I pray that we will soon discover that we are to work at being what God’s WORD says we are.
“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:10-12 NIV).
When we finally embrace one another in the love of God the world will be touched by the life and power of God through the true Spirit of evangelism.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:17-21 KJV).
“Which in time past were not a people” This is a quotation from Ho 1:9, 10; 2:23, where the calling of the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Gospel, is foretold. From this it is evident, that the people to whom the apostle now addresses himself had been Gentiles, covered with ignorance and superstition, and now had obtained mercy by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
God called Abram out of a people (Shem) to make a new people in the earth, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3 KJV).” Abram obeyed God, and because of his faith and obedience to God’s word, a new and great nation was born into the earth.
Walking in the unity of the Spirit is prerequisite to walking in the unity of the faith.
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ” (Galatians 5:13-16 KJV).
The unity of the faith is something that we grow into. The writer of the epistle to the Ephesians wrote:
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism; One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: , “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:5-16).
Unity is not a new phenomena to be explored by the people of God. Unity is as ancient as God, and indeed is one of His attributes. God does not disagree nor strive with the members of the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always in complete harmony.
The Fruit of Unity
Agreement
“Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on the earth concerning any matter, whatsoever it may be that they shall ask, it shall come to them from my Father who is in the heavens. For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them.”(Matthew 18:19, 20 Dby).
“And when the day of Pentecost was now accomplishing, they were all together in one place.” (Acts 2:1 Dby).
Boldness
And having been let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. And they, having heard it, lifted up their voice with one accord to God, and said, Lord, *thou* art the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them; who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have the nations raged haughtily and the peoples meditated vain things? The kings of the earth were there, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.
For in truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hadst anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the nations, and peoples of Israel, have been gathered together in this city to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass.
And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word,
in that thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:23-31).
Sharing
“And the heart and soul of the multitude of those that had believed were one, and not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them;
and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
For neither was there any one in want among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, brought the price of what was sold
and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one might have need.” (Acts 4:32-35).
“These gave themselves all with one accord to continual prayer, with several women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” (Acts 1:14).
We are to strive together to accomplish the same end. Why do we strive against one another? We are destroying ourselves by struggling against the will of God for our corporate lives. We are a called out people who should be joined together in singleness of heart doing battle against the wiles of the devil.
“Only conduct yourselves worthily of the glad tidings of the Christ, in order that whether coming and seeing you, or absent, I may hear of what concerns you, that ye stand firm in one spirit, with one soul, labouring together in the same conflict with the faith of the glad tidings.” (Philippians 1:27 Dby).
“To the end that their hearts may be encouraged, being united together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God.” (Colossians 2:2 Dby).
“Finally, be all of one mind, sympathizing, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded.” (1Peter 3:8 Dby).
When we finally come together in love we will learn of God more perfectly. We as members of the same body are not to be self indulgent, but serving one another with gifts freely given to us by the Spirit of Holy God, for the very purpose of edifying one another (see 1Corinthians 12: 14-31).
Love causes us to be properly motivated, which is why we should SEEK THE GOOD OF OTHERS in the assemblies of God rather than SATISFY OUR OWN DESIRES. The church is edified when we prophesy, (see 1Corinthians 14.4).
Love also causes us to want to do all things decently and in order (1Cor. 14:40).
“Therefore let all things be done unto edification” (1Corinthians 14:26).
“Build one another up with the gifts of love that God has given us (Php 2:4).
And remember, if one member is out of harmony with the rest of the body, the body must minister to the weak member to bring them back to strength (Ga 6:1).
Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together except they be in agreement?
C U R i o u s ?
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