered in homes for 300 years. "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus... Likewise greet the church that is in their house." (Rom. 16:3–5, KJV). "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20, KJV).

Faithfulness to Christ is not rebellion. Jesus Himself appeared rebellious to the Pharisees, because He placed the truth of God above human traditions. "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren" (Matt. 23:8, KJV).

Let us think for a moment about those who wrestle with these same questions: They sit in the pews, the Holy Spirit whispers this is not right, but fear keeps them in place. To them we say: you are safe in Christ. The institution is not the bringer or source of salvation. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8–9, KJV).

And so it is fitting to end where I began:

What is small in the world is great in Christ.

In Him you are never alone, so do not compromise with the world for the sake of your soul, merely to gain the approval of some congregation or of people.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4, KJV)

Remember also this: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7, KJV).

You are free in Christ. Free to gather. Free not to gather. Free to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit without fear or guilt. This is the freedom with which Christ has set us free — so let us not allow ourselves to be taken captive again.

The Kingdom of God is not an organisation. It is His reign in your heart. Wherever this reign is realised, there is the church. This is not rebellion but a return to the original — to what Jesus meant by the church.

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21, KJV).

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