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UNITY
Unity of the spirit and unity of conveniences.
How often we get together only to get a job done. We hide our differences in the common cause of reaching the lost. Admirable it is and necessary too. But when will we get rid of the undercurrents that divide and be of "the same mind one toward another, speaking no other thing, perfectly joined !"
Or are we going to ignore the subtle differences and hide behind the work of the Lord? How long are we going to listen to perversions that tell us that such a kind of unity is not possible or expected of us ?
A man in the ministry told me, “ I plan to make use of such and such a person for such and such a job.”
The Spirit flashed back and said, “ The devil makes use of people and then discards them ! Be careful of what you do with the sons and daughters of God ! Don’t treat them as rags to be used and thrown aside !”
I remember the words of our Master who looked at His disciples and said, “ From now on I call you my friends for all things that the Father has showed me, I have told you.”
Unity of conveniences is only to get a job done, a partnership, a putting up with and at its very best a tolerance of one another.
This kind of unity never knows the grand will of God but is always learning and never able to manifest the truth. In this kind of unity, true love, unfeigned love, fervent love and love without dissimulation among the brethren will not be manifested, much less laying down our lives for one another.
Unity of the Spirit is, a restful harmonious working together, of bone upon bone and sinew upon sinew. It is a manifesting of the mind of Christ in the holy congregation. It is the glorious love of God flowing like a river. The only way to be filled with all the fullness of God is to know the love of God . But when love is quenched, God is quenched for God is love.
I heard a man say, “We can have friendship with some but not fellowship”
But what does the precious Word say,
“ If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship, one with another” 1 John 1:7.
From time to time, we have had definitions of unity through the eyes of human experience and understanding. Because of cultural differences and for a dozen other reasons, we have been consistently told that there cannot be a perfect unity this side of heaven - that we are to rejoice and marvel in "unity in diversity"
Well, God leaves no room for misunderstanding about the kind of unity that He has in mind for His own. It is expressed in the heart hunger and cry of our dear Lord who prayed, " Father, Let them be one, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE !"
Do you for a moment think that this prayer of Jesus when He was here on the earth is not going to be answered?
Those who are born of the Spirit will not talk of a culture from the east or a culture from the west or a culture from the north pole. They talk of a divine culture, a Christian culture, a holy culture, a culture from above for they are not of this world, even as He is not of this world ! They are a one grand, majestic peculiar and holy nation under one God!
May God have mercy on anyone who tries to wriggle out of this kind of unity !
I have met some wonderful ministers and children of God from different cultures and lands. I have not known them for a long time. But when my hands gripped theirs and our eyes looked into each others, all we felt was a great joy and burst of glory flooding our souls and eyes. We could look at each other with perfect love! Hallelujah ! What we would give to be more in the company of such !
What a love that is. What a unity! One with each other and one another as the Lord prayed for in John 17:22
I tell you, people of God, unless we know and walk in this kind of love, we will never be filled with all the fullness of God. Amen !
