[Biblemat] Article - "WHERE TRUE UNITY EXIST"
GLClair at aol.com
GLClair at aol.com
Sun Nov 4 20:55:10 CST 2007
WHERE TRUE UNITY EXIST
Conclusion to 14 Part study
How Is Unity Possible?
FINAL STUDY - Number 1
Mankind today must accept the fact that Jesus Christ knew that HIS RELIGIOUS
ESTABLISHMENT would not bring unification to all people for all time. Jesus
knew at the time he came to earth that complete world-wide unity would not be
accomplished. Unity of all people will not occur but the cause of disunity
does not rest with the Godhead; the cause of disunity is found in the created
beings [i.e. man and woman]:
Luke 12:51-53,
“51 Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but
rather division:
52 for there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three
against two, and two against three.
53 They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father;
mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her
daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.” ASV
John 7:41-43,
“41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, What, doth the Christ
come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the seed of David,
and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?
43 So there arose a division in the multitude because of him.” ASV
John 9:16,
“16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because
he keepeth not the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man that is a sinner
do such signs? And there was division among them.” ASV
John 10:6-19,
“6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things
they were which he spake unto them.
7 Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am
the door of the sheep.
8 All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not
hear them.
9 I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go
in and go out, and shall find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I
came that they may have life, and may have (it) abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the
sheep.
12 He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not,
beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf
snatcheth them, and scattereth (them):
13(he fleeth) because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me,
15 even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my
life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one
shepherd.
17 Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may
take it again.
18 No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power
to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received
I from my Father.
19 There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words.” ASV
There has never been complete unity of all the members of the church it
seems. That does not in mean that man is excused from striving, seeking, praying,
and encouraging total unity of all Christians in faith and doctrine.
Psalms 133:1, “1 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” KJV
Eph 4:3, “3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
” KJV
Eph 4:13-16, “13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which
is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of
every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
KJV
Is it not true that every Christian is debtor to Christ for His saving
grace; therefore we are obligated to patiently work for unity as Jesus has
requested and as the Holy Scriptures teach? As Paul says of His brethren in the
flesh, “Rom 10:1-3, “10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for
Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God.” KJV
Rom 9:1-6, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing
me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and
the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the
promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came,
who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all
Israel, which are of Israel:” KJV
Rom 7:22-25, “22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” KJV
TRUE UNITY HAS EXISTED CONTINUALLY FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH IN
C.E. 33 - Acts 2:1-47
FINAL STUDY – Number 2
INTROCUCTION TO CONCLUSION:
The Lord established the church [i.e. Body of Christ} on the day of
Pentecost [cf. ACTS 2:1-47] according to prophecy [cf. Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3;
Daniel 2:31-38; etc] and According to Divine planning even before the World was
created [cf. 1 Cor 2:6-8]. This plan is consummated in the Death, Burial, and
Resurrection of Jesus Christ and occurred according to Divine Planning.
The Church {i.e. Body of Christ – the Universal Church – Rom 7:4; 1 Cor
12:27; Eph 4:12; etc.], not different local congregations but the saved of all
time. This Body is always in perfect unity although having no earthly head or
headquarters [i.e. Jesus Christ is the only head – Matt 28:18; Eph 1:22; Col
1:18; Col 2:19-22; etc.].
Jesus is the head and as such the body functions in perfect unity according
to the instruction and wishes of the head. Those added to the Body of Christ
are added by the Lord [cf. Acts 2:47; Col 1:22; Col 2:17; Eph 5:23; etc.],
consequently Jesus Christ removes any and all that offend the truth in any
form. This action by the head assures a perfect unity of the spirit in the bond
of peace until the Lord comes at the Last Day [cf. John 12:48].
Yes, the word church as the Body of Christ with one head comprises the
Universal Church or the saved of all ages. This use of the word church is
consistent with the teaching of the whole Revelation and is simple when we come to
the proper understanding of the perfect institution with its perfect head.
There is no sin or variables of doctrine or opinions within the Body of Christ,
its Head [i.e. Jesus Christ] keeps the body in perfect unity at all times John
10:7-18, “7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and
robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, 12 But
he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not,
seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep , and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth
them, and scattereth the sheep .
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the
sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life
for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also
I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and
one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my
life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down
of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father.” KJV.
THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY [i.e. congregation}:
As we examine the local church or the congregation with its elders and
deacons we understand that this body is imperfect. The imperfection is not in the
founder or in the head but is in those that seek membership in them.
Jesus parable of the good seed and the tares is an illustration of the
problems that exist in congregations all over the world in generation after
generation, notice the message in the parable --- Matt 13:24-30, “24 Another parable
put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man
which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came
and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was
sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the
servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good
seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An
enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go
and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye
root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the
harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together
first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat
into my barn.” KJV
NOTE:
It is a fact that the parable tells of the Lord’s perfect seed sown in the
society or among those that will hear. While the Lord sows good seed that
makes good disciples the Devil sows bad seeds in among the good seed [i.e.
unconverted, hypocrites, sowers of discord, insincere, and unsaved pretenders] in
the church.
There can never be perfect, continuous unity in the congregation because of
the Devil’s work and the work of his agents. Yet, the Lord says leave them
alone until harvest time [i.e. the end] and He will separate the bad from the
good.
Even though there can be no perfect unity in the congregation that does not
mean that there are no saved people in them, there are both saved and unsaved
who occupy the pews in congregations. We will or we must learn how to keep
ourselves in the grace of God by learning and doing those things that will
ensure our continued growth and maturity, cf. 1 Peter 2:1-4, “1 Putting away
therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all
evil speakings, 2 as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without
guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; 3 if ye have tasted that the
Lord is gracious: 4 unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of
men, but with God elect, precious,” ASV
2 Peter 3:18, “18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. To him (be) the glory both now and for ever. Amen.” ASV
Philippians 2:3-16,
“3 (doing) nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of
mind each counting other better than himself;
4 not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the
things of others.
5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality
with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the
likeness of men;
8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient
(even) unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is
above every name;
10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (things) in heaven
and (things) on earth and (things) under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling;
13 for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good
pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and questionings:
15 that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without
blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen
as lights in the world,
16 holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the
day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.” ASV
CONSIDER THIS:
Dear friends and brethren, let us work toward that perfect unity while we
live and move and have our being here in this world. We must do whatever God
instructs us via the Written Word in order to be acceptable and to be a
contributor to the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. We also pray that God
will continue His grace to us while we endeavor with all our faculties to
serve Him acceptable. “AMEN!”
May God bless us all as we seek to understand and contribute to “The unity
of the spirit in the bond of peace.”
_glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com)
considermagazine.com
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