Why are UPC church's so sectarian?

Originally Posted by UltraCon

Yes the disagreements are worth fighting over because I see them as a salvation issue. What saints in your church may look at as bondage is to us part and parcel of our salvation. I happen to believe that holiness is Biblical and we teach seperation from the world. I'm not at all scared of our saints becoming liberal. If fact, in the religious wasteland that we live there are several liberal churches that would love to have our people come over and be "enlightened". Our people love holiness and they love truth and these two are one and the same. Here's how I really look at it. I grew up COG and if I got back to that it's exactely that, going back. If we preach seperation from the world and we go back to "liberalism" we are doing just that. I'm not condeming you or anyone else, these are just my views, this is what I preach. I knew about bondage when I was in the world smoking and drinking. I've been called to "be ye seperate from among them", i'm the one that has been liberated with an eye-opening experience.

Why is it that the favorite scripture UC's quote on holiness is this one...be ye seperate from among them". Do you even know what Holiness is? I don't mean to be critical friend, but let me share something with you. Holiness is defined biblically as how close you are to God. The closer you are to God, the holier you are. The Holy Bible is holy because it belongs to God. Israel is the Holy land because its close to God. In the old testament, the closer you were to God, the holier you became. Prophets were hoy men of God. The temple was holy. The outer court was holy, but the inner court was holier. Of course the holiest place of all was the "holy of holies" where God himself dwelt.
During the old testament and Jesus' day, there was varying degrees of holiness base upon your position, where you stood on the land and in the law. Now, Eph. 2:14, 18 describes what Jesus did for us. He tore down the walls of partition and we all have access in one Spirit to the Father. There are no more degrees of holiness because we have all been placed into Christ which is our holiness before God.
Gal. 3:27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Holiness if found in Jesus and He alone. Man's holiness is as filthy rags. There is none holy, no not one...Finally holiness is not about what you do as it is about who you are and what position you hold. All believers after calvary have been made Holy in Christ. Now, conduct, behavior, sin issues, etc. are important, but do nothing to attain holiness. Bad conduct destroys your testimony and your faith which will lead to a lose of relationship with Christ. God bless and I still love you!!!