–– Tim Cantrell
The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
In preparation for November’s G20 Summit to be hosted in South Africa, an Interfaith Forum was recently held in Cape Town to unite religious leaders to “strengthen peace-making efforts” in global conflicts. The All Africa Council of Churches accounts for some “200 million Christians” across the continent. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder and a conservative resurgence in the USA, there are new calls for reconciling Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, and others (especially when both the 2nd and 3rd in command are devout Catholics—Vance & Rubio). Meanwhile, others are calling for believers to come out and be separate from any political alliances with unbelievers.
How do we resist the temptation of ecumenism yet remain engaged in society? We’ll look at legitimate and illegitimate cooperation with unbelievers, all hinging upon the purpose for which we are uniting.
Often!
We all unite with unbelievers – in sports, hobbies, business, military service, medical teams, neighbourhood watch, residents’ associations, disaster relief, firefighting, or testifying in court or serving on a jury, and much more (many of which are biblically recognised roles: Luke 3:14; Col 3:22; 4:14, etc.). Voting is a partnership with others in a democracy for the benefit of your fellow image-bearers and countrymen (Gen. 1:26-28; 9:6; Jam. 3:9).
Pagan rulers are “ministers of God” to restrain evil, uphold law and order, preserve peace and justice, and do good for a land, as part of His common grace (e.g., Pharoah, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, etc.; Rom. 13:4). Joseph partnered with Pharoah to save lives during a famine (Gen. 41). Daniel served faithfully under pagan kings in Babylon (Dan. 1-6). David united with the Philistines to pursue a common enemy (1 Sam. 29; 1 Chron. 12). Yet in such cases, these godly men did not compromise their faith. Christians can stand with secular rulers in the civic realm while refusing to bow to their idols, like Charlie Kirk’s heroic example of both godly patriotism and bold witness.
God’s Word urges us not to isolate but to have non-Christian friends, as part of our salt and light influence and gospel witness in a dark and decaying society (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Cor. 5:10; 10:27). Christians should be the best citizens and neighbours, treating others the way we would want to be treated (Matt. 7:12).
If my Catholic or Mormon friend wants to defend human dignity, monogamy, two genders, the death penalty, limited government, or a free market, I stand with them. When my unsaved neighbour protests socialism, tyranny, corruption, abortion, sex-trafficking, or transgenderism, I will say ‘amen’. I will thank God for every instrument of His common grace and reflection of His Law written on human hearts (Isa. 44:28; 45:1; Rom. 2:14-15).
That is not syncretism, ecumenism, or being unequally yoked; it is simply being a good neighbour and a responsible citizen, seeking to “do good to all people” (Gal. 6:10; 1 Thess. 5:15). To demand perfect agreement in religion before working together in the civic realm is asking for heaven on earth, which will only come when Christ returns with His perfect monarchy.
Yet our chief aim as believers is not any visible or political realm but the invisible, heavenly realm—to “seek first His kingdom” (Matt. 6:33). We pour our greatest energies and efforts into what is eternal, not temporal (2 Cor. 4:18). As John Piper says, “Christians care about all suffering, especially eternal suffering.”
To that end, our closest partnerships are with fellow believers in the cause of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Nothing is more useful to our society than to see hearts changed by Christ! Only when lives are transformed will communities and nations be changed in any lasting way.
Never!
We cannot have any spiritual or religious unity with unbelievers, nor join them in prayer breakfasts, worship services, ecumenical councils or interfaith forums, since we do not serve the same Lord. God’s Word exhorts us to “guard” and “defend” the truth and “the faith once for all handed down” to us (Jude 3-4; 1 Tim. 3:15; 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:12-14; 2:15; 4:4).
We are not even permitted to “greet” or “receive” false teachers who deny this gospel; they are “to be accursed” (2 Jn. 9-11; Gal. 1:6-9). “What fellowship does light have with darkness?”, asked the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 6:14-18). We cannot be “unequally yoked” in marriage, close friendships, or business ownership, as I addressed in a previous TARIF (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Instead, we must evangelise Catholics, Mormons, and all others who are lost and hellbound.
Jesus warned that all who name His name are not necessarily true believers (Matt. 7:21-23). It is the God-assigned task of the local church to exercise Christ’s keys of the kingdom in discerning who is truly in His kingdom or not (Matt. 16:18-19; 18:15-20). It’s also why the historic creeds and confessions were written—to clearly define what it means to be a Christian. Confusion over that definition has been the fatal flaw of 20th-century Christianity, as shown by Iain Murray in his modern classic, Evangelicalism Divided.
Christ’s Bride must remain pure, undefiled by false converts. Wolves must not be allowed into our pulpits and must be removed from our pews. Sitting at a community table for civic service must never be confused with sitting at the Lord’s Table as the redeemed. Honouring an upright political leader or brave neighbour mustn’t be conflated with receiving a new church member through baptism.
Two Spheres
As Augustine wrote long ago, the city of God and the city of man are built on very different foundations, serving distinct purposes. We must distinguish between the common kingdoms of this world and the eternal kingdom of Christ—between what “belongs to Caesar” and what “belongs to God” (Matt. 22:21).
In the civic realm, we can rejoice when Judeo-Christian principles are being recovered by unbelievers. Yet in the spiritual realm, we must resist an unbiblical, ecumenical unity with Catholics, Mormons or other unbelievers.
May God grant us much grace and wisdom to cooperate with unbelievers in honourable earthly callings, while uniting with believers in our highest calling of gospel advance.