Unity of the Spirit #1 - What It Is and Isn't

Unity with God is often overlooked or completely misunderstood. Often folks feel that unity with God is just simply agreement. The problem with this idea is that evil people can agree on evil things. Therefore, the only way to be in unity with God is to agree with God's own words. But, here again the problem arises when humans interpret God's words with contradictory interpretations. Arguments ensue and unity is lost as evidenced by the many different "Christian" denominations. When the secular community cannot make a distinction between Christ's behavior and ours, then we are the ones who need to wake up.

Our media provides us with a lot of proof that Christianity in America is NOT unified with God as king. Take all the television shows that boast that magic is OK as long as it is used for good purposes. Media is only catering to the desires and beliefs of the greater majority because that is where the money is.

Let's put TV and Hollywood aside for a moment. The Bible defines witchcraft as the knowledge of herbs. Therefore, the "Christian" should hold the use of just one pharmaceutical potion up as witchcraft. But instead, Christians approve of the potions by justifying them as doing good and a loving God would not want His people to suffer. This is the same justification folks will use to justify the taking of the mark of the beast during the end-times suffering.

Now let's put witchcraft aside for a moment. Can the pursuit of murder mysteries, in novels or on videos, extreme sports, or even the pleasures of food replace standing in awe and marveling at God's signs and wonders? No, but yet humans pursue these earthly pleasures with more zeal, money, or time than any possible chance that God would grant us the privilege to see a sign or a wonder from Him.

Wow, agreeing with God's words isn't so easy after all especially if it means we have to deny ourselves the earthly pleasures we are addicted to in order to spend time pursuing God's company. The Holy Bible is very clear that unity with God requires our effort to follow Him rather than expect Him to cater to our own expectations and desires. So, how on earth is anyone expected to master the self-control that gives up so much especially when often there is apparently no response from God?

This article is long but it addresses the topic of unity as it is explained in the Bible. It is intended as a starting point towards unity not as a completion point. In the beginning was the word, John 1:1, so we will start with the words of God. If we abide in God's words, THEN and ONLY THEN can we be Jesus' disciples or students of unity with God, John 8:31-32.

 Let's start with how the Apostle Paul defines unity in 1 Corinthians 1:10.

Now I beseech you, brethren, through 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 perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (ASV)

Paul's definition of unity agrees with Jesus' words in the following passages:

For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ "I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." John 12:49-50

"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. John 14:10

This speaking of God's words is expected of the child of God just as Jesus also spoke God's words:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12

Jesus was the only "Good" man ever to walk the face of this planet, but, though we are evil we know how to do good works, Matthew 7:11. Since, we know people by their fruits, Matthew 7:16, we know that good words of truth have to come out of the heart.

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45

(for the sake of two witnesses)

"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. Matthew 12:34

Is it no wonder that Paul models the concept of speaking the same things that God/Jesus spoke in this verse:

Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide." 2 Corinthians 6:11

It is out of our hearts that our mouths speak, thus, the apostle Paul like Jesus modeled proper speech and commanded us to follow their example: 

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; Ephesians 5:19

(again, for the sake of two witnesses,)

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Now, please consider these three verses:

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. John 3:34

God prophesied a long time ago these words:

And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20 

In Ezekiel, God literally connected the cause of sin to the rewriting of what God has said. Unity with God starts with His words. When God's words and not man's interpretations of God's words are written on our hearts, the result is walking with God and doing what God does. The "greater works than these" promised in John 14:12 cannot be fulfilled without John 8:31 happening first. 

 

The idea that the cause of sin is man's interpretation of God's words did not start with Ezekiel. The cause first shows up in Moses's writings in Deuteronomy 4:1-4. Ezekiel is merely ANOTHER witness saying the same thing as his forefather. 

Copyright (c) 2014 by Diane Pebley All rights reserved, no use granted without the express written permission of the author, Diane Pebley