Introduction to Part III
What does the term “Unity of the Spirit” really mean for Christians?
In Parts I & II we presented insights into this uniquely Christian concept: unity of the Spirit. We are endeavoring to arrive at a practical understanding which is meaningful to our daily walk. We answer questions like:
Is unity of the Spirit an ethereal sixth sense based on feelings or intuition? Is it an intellectual or symbolic type or anthropomorphic construct used to create a theological distinction between Christians and “other” beliefs? How relevant is it to the church today? Is it important to you as a believer? Why? Are we “one” today in the local church, in the “unity of the Spirit” today?
We are examining the three real, tangible and measurable levels of this phenomenon in the church – the body of Christ.
Let’s recap:
The Unity of the Spirit is Real, Tangible, and Measurable
The perfect and highest expression of unity of the Spirit was modeled in the early church after Pentecost:
Acts 2:42-47
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Three distinct “levels” of unity of the Holy Spirit are expressed:
Level 1 – LCD (lowest common denominator)
(42) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Level 2 – Signs & Wonders
(43) And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Level 3 – A lifestyle of mutual support and sharing all things as needful
(44-47) And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people.
Each of these three represents a progressively higher level of unity in the church. And, each of these levels is real, tangible, and measurable.
Discussion of Levels of Unity of the Spirit
In Part I & II of our discussion, we asked and answered 4 questions about Level 1 & Level 2 unity:
A. What does this level of unity look like in the church?
B. What conditions are necessary for this level of unity to exist in the church?
C. How can the church enter in/rise to this level of unity?
D. What responsibilities do church pastors & clergy have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in His work of unity at this level?
We continue with these four questions as we examine Level 3 unity. These will lead to answers to the essential questions posed in the introduction.
Now to the highest level of unity possible in the church on earth today.
Level 3 Unity: Sharing and common stewardship of all things
Acts 2:44-45
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
The four questions for Level 3 unity:
A. What does level 3 unity look like?
It helps to understand a few of the Greek terms used here:
together (SC 1909) - upon, on, at, by, before (ie. ‘near’ to each other)
common (SC 2839) – together, fr (SC 4862) –union
possessions (SC 2933) – an acquirement, estate
goods (SC 5223) – existency or proprietorship, property
First, some observations on what level 3 unity IS NOT:
- They did not live in a commune. Acts 2:46 says they went from house to house…. They still had their homes – those that didn’t, lived with other members (note well - not in the Salvation Army shelters?.)
- They didn't necessarily agree on minor doctrinal issues but it was not a source of separation of their hearts.
- They didn’t have all the same preferences regarding lifestyle, culture, etc. but these were of no consequence to their hearts being bound together in love.
What level 3 unity IS:
“Togetherness”:
They were together (v44, and Acts 4:32): ie. There was no pattern of disconnected believers who separated themselves from the church body. In today’s church, there are many such disconnected believers.
“Had all things in common”:
They held their things (houses, possessions, etc.) as stewards, not owners. Thus, other members who had needs had access to these things.
Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
The attitude was one of one heart and soul: none said what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours; rather, they all said – what's mine is yours. This killed greed, covetousness, materialism and possessiveness.
“Sold possessions and goods as any had needs…”
They liquidated their estates, land holdings, pension plans, 401Ks, stocks, … as necessary to help insure that the others weren’t evicted from homes, go hungry, have clothes for the kids…
In other words, the reality of family – a true body closely knit (1 Cor. 12) hit home.
But that was then…
To understand the perspective of unity they held, consider your own family: spouse, children, mom, dad, brothers, and sisters:
Would you do everything possible to help meet your family needs for shelter, clothing, and food?
Would you use your savings, investments, sell off extra assets to meet their needs?
Most of us would!
This is the way it was in the early church - not to just family but to all their fellow believers. Every believer was actually considered as part of their own family- the family of God. Burdens and blessings were to be shared by all.
Assets were not viewed as ‘mine and yours’.
They truly had one Father (Eph 4:3ff) and all were viewed and treated as brothers/ sisters/ sons/ daughters.
This is Level 3 unity in the spirit. It's scary in our society and enculturation. Everything in our culture fights against this.
B. What conditions are necessary for level 3 unity to exist in the church?
It all comes down to the “kind” or quality of "love".
The two relevant “kinds” of love in the Greek sense are:
Agape (SC 25) – to love (in a social or moral sense, unconditionally)
Phileo (SC 5368) – to be a friend, have affections for, a matter of sentiment and feelings
Agape is commanded by Jesus in all our relationships, including God, friends, and enemies (Luke 6). It is the essence of the new commandment of John 15. (He didn’t say, A new option I give to you…).
The standard for agape is supernatural: Greater love than this has no man than he lay down his life for another… John 15:13.
It is the standard Christ commands us to live by toward all men, (not just our family), and certainly expects toward our church family.
Agape love supersedes phileo love.
There is no sacrifice too great for agape. This is not the case for phileo.
The essence of agape is giving: self – sacrifice (John 3:16)
This being the case, agape is the necessary condition for Level 3 unity to be present.
Agape love directing believers' hearts is an absolute necessity for this level of unity of the Spirit in the Church. Moreover, it is not possible for such selflessness to be demonstrated unless God has opened the gates of grace to us. And He has. Level 3 unity is real, tangible, and measurable by the very essence of its actions. These acts always proceed from, and are the result of, agape.
Can’t we "skip" Level 2 unity and go straight to Level 3 unity in the body of Christ?
Interesting question.
We observe that wherever in the New Testament there was a body functioning in Level 3 unity, they also had, concurrently, a reverence (fear) of the Lord, and the miraculous, as an integral part of their lifestyle; I.e.: Level 2 unity was also present.
This suggests this proposition:
The existence of level 3 unity in the early church also ensured "signs following".
That is, if in the body of Christ(church), all things are held with a common use/mindset, which is directed by agape, then miraculous things also are in evidence as part of that body's lifestyle.
In other words, level 3 unity is sufficient for level 2 unity.
We can examine the whole of Acts (esp. ch. 5); 2 Cor 8:1ff; 2 Cor 9 as a demonstration of this proposition. Also, there are evidences of the body demonstrating level 3 unity and also level 2 simultaneously in the rest of the NT.
So, we arrive at the necessary and sufficient condition for Level 3 unity in the church:
Level 2 unity and the presence of Agape love.
So, we can’t "skip" level 2 unity and enter into Level 3 directly without also exhibiting Level 2 unity.
What happens when/if we attain to Level 3 unity?
The result of this highest level of unity of the Spirit, Level 3, in the body of Christ is this:
Mutual stewardship in all material and spiritual things! It is John 17 fulfilled- that they may all be One…...
This is the ultimate destiny of the whole church as declared in Ephesians:
Eph 4:3-6
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Which now brings us to the ultimate, key question:
C. How can the church enter in/rise to level 3 unity?
It cannot be accomplished naturally. I.e.: communes, socialism, legalism, etc. – all man’s attempts are counterfeit.
It must be accomplished by the power of the Spirit in willing hearts:
2 Cor 5:14 – the love of Christ impels us… [to do all things that are God-directed].
So why is there so little evidence of level 3 unity in many parts of the body of Christ?
This scripture, in which Paul rebuked the local body for their selfishness, gives a clue to the problem:
2 Cor 6:12 - ... you are restrained in your own affections toward us… open wide your hearts to us.
This is the problem and the answer!
If we choose voluntarily to open wide our hearts to our (church) family members and are willing to bear their burdens even when it is not convenient, our affections (acts of agape love) will no longer be restrained toward our brothers and sisters in the church. This is definitely not doable in the flesh! It can only be accomplished by the Spirit in those very open hearts.
In yet another instance of level 3 unity, the Macedonian church specifically reflected the reality of agape:
2 Cor 8:2-4
...that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.
In their case, tremendous ordeals of affliction produced both poverty and tremendous joy in the Spirit. The result was level 3 unity with their distant brothers in Christ in sharing their all with the Corinthian believers.
So, in answer to the question of how can the church rise to/attain Level 3 unity, we conclude that level 3 unity can be established in the church either of two ways, by:
1. Believers ‘opening wide’ their hearts to their (church) family voluntarily (2 Cor 6:12), or by
2. [involuntary]external afflictions upon the church body which produces open hearts ready to share all
(2 Co:8:2).
Finally,
D. What responsibilities do church pastors & clergy have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in His work of unity at this level?
The role of church leaders in this highest work of the Holy Spirit is the role of modeling agape love. In the church and in person. Churches in the West today have little to no semblance to the early church. Churches are more like a business model than Acts 2:44-45. Can you believe that standard practices often dictate that the church hoards six & seven figure reserves designated for “future capital projects only” or rainy-day fund?! This is a slap to the One who said:
If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.” Mark 7:11ff.
We should know that this is a principle that doesn’t just relate to “parents”. Churches often cry “Corban” when confronted by the needs of the very ones they are to serve. Their own sheep are often sent to the government for help many times while resources are sitting in the storehouse. The western church is hamstrung by such secular ungodly practices. And many church leaders carry the mindset of a capitalist culture that takes precedence over submission to the Spirit of agape love in their own personal life. Psalm 82, Micah 6 and Isaiah 58 are some of many rebukes to God’s people along with a plea for repentance. This must change. And it will.
Be assured that Level 3 unity will be demonstrated to the world in the last days’ church! Level 2 unity will be demonstrated. And of course, Level 1 unity is the lowest common denominator, which is always present.
SUMMARY
There are 3 levels of unity possible in the body of Christ in the earth today.
All 3 were evident in the early church in Acts:
Level 1 – Doctrine, fellowship, prayer, communion.
This is the lowest common denominator(LCD) - all true Christian groups have this level of unity.
Level 2 – Signs and wonders are common occurrences.
The fear of the Lord is always present in this group of believers. This level of unity will come: a) sovereignly, as God judges sin in the church, or b) as believers forsake sin. Or both!
Level 3 – Sharing of all things within body for common well-being.
At this level, agape love – self-sacrificial love – is the motivating spirit. Level 3 unity comes as: a) believers freely open their hearts of compassion, or b) as believers experience affliction which then results in open hearts to their brethren. Or both!
All three levels of unity in the Spirit will certainly exist as God’s testimony to man in the last days’ church before the return of Jesus, just as they did in the early church. Then the testimony of Jesus will be completed in the earth. Then comes the end (and the beginning!) that creation is longing for.
Maranatha!
