AM I my brother’s keeper?” asked Cain... And yet Cain asked nothing of the sort really. It was pure rhetoric! Cain threw up this question at God with such brazenfaced audacity that it is obvious both to God and all reasonable minded men that it had not even so much as entered Cain’s mind that anyone ought to be held responsible for the welfare of his brother. God has given us this story to remind us just how utterly selfish the carnal mind is — and how unlike the mind of God. So what of you and me? Are we our brother’s keeper? Well, my answer will be rhetorical too, but it won’t be in the form of a question:

Are WE our brother’s keeper?
God, in His wisdom has ordained that His people should be interdependent, not independent. Not only this but He has ordained that they should be mutually accountable. It is part of the very nature of God that He longs to interact with man — and what’s more He has gone to great pains (literally) to demonstrate it! What also is plainly evident of God’s nature, is that He takes seriously His declared intent to be our keeper:

“The LORD is your keeper: the LORD is your shade upon your right hand” Psalm 121:5.
The LORD commands us to be holy, for He is Holy (Leviticus 11:44), and Jesus exhorts us to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Given that these exhortations to enter into our Father’s per fection and holiness involve our sharing in His longing for fellowship, and His devotion to being our keeper, we have an unequivocal answer to our question!
Throughout the history of God’s people the outworking of this has proved to be patchy to say the least. Whenever a period of renewal is being experienced, this happy state has been enjoyed, but all too often during difficult times, times of backsliding, decline and confusion the people of God have resorted to doing “ every man that which was right in his own eyes” (c/f Judges 17:6 … 21:25) . Alas, it is becoming so today.

“And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled every man to his tent” 2 Chronicles 25:22.
There is a trend developing among God’s people, that causes me great concern, not least because many of those involved in this trend have in recent years been sources of comfort and encouragement to faithful, Bible-honouring Christians. We all know that there is widespread disillusionment with the churches. This is understandable, but how we react to our disillusionment is vitally important! Anger is not the solution; it causes more problems — mostly for the one who is angry.
Neither is isolationism a solution, which in this context is just tantamount to sulking. I read an item recently on a website hosted by a highly respected member of the discernment ministries fraternity who was speaking in ver y negative terms concerning the prospects for true believers to find any sound fellowship. What came over in the article was an attitude that might be expressed, “why bother with fellowship? You may as well stay at home and meditate on God”!

Now I am persuaded, having come through the whole sequence of events myself that this is not what the Lord intends for us. We have been ‘brought through a fire’. We have experienced disillusionment, disappointment, hurt and heartbreak. We know how it feels to have our dearest brothers and sisters told by some ambitious person who goes by the name of ‘Pastor’ that they must not even speak to us. Yet we must come out through this fire refined, not burnt! We must emerge purified not singed! We must allow Jesus to pour out His soothing, calming, reassuring waters onto our smouldering souls until the last smell of smoke is gone. We must not smoulder! Not from this fire. How can we be interdependent whilst seeking independence? How can we be our brother’s keeper whilst seeking to avoid him? This present call to ‘hole up’ in distrust of all that calls itself ‘church’ is unhealthy, and can only lead to anarchy: Every man doing that which is right in his own eyes.

“As also in all (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable twist, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction” 2 Peter 3:16.
It seems unlikely that anybody could have distrusted pastors any more than I did in the early 1990s. At that time it appeared (to my eyes) that they had become all the same — ambitious, ruthless, conniving, scheming, yes, even lying! “They paid their fees at Bible College to buy themselves a licence that permitted them to lord it over a bunch of unsuspecting members at some local church who had recently had the misfortune to lose their previous minister to a ‘better church’ where he could command a bigger salary!” I know, it’s sick! But that was my experience at the time, and under such circumstances it is very tempting to reinterpret the scriptures concerning Church leadership in order to make them align with one’s life experience. I know; I tried it! But you cannot do it! You must not do it! When did the Bible ever promise you a perfect church with incorruptible leadership? Which New Testament writer ever gave you assurance that only godly men would get into prominent positions in the Church? Isn’t it quite the reverse? Are we not warned at ever y turn of the page that “ravening wolves”, “imposters”, “godless men” and “deceivers” will abound?
Perhaps the most famous denunciation of corrupt “church” leadership ever, occurs in Matthew 23, when Jesus turns on the Scribes and Pharisees etc. Right at the beginning of what must be the most biting censure of His whole ministry He makes this startling statement:

“The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do; but do not do according to their works: for they say, and do not do” Matthew 23:2-3.
Jesus here denounces their hypocrisy, but does not seek to change the interpretation of the Scriptures. Indeed He does not (here) condemn them for their theology at all, but for their hypocrisy alone. Of course, strictly speaking, when Jesus spoke those words His hearers were still living under the Old Covenant, and so were subject to the Law, the guardians of which at that time were the Scribes. I am certainly not trying to say that Jesus taught blind obedience to any person or group who set themselves up as teachers or leaders.
However it is clear that Jesus did encourage His followers to respect those in authority, and note here especially that Jesus did not seek to “move the goalposts” (change the Law) for the people, simply because “the game was going badly”! The Apostle Paul upon being scolded for having spoken against the High Priest, Ananias immediately responds:

“I did not know brethren that he was the High Priest: for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people’” Acts 23:2-4.
Notice here again, Paul does not seek to alter the accepted Scriptural view of authority; rather, he yields himself to this authority in literal obedience to the Scripture.
All of this shows that both Jesus and Paul (undoubtedly the finest two theologians this world has ever known) demonstrated in themselves, and sought by example to encourage in others, a healthy respect for those in positions of authority, and did not seek to “change the rules” merely because they saw “the rules” being abused.
We, in the new covenant are given broad principles concerning ecclesiology and authority within the Church. Although we have seen abuse and hypocrisy and in some areas “the game” is going badly; we must not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. We must not try to move the goalposts (reinterpret Scripture) simply because we don’t like the way the game is going!
It is now almost ten years since I left my former church. I spent some time in isolation and was in grief — literally! This teaching would have been so much gall and wormwood to me, it would have been painful for me to even contemplate; but one evening whilst reading Psalm 73 God spoke to me most profoundly; and I shall never forget it.

“Truly I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of your children” Psalm 73:13-15
The Hebrew word here translated ‘offend’ carries the meaning of a ‘betrayal’. Indeed that is the very word employed in most translations. It means, “I would not be ‘faithful’ to the real interests of God’s children.” Or in other words: I would fail to be my brother’s keeper! The Lord showed me that by cutting myself off from the Church I was letting others in His Kingdom down! In fact, it was a betrayal! The Psalmist goes on to confess that when he had been in such an embittered state, he was “foolish and ignorant, and as a beast before God”. And so was I! And that night I took that Psalm to my knees! I had felt (as I’m sure many others have felt) just like Elijah: “And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek to take my life” (1 Kings 19:14). But just like Elijah, I was wrong! “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal …” (1 Kings 19:18). Then God began to introduce me to the “seven thousand”, one by one. Until now I have all of you dear brothers and sisters, among which are those faithful ministers I now have the privilege of working with in CAM, and now our circle of fellowship is growing day by day. Praise the Lord!

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God” Leviticus 25:38.
The Lord has never brought any of His people out of anywhere just to leave them out! The Lord brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt to bring them in to Canaan. If not for their own rebellion, they would have walked straight into the Promised Land. The Exiles were brought back from Babylon after the seventy years had been completed, but not until God had moved the heart of Cyrus to issue the decree that would enable the rebuilding of the Temple. (NB: Only the ones who were willing actually returned). Similarly, the Temple veil was torn asunder, but not until Jesus had cried, “It is finished” John 19:30 and had thus made a “ new and living way” Hebrews 10:20 to enter God’s presence. Our Lord never leads His people into the wilderness just to leave them out there. There is always a new place prepared for them to enter in. They may not get there immediately, but they will get there, if they are willing!

Have you ever wondered what effect your walk with God has upon others? Well, just put this magazine down for five minutes and reflect on the effect that others in the Kingdom of God have had upon you! Do you recall over the years, times when you’ve been encouraged, emboldened, strengthened, supported, deflated, dishear tened, discouraged, stumbled, shocked, shattered, enraged, and disgusted by other Christians? Of course you do! You cannot but be affected by them. Well neither can they avoid being af fected by you! “Members, one of another”. It’s an awesome responsibility! Now for the ver y reasons outlined above, you may argue that if your behavior is so dangerously prone to adversely affecting others it is better not to fellowship, much like the disciples upon hearing the teaching of Jesus on marriage said it is better not to marry. But marriage and fellowship are instituted of God and both for very good reasons:
We can retreat, each man back into his own tent, and eliminate the risk of being hurt again. We can try to rewrite the Scriptures so as to justify our refusal to enter into open fellowship. We can even look each other in the eye and, like brazenfaced Cain, say: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
But we cannot deny that our Saviour left His Father’s throne above, fellowshipped among men, and willingly exposed Himself to such a measure of heartbreak, abuse and betrayal, that just to think of it, makes us blush at the very thought of our past anger and self-pity: And all to purchase for Himself, a people who would be: “Members, one of another”. The Lord has called me to be your keeper. Has He called you to be mine?

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Appeared in CETF 28 2004
"...contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" -- Jude v3