Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Signing the Declaration of Independence was a dangerous act. To call the king of England a tyrant --especially in such a public and eloquent way-- was high treason, punishable by death. Although the signers of the Declaration of Independence had different reasons for doing so, were very different individuals, and had radically different political points of view, the executioner's rope could be equally effective for one and all. John Hancock was bold. He signed his name first and large. "There," he said; "King George should be able to read that without his spectacles." When Benjamin Franklin signed, he was expected to say something witty, pithy, and to the point; he was, after all, the greatest aphorist of his day. Franklin did not disappoint. "We must all hang together," he said, "or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." These founding fathers recognized the need for unity as they forged this great country we know as The United States of America.

A popular American flag (prior to Betsy Ross's version with the stars and stripes) showed a snake divided in parts representing the thirteen colonies. The slogan was: UNITE OR DIE. Another popular early flag showed the snake united, with the warning: DON'T TREAD ON ME. Again, an emphasis on unity.

Another way of stressing the need for unity came from Martin Niemoeller (January 14, 1892 - March 6, 1984) who was a German anti-Nazi ..theologian ..and Lutheran pastor. He said, “In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

In the November 1933 issue of Pentecostal Outlook, official magazine of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ organization, page 24. W. T. Witherspoon, Chairman of the organization, wrote these words: “While in prayer a few days ago, the Lord burdened me with the terrible conditions, not only in the world, but in the Jesus Only church. It seems to me that God is letting enough happen to show the brethren of like precious faith the absolute necessity of getting together, regardless of machinery or offices. No one group can point their fingers at the other. Division is keeping back God’s power. The only division there should be is between righteousness and unrighteousness; holiness and sin.”

In the June 1936 issue on page 8, L. R. Ooton said this: “There is no greater need among the Spirit-filled children of God today, than the unity of the Spirit. There are entirely too many divisions or organizations separating Oneness brethren, and the eternal God is viewing this situation today. If we preach Oneness, it is also necessary for us to practice the same.”

It is my opinion that there is only one Church. This is the Church that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16:18 where He called it “My Church” and promised to edify or build it up. He also said that the gates of death would not overcome it. We some times call this Church “the Body of Christ” or “the Church of Jesus Christ” or “the ..Church of God” or just simply “the Church.” It is my opinion that this one Church is made up of all who have believed in Jesus Christ and who have submitted to Him as Lord whether they have been water baptized or not, or how much water was used if they were baptized, or whatever words may have been spoken when they were baptized, or whatever name may be on the outside of the building, or whatever fellowship card (if any) they carry in their wallet or purse.

1 John 5:1 says, “If you believe that Jesus is the Christ --that He is God’s Son and your Savior-- you are a child of God.” The verse goes on and states that since we all have the same Heavenly Father we are therefore all brothers and sisters and just as we love our Heavenly Father we also love our spiritual siblings.

It bothers me to see apparent divisions among God’s family who make up the Church. On His last night before His crucifixion Jesus prayed for His followers --those who were with Him then and ..all those who would later believe in Him. You and I are included in that prayer because we have come to faith in Jesus through the words of the Apostles by whom the Bible was given. He prayed for several things and one of them was for unity. ..That prayer is recorded in John 17:1-26 where Jesus prayed for our:
1 Salvation verses 2-5
2 Revelation verses 6-8
3 Preservation verses 9-12
4 Jubilation verse 13
5 Sanctification/Separation verses 14-19
6 Evangelization verse 20
7 Unification verses 21-23
8 Affection (love) verses 23, 26
9 Glorification verses 22-24

Notice that when Jesus prayed for unity He said, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ..I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one... so that the world will believe you sent me.” How were Jesus and the Father one? The word one can mean united or unity and it can also mean a numerical one. Jesus was a man/human indwelt by God and there was a oneness or unity or cooperation between Him and His Father. Indwelt by the Father He did the works of God. He was God and man united. The Body of Christ is one in unity and it is also made up of one group of humans indwelt by God and doing the works of God.

Our divisions and differences and exclusiveness in the way we treat one another not only grieves our Heavenly Father but also presents a distorted caricature of the Body of Christ to those around us. How many people have been turned off and alienated from Jesus by the way we treat our brothers and sisters who may look different, worship different, and believe differently than we. The late John Wimber (February 25, 1934 - November 17, 1997) founder of the Vineyard Churches said, “We have all been called to love the things Jesus loves, so we have no choice but to love the whole church --even the denominations whose beliefs we may not agree with or those parts we do not understand.” The Church is said to be the only army that buries its wounded and our "spiritual warfare" has been laughingly compared to a “circular firing squad.”

Ephesians 4:1-6 tells us there is only one Church, the Body of Christ, and it is made up of all who have been baptized/placed into it by His Spirit. This is how it reads in the New Living Translation:
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

So, what are you and I supposed to do? I suggest the following actions:
-Recognize the unity of the one true Church
-Receive one another as members of that one body
-Respect your brother and sister and their right to be different than you
-Realize none of us is perfect
-Restore any who fall
-Rely on God’s Spirit to do that and
-Really work on it

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the same spirit of unity that was spoken of in this article, actually came to rest here at AFF!!!!

One can always hope, pray, and believe... if we put aside our differences of opinion on various doctrines, standards, and remember that we all stand in the same place together at the foot of the cross.... maybe, just maybe we could rejoice in the same spirit of unity that the founding fathers of this country had.

Focus on what unites us, instead of what constantly is dividing us...

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

I don't worry about having unity here - we have it! Let someone post an urgent need and no matter what personal beliefs are argued amonst us UNITY overrides and people pray.

I trust the prayers of AFF members - we know how to reach the throne and rally around those that need prayer and support.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Yes, like the spoiled kids we are, we squabble among ourselves with our siblings over inconsequential things but we do stick up for one another in prayer when needed.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Unity according to Apostle Paul:

10 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 Cor. 1:10

This is the unity Paul believed in. He wrote that by one spirit we are all baptized into one body and all made to drink into one spirit. So there is s spiritual unity between all spirit baptized people.

Yet Paul urges them to believe and speak the same thing.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

And, we've still got a ways to go before we reach that goal.

In my opinion, the 5 fold ministry is given to bring us to that place but we will never really get there 100 percent before the rapture.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

That is part of the purpose of the ministry to help us all walk in the truth. Dont assume it wont happen before the rapture.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Ha, amen. I'm pretty sure that that has to happen
before any rapture. (Prepared Bride, imo)

"Yet Paul urges them to believe and speak the same thing"

is "that thing" that we all agree on, yes?
Needn't be the length of hair, etc.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

This thread is interesting...this topic of Unity was yesterdays main message by one of the ministers in my local church. Unity is important, but I fear that in some cases it is over simplified. Unity takes time, effort, and most of all, in spiritual cases, God. This can not be rushed, forced, or manipulated. In my experience, much patience is required to see unity in an assembly.

The question that has been in my mind for some years now is the difference between unity and uniformity. Anotherwards, IMHO it is possible to have unity amoung a people while the same people also have a sense of individuality or diversity. Conversely, I believe it is impossible to have diversity in an atmosphere that requires uniformity. I suppose we could have a thread talking about this extensively.

At any rate, the message was good and important. The only snag came when the minister brought up one word...balance. He exclaimed how that balance is a word and idea that originates in eastern religion and is creeping in to american society and yes..the church. He stated that we should not be seeking balance but instead unity...because seeking balance means we are trying to do / live on our own.

Naturally, this part I disagreed with totally. I find it interesting how "balance" is automatically tied to eastern religion and philosophy when it is clearly written in the Word. Balance did not originate in Asia...it originated with God. At any rate, what is more interesting is that most of us Apostolics talk extensively about saving ourselves from this untoward generation, and sanctification, and Holiness...but then berate something like balance and attribute the striving for such things as works.

Anyway, while I know unity is Biblical, important, and necessary, I wonder sometimes if we sacrifice the real need for balance by burning ourselves out and each other for this common goal of unity that in some cases could be reached far easier if balance were not sacrificed on the alter...

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Just wondering which scripture reference you mention "clearly written in the Word" on the topic of balance in relationship to the topic of unity?

I myself personally think that moderation would be a much better word to use....
Philippians 4:5 "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Good Point - I apologize for the rambling nature of my post...I was not trying to compare unity with balance...although it seemed that way at the closing of my post. What I should have been more clear about was that unity is often taught in regards to a mission, or mission statement / goals.

Having come from a very program / goal oriented church, I can tell you that balance was the last thing any of us leaders in that church had. Many of us were sold out to the vision to double the assembly, teach Bible studies, etc., etc., but many other people and responsibilites were sacrificed to accomplish the "unity".

At any rate, I don't have my Bible right here with me, but I do remember a scripture that addresses the false balance and how it is an abomination. It can be a logical conclusion that if there is a such thing as a false balance, then there must also be a right balance - and of course the scripture you posted about moderation is also a good example.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Prov 11:1
A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.

In context, the "balance" here is referring to a measurement device. However, I do see the point in your post.

Like you said, Unit is not uniformity. There can be unity in diversity.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Is it God's will that you achieve unity?

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

In my opinion, it is God's will for His people to have unity among themselves. Because we are human, I doubt we ever will. It bothered the Apostle Paul that there were divisions in the Church at Corinth. He addressed this 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 and 3:1-5.

In Ephesians 4:1-16 Paul exhorted the folks in Ephesus to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. He says that we all have the same Lord and we have all been placed/baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit in verses 4-6. He also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that we were all placed/baptized into one Body by the Holy Spirit. In verses 11-16 Paul says that God has placed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the Body until we come in the unity of the faith and grow up into perfection. That's why I think we will always have those 5 offices in the church because we will not reach perfection/maturity/completion until the rapture.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

I think unity is more of an attitude than anything else. If we recognize that we have differences of opinion among us but respect one another and accept them as brothers and sisters, and cooperate with one another, in my opinion, that is unity.

Let me give you a couple of examples.
1. I belong to a group called FGBMFI (Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International). At a recent breakfast meeting, our president asked us all to tell which church we belong to. We had 12 different churches represented there that day, yet we could fellowship and worship God together. One of the men there that morning goes to a Roman Catholic Church. He was baptized Roman Catholic and educated Roman Catholic, and believes Roman Catholic doctrine. Yet he is saved and has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. He and I don't agree theologically on several things, yet we consider each other brothers in Christ. At FGBMFI we have had speakers from different denominations including Roman Catholic and Baptist. To me this is a good example of the unity of the Body.

2. Ordinarily on Wednesday mornings I attend a prayer meeting at the First Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Ohio. This meeting has been going on for 50 years. The woman who leads it is 92 years old. I don't know where all they have met over the years but they have been there in that building for quite a few years. About 20-25 people meet there each week and maybe one or two of them are members of that church. The rest of us come from several different churches. When the current pastor came to that church as pastor, the group had already been meeting there for some time. He didn't know much about us and I've heard him say, "I didn't know if you would lay hands on me and pray over me in tongues and hand me a snake, or what." Pastor John has not, as far as I know, been baptized in the Spirit. He does come down to the prayer meeting once in a while, sits in a chair and asks us to pray for him. He has done this when his brother was sick. He has done this when the church was facing a financial crisis. And he has done this when he was seeking wisdom on certain issues. Nobody has ever handed him a snake but they do pray over him in tongues and prophecy. To me this prayer meeting is an example of the unity of the Body.

3. Last summer, we had a prayer meeting on Main Street in downtown Hamilton, Ohio. Ministers from various churches/organizations/denominations prayed for the city and for a move of God there. The prayer meeting was organized by H-HOP (Hamilton House of Prayer, a few people who meet in various places to pray for Hamilton) and by Offerings/Holy Grounds Cafe (a restaurant ministry a couple doors down from the Gazebo and park where the prayer meeting was held). I posted a link for that here last year. I was one of the persons who prayed. I prayed Psalm 51 for the city of Hamilton, for Butler County, for Hamilton County, and for SW Ohio. The man who heads up H-HOP attends the Hamilton Dream Center where I go. He and I are elders there. The couple who operate Holy Grounds Cafe are Felix and Kim. He is an ordained Baptist minister. She is ordained in our church. I was one of the ministers who signed her ordination papers and who laid hands on her at her ordination). I honestly don't know if either or both of them have been baptized in the Spirit. This is another example, in my opinion, of the unity of the Body.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

So, Jesus asked for unity (John 17; note especially v. 20 -- He's praying for you), it is in accordance with God's will, and it won't happen. Will you be removing 1 John 5:14-15 from your Bible?

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

wasn't planning on removing any verses from 1 John 5 from my Bible.

God's will does not always get done.
God limits Himself by several things. One of them is our free will. God wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2: 4; Peter 3:9) but not everyone will.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

But you don't believe the promise in 1 John 5:14-15 will be kept. Why not remove that passage?

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

I know everyone here is just aghast at my audacity in suggesting that there maybe should be some changes to the canon. It's probably a sin. But when the canon was under development, the exact same thing happened over and over. Candidate gospels were thrown out. Another apocalypse book besides The Revelation of John (at least one I know of) was rejected. Even some writings of Paul were left out. Ever heard of 3rd Corinthians?

Anyway, if God has in fact closed the door to the canon (and you must have some way of knowing that), you're fine. Go with what you have. ;)

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

When we pray,
"Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done...."
as Jesus instructed us
we know that God hears us because we are asking according to His will.
And we are personally receiving the answer because if we really mean what we are praying i.e. we are praying, not parroting, we yield ourselves to the Lord. We are voluntarily submitting to God's rule or reign (His kingdom or kingship) and the prayer is being answered. As far as other folks, we can pray this prayer for them --that they will respond to the call of God by yielding themselves to Him--but He will not force Himself on them. This is what I was trying to say when I said that God limits Himself by our free will.

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

Soooooooo, is that promise kept or not?

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

yes and no

Re: Unity in the Body of Christ
 

:spit