Statement on Doctrinal Distinctives

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you, but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”(Philippians 1:27).

The admonition of these verses seems almost impossible to achieve, especially in the light of the present denominational divisions.  Satan’s greatest ploy is to keep the church divided so that he can further bring destruction and ruin to lives. God warns Christians: “…if ye bite and [devour] one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Galatians 5:15).

Therefore, it is the consensus of LIGHT Fellowship that doctrinal distinctives not become an issue of division. No member of this group should practice or seek to promote within the meetings of this fellowship any doctrinal distinctives of their own church that would violate the consciences of others in the group who have differing beliefs.  The spirit of Romans 14 should prevail.

Romans 14
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers each day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we all stand before God’s judgment seat. As it is written:
“’As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’”

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Any violations of Romans 14 should be handled according to the steps of Matthew 18: 15-17. If a matter is unresolvable after the first two attempts of Mathew 18 has been pursued, then it should be presented to the whole membership to decide the proper action to be taken.