CHAPTER NINE
WHAT ABOUT UNITY?
In this chapter, we will consider the issue of the unity of the Spirit, which is to be
expressed in our day to day lives as believers in Christ, whether Jew or gentile. Any attempt at what we perceive unity to be, other than that which
is revealed in scripture, is to miss the mark and live below God’s glorious
intention.
We have been lied to by the enemy to such a degree, that it has
caused untold misery in our lives and witness as believers. Divisions are so deeply ingrained in the body of Christ. Our unity is so often fleeting and temporal. We come together for inter denominational gatherings, leave with bear hugs etc and go back to our walls and fences that separate us.
There is a pattern of fellowship that exists in the
scriptures, of structure and conduct of the corporate people of God. As the
Most High God gave instruction to Moses to build the temple utensils after a pattern God
would show him, even so, a pattern was given to the apostles, how the ekklesia, the called out ones, should function as the body of Christ. Reading the new covenant scriptures show this
to be true.
To a large degree, the people of God have wandered far away
from His instructions, at times, to the very extremes, where they have
become apostate. The great tragedy is, that over the years, we, as His people, have
made excuses for our sin, continuing in it, until the time comes when God no
longer tolerates our rebellion, thus creating circumstances that cause His
people to come to our senses, repent and return to Him. This applies very much so to this issue of
unity.
It is a fact that families of the same house will go to their
preferential churches simply because they prefer this one to that one.
If the church is divided, no wonder families, communities and even
nations are divided.
Generations of divisions have plagued the church with
some deep-seated bitterness and resentment amongst God’s people. The extent
that believers in the same God will avoid each other, as if the other is plagued
with a disease. What kind of testimony is this for those who profess to serve
and worship the One True God?
Our divisions have been a monumental
embarrassment to the name of our God, which has been the cause of great
stumbling for those who would seek to enter the kingdom of God. To think that
this is irrelevant is to deny that God’s people are divided at all. We are held
accountable before the Most High God for our wilful and continued divisions.
Those who have sought to build their own little kingdoms and
those who seek to maintain the same, that is, leader and follower alike, will
find that their walls will come crumbling down all around them in these last
days. The unity given us is a thing to be jealously guarded amongst all
of God’s people, not just an elect few. We are to keep this unity of the Spirit in the peace that binds us
together, as it is written. For the most part, to put aside our divisions and simply fellowship with other believers
without our own banners over our heads, is a task that would better be left alone.
“Make every effort you can to keep the unity that is given
by the Spirit in the peace that binds you together”. (Eph. 4 verse 3)
This unity of the Spirit is personal. It is the Spirit's unity. It belongs to Him in the Godhead. We are not the author or initiator of this unity, the Holy Spirit is. We are made partakers and sharers of the Spirit's unity by virtue of our entering the kingdom of God and being placed into the body of Christ through the blood of Christ. Within the sphere of the body of Christ, this unity exists, because of the Godhead, because God exists or is self existent. We are made partakers of all spiritual blessings in Christ, we have been given everything needful for life and godliness. The unity of the Spirit is encapsulated in all these spiritual blessings in Christ. We are to endeavour to keep what is already given.
Let it be known, that our divisions grieve the heart of God,
He sees His family being separated because they have chosen to believe the lie
of the devil as if it were the truth. We come "together" as those divided amongst
ourselves. If we were to understand from
God’s viewpoint, His thoughts on our divisions, we would endeavour with all our
might to be rid of them. Don’t be deceived any longer saints of God, by the
father of lies, or those who purport to speak in the name of the Lord, confirming
us in our divisions. Any man or woman, who proclaims that our divisions are
acceptable, does not speak from God nor does He send them. They are a stumbling
block to many and an offence. His judgements on our divisions will be
final and quick; don’t think that because we still have them He must be pleased
with them. He is not.
From whence come our divisions?
Where do our divisions come from? Often we deal with symptoms i.e. the fruit of a problem
and neglect the root cause of a problem, therefore the problem still
remains. There is always a root cause to our problems.
Our divisions come from our pride. It is our pride that leads us down the road into deception. This is the basis of
our sin.
Men like to build unto themselves as pretext to building unto God, all in the name of God too. We are good at making excuses, even theological
excuses why we should have the divisions we have, all of which is a stench in
the sight of God. I speak harshly and without reserve about our divisions,
because they are an offence and an abomination to our God who despises them all
the more than I can express.
I speak of our denominational divisions and fragmentation whereby we separate ourselves from fellow believers, on the
grounds of differing interpretations of scripture and we love to have it so. Blatant error is something altogether different. May it be understood that I am speaking about the confines of the true
church, not those religions that are exempt from inclusion to the most holy
faith. This faith is for those who are born of God alone and no other, who are
washed and cleansed by the precious blood of the Messiah of God. The
denominational divisions in this faith are the subjects at hand. The one true
body of Christ is segregated and fragmented by the opinions of men, who have gathered for
themselves followers after their own brand of interpretation or style of
fellowship. Believers themselves are guilty of the same offence in that they
gather around particular leaders, as was the case even in the early church.
“ I urge you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus, the
Messiah, that you all be in full agreement in what you say,
that there be no divisions amongst you, that you be fully agreeable
in what you think and what you decide. For it has been made known to
me, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household that there are quarrelling
factions among you. What I mean is this, each of you say, I belong to Paul, or
I belong to Apollos or I belong to Peter, or I belong to Messiah. Is the
Messiah divided into bits and pieces? Was Paul crucified on behalf of you? Or
were you baptised into Paul’s name? (1 Corinthians 1 verses 10 – 13)
Kenneth Wuest’s expanded translation says it like this, “The
Christ has been divided into various parts, with the present result that He
lies there broken up into fragments which are distributed among you.”
This was
said to the Corinthians shame not to their favour. In our modern day we may not
be saying, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos and so – on. We do however say, I
am of Rhema Bible Church, I am of Assemblies of God, I am of Living Waters
Fellowship or whatever other name we may go by. How we love to be called by
other names. We take the same stance as they did then, we are guilty of the
same offence.
Our guilt remains as long as we remain in and do not deal with
the root cause of our divisions. If we agree on those doctrines that bind us
together in the true faith, then we have no grounds whatsoever to be separated
from fellowship with each other, We then condemn ourselves to our lack
of faith in the revealed instructions of God and obedience to His instructions
and requirements of us as the corporate people of God. All of scripture is
fundamental, not just certain doctrines. To agree to disagree may sound wise
but it is human wisdom and it is carnal, even devilish.
Regularly, all over the world new denominations are being
established. They are being split into further factions and more split factions
as they disagree with each other. And who do we think is being glorified? We
ought to be embarrassed and ashamed with our behaviour. There are thousands and
thousands of differing denominations today, not different branches of the same
denomination, but literally different denominations. This in itself should
speak volumes to us about the apparent unity we share. I bow my head in shame
and disgrace at this horrendous thing. The apostolic letter of Paul to the
church at Corinth is a reminder to us in our day of just how deeply entrenched
in our divisions we have become. The oneness or unity of the body of Christ to a large degree, is merely a theoretical stance and not palpable reality. This is largely due to the fact that we don't realise, the unity of the Spirit is already given to us. Let the Apostle Paul continue to speak in rebuke to our condition.
“However, brethren, I could not talk to you as those who
are spiritual but as those who are non spiritual, like babies in Christ. I
fed you with milk and no solid food, for you were not yet strong enough for
solid food, even now you are not yet ready for it. For you are still non
spiritual because as long as you have jealousy and envy and divide
yourselves, are you not proving yourselves to be non spiritual people. For
as long as you divide yourselves by saying, I am of Paul, and
another says, I am of Apollos, you are showing yourselves to be non
spiritual people”. (1 Corinthians 3 verses 1 – 4)
They were dividing the one body of Christ into pieces over
their favourite leader and they were rebuked for it. Their attitude proved just
how spiritual they actually were, mere babies in the faith to be fed with milk
and not solid food. Solid food is for those who are able to chew on it without
separating themselves into factions over this one or that one.
Our so-called
maturity levels are unmasked when we realise that our divisions are a mark of
our babyhood. Real maturity is when we can come together outside of the
boundaries and walls we have built which the Christ came to destroy, thus continuing in unbroken fellowship with other believers in the same household of
faith. All leaders in the kingdom of God are fellow servants together,
not unto themselves, but for the benefit of all the people of God and not their
little factions.
“After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? Merely ministering
servants, not heads of parties, through whom you came
to faith, even as the Lord appointed to each his task. I planted,
Apollos watered, but it is God that made it grow. So then, neither he who
plants is anything or he who waters, but only God who makes it to grow. He
who plants and he who waters are of equal importance,
each will receive his own reward for his labour. For we are fellow
workers together for God; you are His field under cultivation and
His building”. (1 Corinthians 3 verses 5 – 9)
A brief word to ministers.
Bear with me for a brief moment while I speak foolishly, in a
manner of speaking, at our current state of affairs. Have you ever heard about
the Apostle Paul Ministries? What about the Apostle Peter Church Planting
Ministry or maybe Deacon Philip Evangelistic Outreach or what about JTBMI,
which by the way stands for John the Beloved Ministries International. This
sounds all so incredulous, yet that is exactly what we have done; we have taken
the giftings and callings of God and made something light of it, as if we have
the right to do so. How we love to be called and identified by some kind of
name. My ministry, my church, my calling, my this and my that, as if it belongs
to us. We are trustees and stewards of the grace given us, so it belongs to
Him.
“Not many of you should become teachers (leaders), my
brethren, for you know that we teachers (leaders) will be judged by a higher
standard and with greater severity than other people. Thus we assume the
greater accountability and the more condemnation. (James 3 verse 1)
For those who are in ministry/service. You had better make
sure that you are there by divine appointment. Know that it is God who has
called you there and not some self-appointment of a man made kind. Walk in your
calling in the measure of grace and faith that is given you and do so passionately.
God is more interested in our life than in our ministry. If ministry becomes a
thing in itself, then we have crossed the line between service for God and
service for ourselves. Ministry has become something so engrossed in itself
that we have lost the original weight of what ministry actually is. It is
nothing short of servant hood and service to all of God’s people. The words
ministry and minister, (not that they are bad in themselves), have come to mean
something other than was intended. They sound higher and nobler than service
and servant. To be in ministry is to be in service for the King, to be a
minister is to be a servant of the King.
As ministers/servants we are called to cooperation with each
other and not opposition to each other. There is no need to be threatened by
another minister/servant. We need to realise that our task together is for the
development of the whole body of believers. The Head of the church’s
gifting of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher are for the
benefit of the whole body and should have one and the same aim, the nurture and
growth to full maturity of the same body of Christ to His glory not ours.
For the rest of the church!
In a very real sense the entire body of Christ is called
to be ministers/servants, yet not all are appointed to be, apostles, prophets,
evangelists, shepherds or teachers. We are literally all to be servants to each
other in humility, submitting ourselves one to another. The one Spirit of God
has given us individually, grace, to function corporately in the one body of Christ.
We all, regardless of physical or spiritual age, are
placed into the body of Christ as He wills. Our function, or lack of it, either contributes to the growth of the body, or stagnates it. Each one, no
matter how insignificant that one may seem, has a role to play and by that I
don’t mean one is a floor sweeper and another is a washer of dishes, but that
each one is gifted with grace to function as a particular member of the body as
God has seen fit. Many believers have failed to realise their worth in the
body; some have even given up trying to find out where they fit and have
settled for just attending church.
To a large extent, leaders are to
blame for this, failing to nurture God’s people in the wisdom and knowledge of
God as is the purpose of the 5 fold gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4. On the other side of the coin believers have failed to commit themselves
to the Lord, being slothful in their own study of the scriptures and personal growth
expecting it to be done for them.
“Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to
revelation. For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything
temporarily kept secret except in order that it may be known. If any man has
ears to hear, let him be listening and perceive and comprehend. And He said to
them, be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study]
you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge]
that comes back to you, and more besides will be given to you who hear. For
to him who has will more be given, and from him who has nothing, even what he
has will be taken away (by force)”.
(Mark 4 verses 22 – 25)
Even though there are teachers in the body of Christ, that, does not negate personal study of the scriptures and development of one’s
relationship with God. Each individual member has a responsibility for his or her
own relationship with God to a degree. However, not outside of the confines of the
collective body of believers. This is a paradox. We are believers together not
on our own, although we may come to believe on our own, we cannot remain on our
own. The fellowship of believers is essential to our continued walk with God.
The need for true fellowship in these last days in particular is of utmost
importance.
The body of Christ in all its variety, not divisions, are going to need
each other in the last days like no other time before. We will have to
transcend our denominational boundaries, either willingly, or we will be thrust
or forced into it.
When you fellowship with other believers of the faith, don’t
look at each other as if you are strangers from another planet. We are of the
same household of faith. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord, regardless of
colour or creed. We actually share the same faith and follow the same Lord.
Yes, we have differing doctrines over various issues, but we need to cast aside
our pride and regard our common salvation that we share in Christ. We need to grasp the revelation of the unity of the Spirit. We
need to allow the Spirit of Truth to lead us into ALL Truth, as revealed by the
same Spirit. Do you desire this?
“ Beloved, my whole purpose in writing to you was to talk
about the common salvation we share. But I was impelled to urgently write to
you about contending for the faith that was once for all delivered
verbally to the saints”. (Jude verse 3)
Just what is the faith? It is the sum total of
all that we believe. The prefix ‘the’ before the word faith reveals something
of a holy kind, not some arbitrary faith that is cheap. It is only one of a
kind, no other faith will suffice or be acceptable to God, because it is His and
He has bestowed it upon His people Jew and gentile who are formed into one
body. We are stewards of this faith, entrusted with something so holy, that
only a holy people can walk in it and we are made holy by virtue of the shed
blood of Christ.
“For to whom much is given, of him much is required; and of
him to whom men entrust much they will require the more”. (Luke 12
verse 48b)
We, as God’s corporate people, have been entrusted with much. Therefore much is required of us. This is no light matter and it demands from
us our attention. Our calling saints, is holy, it is not from this earth but from
above. We are called by the living God of heaven and earth, the One
who spoke the word and it came to pass, the One who is above all and over all, to whom absolute authority belongs. He has chosen us to be His own. Paul,
writing to Timothy says,
“If I am detained, you may know how people ought to conduct
themselves in the household of God, who are the called out (church) of the
living God, the pillar and stay of the Truth”. (1 Timothy 3
verse 15)
The church of the living God, the body of Christ, is the pillar and stay of
the Truth. Can you begin to sense the weight and magnitude of this holy calling, with which we are called ? All this is
attainable, by the grace that is given to us, not merely individually but collectively, not
divided but in the true unity of the Spirit. The prayer of our Lord Jesus for His disciples to
His Father will come to pass.
“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the
world and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, them whom
you have given me, that they may be one, as we are one.
So that they all may be one just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have
sent me. I have given them the glory which you have given me, that
they may be one even as we are one; I in them and you in me, in
order that they may become one, that the world may know that you
have sent me”. (John 17 verses 11, 21 – 23)
Do we need any more profound witness than this prayer of the
Lord Jesus? Five times the Lord Jesus asks His Father for oneness or unity to be
amongst and in His disciples. Twice He says that the world may believe you
have sent me. The world will never believe or even take God into their
consideration in any real depth, with our divisions. There is a unity
required of us by God for all His people to walk in as reality, as something
that is visible for the world to see. We sing a song with lyrics that go like
this,
Father make us one, Father make us one,
That the world may know you have sent,
Your Son, Father make us one.
Often we sing it as a cliché, yet the cry of that song is the
express request of God’s Son for us His people and the Father shall grant it to Him. We shall be one beyond the boundaries of our divisional, denominational
structures that we have built, as a testimony to our pride. The walls of
division will come crashing down, as they have already begun. The Head of the
church will have a people walking, not merely in the unity of the Spirit
but also the unity of the faith.
What is the unity of the Spirit?
This unity is not a hit and miss thing. It is not vague or hidden. It is given by the Spirit of God. It is
that which we embrace, when we are born from above and are placed into the body
of Christ. We all share this unity regardless of our denominational
affiliation or divisions. We don’t strive to attain it, because it is already
given. We do however, endeavour to keep it. This unity cannot be rejected
by any of us. It is there in place, in the sphere of the body of Christ as we are introduced into
that same body, by the Spirit
“Be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the peace that
binds you together”.
(Eph. 4 verse 3)
The Spirit produces this unity; it is of Him and from Him. This very Spirit, is none other than, the Spirit of God. This unity of the Spirit, is also the very unity that is shared amongst the Godhead. The same unity that
exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the same unity that is to be
walked in by the body of Christ. The depth of this understanding is beyond mortal words. Only the Spirit Himself, can testify to our spirit and mind, the truth of this understanding. It cannot be understood by the natural mind.
Can we imagine at any point in time, even
for one millisecond, that the Godhead might disagree with each other. At that
moment, if the Godhead could disagree amongst themselves, God would not be God as He presents Himself to be. He would in fact be a
false god and our faith would be in vain, we would be lost. The truth is, that no such division or disagreement can or does exist amongst the Godhead; it
is impossible and improbable, it simply cannot be. God is who He says He is. Halleluyah!!!
“For by one Spirit we were all, whether Jews or
Greeks, slaves or free, baptised into one body and all
made to drink of one Spirit”. (1 Corinthians 12 verse 13)
As with any truth in scripture, unity is not merely something
that we give mental ascent to, yet live contrary to our confession, which is
hypocrisy. We are called to unity as actual experience and not mere verbal
acknowledgement. The unity of the Spirit is not for an elect few who might be
willing to commit themselves to the task; it is the calling and requirement of
every single one of us.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to
dwell together in unity!”
(Psalm 133 verse 1)
If dwelling together in unity is good and pleasant, then the
adverse would also be true. It would go something like this, ‘Behold
how bad and terrible it is for brethren to dwell together in disunity for it is
there the Lord withholds His blessing’ and we all know how unpleasant
disunity can be. To be able to see the entire church walking in true
unity is to be visionary; to what extent we are willing to give up our pride
will be the same extent we will walk in the depth of this unity. This kind of
unity goes beyond mere conventional unity with a pat on the back and bear hug
stuff we are so used to. It transcends our shaking hands over our boundary
fences and returning back to our own little properties. It removes the fences
altogether that we can freely enter into fellowship with family members of the
same unique faith and worship the one true God together. In this unity, not one
member is threatened by another but each member functions with the measure of
grace and faith apportioned them by the Head, thus growing with a growth that
comes from the same. What a glorious body this will be.
What about the unity of the faith?
The scriptures not only speak of the unity of the Spirit but
also the unity of the faith. If the unity of the Spirit is that
unity we all share when we are birthed into the one body of Messiah by the Holy
Spirit, then what is the unity of the faith? A definition has
already been given.
“Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and
in the knowledge of the Son of God, becoming mature by attaining to the full
measure of the Messiah’s own fullness. Then, we will no longer be like
children who are tossed here and there by differing teachings taught by men to
deceive by their crafty schemes”. (Ephesians 4 verses 13 – 14)
It is not for some of us to attain but all of us, the whole
body of Messiah. Attaining to the unity of the faith is
synonymous with our coming to full maturity, even the fullness that is the
Messiah’s own. What happens then? We will no longer be like children who are
tossed here and there by so many differing teachings from men in order to
deceive. As things currently stand, the church is constantly being
heaved backwards and forwards by so many differing doctrines on the many issues
that comprise the faith. This shows that we have not yet attained
to the unity of the faith or the maturity thereof. This attaining
to the unity of the faith must be as demonstration for a world
that is fraught with division. The whole body of believers will come to this
unity; it shall be so. If you struggle with comprehending this, then your
vision is small and you need to see as God sees and has made known His desire
in the scriptures. It will come to pass that the whole body of believers will
walk and live in this unity of the faith; broaden your vision
saints of God; it is His desire and will for such a thing. We will all believe
the same thing; we will all have the same understanding; we will all come to
the unity of the faith.
The only ‘divisions’ that will exist will be those of a
geographical nature, that is to say, the areas in which we live namely, our
towns, cities and nations. Remember, that this unity I am referring to is that
which is reserved for those who are of the household of faith, for those who
have been birthed by the Spirit of God into the kingdom of God and made one in
the one body of the Messiah of God. It is not for those of other
faiths or belief systems; this is for God’s very own, flesh of His flesh and
bone of His bone, thus being made partakers of very God Himself.
Panelled houses built by men.
Hear the rebuke of God through his servant the prophet Haggai
to His people Israel, which rebuke is for us all the same.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: This people say, the time is
not yet come that the Lord’s house should be rebuilt. Then the word of the Lord
came by the prophet Haggai, saying, Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in
your own panelled houses, while this house of the Lord lies in ruins? Now
therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on
what has come to you. You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat,
but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you
clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them
to put them in a bag with holes in it. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider
your ways your previous and present conduct and how you have fared. Go up to
the hill country and bring lumber and rebuild my house, and I will take
pleasure in it and I will be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much
harvest, and lo, it came to little; and even when you brought that home, I blew
it away. Why? Says the Lord of hosts? Because of my house
which lies waste, while you yourselves run each man to his own house eager to
build and adorn it”. (Haggai 1 verses 2 – 9)
Our denominational structures today are the same as those who
were building their own houses at the expense of the greater
house of God. We, His people are that house. It is not something made out of
brick and cement; it is us who are living stones that are being built together
to form the very habitation of God Himself in His fullness.
“But the Messiah was faithful over His own Father’s house
as a Son. And it is we who are this house, if we
hold fast firm to the end in hope”. (Heb. 3 verse 6)
“In Him the whole structure is joined, bound, welded
together harmoniously; and it continues to rise, grow, increase into a holy
temple in the Lord – a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated to the presence of the
Lord. In Him and in fellowship with one – another, you yourselves are also
being built up into this structure with the rest, to form a fixed abode, a
dwelling place of God in the Spirit”. (Ephesians 2
verses 21 – 22)
This structure that is being built together into a holy temple
in the Lord is none other than the very House of God, which we are. This house
cannot be built in a divided manner; but must be built up together. God is the
wise master builder, piecing together the lively stones after His own pattern,
not ours. The foundation no man can lay for it is already laid and that
foundation is the Messiah Yeshua; He is both the Head and foundation of the
structure, we, Jew and gentile, are the building together and individually
members of it.
Do we have any sense of reality about how much our divisions
have been a cause of stumbling and offence to those who would seek to enter the
kingdom of God? What about how much we have grieved the heart of God by our
divisions? We rebuke the devil when often the blessing of God is withheld from
us.
“Therefore the heavens above you for your sake withhold the
dew, and the earth withholds its produce. I have called for a drought
upon the land and the hill country, upon the grain, the fresh fruit juice, the
oil, upon what the ground brings forth, upon men and cattle, and upon all the
wearisome toil of men’s hands”. (Haggai 1 verses 10 – 11)
It is the Lord who calls for these chastisements and judgements
on the earth to withhold His blessings because of our sin. When we repent of
our sin, then He forgives and looses the curse for His blessing to flow. God
will not affirm us in our sin; He requires us to repent and turn, then He will
bless and heal. It is God who resists the proud not the devil. The
denominational barriers that we have built to separate God’s people from each
other is a monument to our pride. God’s people boast themselves of their own
houses (denominational barriers) that they have built. Our fancy church
buildings are an affront to the name of our God and boast of our ability to
erect brick and cement structures that God no longer dwells in. We
need a revelation of the structure that God by His Spirit is building and it is
not out of brick and cement. Men waste millions and millions of dollars
erecting structures out of brick and cement at the expense of the true
structure of God, which are living stones, real flesh and blood people.
‘ Come and as living stones be yourselves built into
a spiritual house, for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Yeshua the Messiah”. (1
Peter 2 verse 5)
Each one of us are likened to a stone that is to be built into
a spiritual house, even as we are likened to a body that is set according to
the will of Him who called and placed us in the same. We are ipso facto
related to each other as brothers and sisters in the Messiah by virtue of the
shed blood of God’s own Son. This union of the spirit is more real than our
physical union with flesh and blood brothers and sisters; yet do you see how we
behave towards each other, especially from different denominational
affiliations. We treat each other like aliens from out of space, as though some
of us have diseases. We have rich denominations, we have poor denominations, we
have white denominations, and we have black denominations, each one catering to
their particular requirement. The unity of the faith knows no
boundaries or denominational divisions. Do you want to hear a contradiction of
terms, when we say we are ‘non – denominational’ or we are ‘not a
denominational fellowship’, yet we still segregate other believers from
ourselves by fellowshipping with our own little circles? We should be ashamed
of ourselves, for our conduct reflects directly upon the Lord who paid the
price in blood to make us one in Him.
What do we do?
We repent, repent and repent all the more. All of us bear the
guilt of division, leader and member alike. As is the priest so are the people.
This repentance will come through strong crying and bitter tears, in other
words, we will have to realise the great pain we have caused our Father. Our
divisions have been the norm not the exception. The time has come for us to
turn to the Lord with all our hearts with fasting and weeping and ask the Lord
for His forgiveness. We need to forgive each other and be forgiven by each
other. We must turn from our pride and seek each other out beyond the boundaries
of our denominational barriers. What about our doctrinal differences? We trust
the Lord to reveal our errors and lead us into all truth. I am acutely aware
that this will not happen in a day; it will take some time but happen it must.
Like all other things, there is an easy way to do something and there is a hard
way. If we humble ourselves then He will lift us up and bring us to the reality
of this level of agreement where we all believe the same thing, where we think
the same thing. If this is something we will not do willingly and out of love
for Him, then we will be thrust into it.
The Lord will arouse the
spirit of His people, so that we will come and build His house
even as He did to Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of His people in the reign of
Darius, king of Persia and so shall the glory of the latter house be greater
than that of the former house. It is the foolish man who hears and nods his
head and does nothing; it is the wise man that hears and obeys.
