CHRISTIAN UNITY
As each of us is in Christ, we are ONE.
The Body of Christ is not “one” by commitment, consensus, inter-personal relationship, agreement, or like-mindedness.
We are “one” as we each are birthed into and abide in Christ.
We are not “one” by any fleshly striving but rather by divine, supernatural, miraculous work of grace.
Jesus Christ is the Living God and is quite capable of running His Church; and as each member turns to Him, His Body will take form and function!! Put Him to the test!! He will be glorified!!
We need not be concerned with labels of ministry and titles of leadership. Instead, just be what He calls us to be, and do what He calls us to do; and watch Him orchestrate the functioning of His Body, and watch Him be glorified!
John 10:16 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (NIV)
The Gospel of Jesus was “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16); and Jesus told His Jewish disciples that when He brought the Gentiles into the flock that there would be unity because:
1) they would listen to His voice, and
2) there would be only one shepherd
Jesus did not say the new sheep together with the previous sheep would need to be ecumenically minded, doctrinally in accord, in agreement as to form of worship or government, willing to give concessions, willing to compromise, willing to overlook differences and mutually agree the other is okay. He simply said that they would listen to His voice and He would be their only shepherd; and they would be one.
Do we believe in a living personal God, or not!? If He is not really real; then, yes, we need to run things ourselves. But, if He is real, then we need to let Him be God and run the show; and we need to just be obedient in our individual responsibilities - letting Him direct and bring it all together according to His plan.
We stand before the Lord individually! We each are accountable directly to God. He is the Head of each of us. He is the Head of all of us.
As each of us stands individually before the Lord, He forms us into His Body.
As we are each in Him we have unity with one another.
He will build His Church. He is the organization. He is the institution. He is the program. He is the leadership.
Do not derive security, sanctity, or righteousness from the institution of the church. Jesus only is the source.
Let God build His Church, and it will glorify Him. When man builds the church, man is glorified.
Walk only with Jesus, in His name. Walk in His grace, anointing, and blessing in all that you do.
We have unity as we are in Jesus Christ. If we have disunity, then we are not in Christ.
Unity is not something man can strive to achieve. It is simply the result of being in Christ.
We need to lay all things on the altar, release them as a sacrifice to God in repentance, and look only to Jesus and trust only in Him.
-----------------
I must learn to be in You at all times -
not just to hear Your voice.
It is more than being spiritually sensitive, aware, and focused.
It is brokenness and righteousness.
It is more than relationship.
It is a state of being.
It is a merging
It is unity.
It is identity.
-----------------
John 15:5,6
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
The Vine is not just the stem,
but inclusive also of the roots, branches, flowers, and fruit.
As a branch, I am not a separate entity/identity tapping into the Vine.
There is not a “relationship” as in the case of a parasite.
Rather, the branch is of or in the Vine.
There is identity and unity.
-----------------
When Jesus prayed that we be one with Him, the Father, and each other (John 17:21-23);
He spoke of so much more than a line of communication or even friendship.
He spoke of more than being like-minded and in agreement.
He spoke of more than deriving benefits, blessings, giftings, sustenance, and empowering.
He spoke of a supernatural, spiritual, miraculous joining where one is not distinguishable from the other.
Jesus prayed to His Father:
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Is the unity to which we are called, to be fulfilled and manifested only in heaven?
Jesus said that it would be for a testimony to the world. So it must be for Here and NOW.
Has this unity ever been accomplished? It certainly is not the case now. The church is openly (and rightly) mocked by the world. They in the world often see the truth clearer than we the sheep. There is no honest evidence of a single flock.
Once again:
As each of us is in Christ, we are ONE.
The Body of Christ is not “one” by commitment, consensus, inter-personal relationship, agreement, or like-mindedness.
We are “one” as we each are birthed into and abide in Christ.
We are not “one” by any fleshly striving but rather by divine, supernatural, miraculous work of grace.
Jesus Christ is the Living God and is quite capable of running His Church; and as each member turns to Him, His Body will take form and function!! Put Him to the test!! He will be glorified!!
We need not be concerned with labels of ministry and titles of leadership. Instead, just be what He calls us to be, and do what He calls us to do; and watch Him orchestrate the functioning of His Body, and watch Him be glorified!
John 10:16 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (NIV)
The Gospel of Jesus was “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16); and Jesus told His Jewish disciples that when He brought the Gentiles into the flock that there would be unity because:
1) they would listen to His voice, and
2) there would be only one shepherd
Jesus did not say the new sheep together with the previous sheep would need to be ecumenically minded, doctrinally in accord, in agreement as to form of worship or government, willing to give concessions, willing to compromise, willing to overlook differences and mutually agree the other is okay. He simply said that they would listen to His voice and He would be their only shepherd; and they would be one.
Do we believe in a living personal God, or not!? If He is not really real; then, yes, we need to run things ourselves. But, if He is real, then we need to let Him be God and run the show; and we need to just be obedient in our individual responsibilities - letting Him direct and bring it all together according to His plan.
We stand before the Lord individually! We each are accountable directly to God. He is the Head of each of us. He is the Head of all of us.
As each of us stands individually before the Lord, He forms us into His Body.
As we are each in Him we have unity with one another.
He will build His Church. He is the organization. He is the institution. He is the program. He is the leadership.
Do not derive security, sanctity, or righteousness from the institution of the church. Jesus only is the source.
Let God build His Church, and it will glorify Him. When man builds the church, man is glorified.
Walk only with Jesus, in His name. Walk in His grace, anointing, and blessing in all that you do.
We have unity as we are in Jesus Christ. If we have disunity, then we are not in Christ.
Unity is not something man can strive to achieve. It is simply the result of being in Christ.
We need to lay all things on the altar, release them as a sacrifice to God in repentance, and look only to Jesus and trust only in Him.
-----------------
I must learn to be in You at all times -
not just to hear Your voice.
It is more than being spiritually sensitive, aware, and focused.
It is brokenness and righteousness.
It is more than relationship.
It is a state of being.
It is a merging
It is unity.
It is identity.
-----------------
John 15:5,6
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
The Vine is not just the stem,
but inclusive also of the roots, branches, flowers, and fruit.
As a branch, I am not a separate entity/identity tapping into the Vine.
There is not a “relationship” as in the case of a parasite.
Rather, the branch is of or in the Vine.
There is identity and unity.
-----------------
When Jesus prayed that we be one with Him, the Father, and each other (John 17:21-23);
He spoke of so much more than a line of communication or even friendship.
He spoke of more than being like-minded and in agreement.
He spoke of more than deriving benefits, blessings, giftings, sustenance, and empowering.
He spoke of a supernatural, spiritual, miraculous joining where one is not distinguishable from the other.
Jesus prayed to His Father:
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Is the unity to which we are called, to be fulfilled and manifested only in heaven?
Jesus said that it would be for a testimony to the world. So it must be for Here and NOW.
Has this unity ever been accomplished? It certainly is not the case now. The church is openly (and rightly) mocked by the world. They in the world often see the truth clearer than we the sheep. There is no honest evidence of a single flock.
Once again:
- We have unity as we are in Jesus Christ. If we have disunity, then we are not in Christ.
- Unity is not something man can strive to achieve. It is simply the result of being in Christ.
- We need to lay all things on the alter, release them as a sacrifice to God in repentance, and look only to Jesus and trust only in Him.
