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Where In The Bible Will I Find...
The Lord's Plan For Unity? Gary Colley |
The Bible throughout teaches God's desire for His people to be united upon His word. He wanted unity in the first family, but Satan entered, Eve ate the forbidden fruit and caused Adam to eat also (Gen. 3). Paul referred to the serpent beguiling Eve, fearing lest the minds of Christians "should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3). God wanted the people in Noah's day to enter the one ark to be saved from the flood, but unity was refused by those who did not believe God's word and many drowned (Gen. 6) There was once one language and one speech among the sons of men, but they refused unity with God and desired to build their own tower reaching to heaven (Gen. 11). Unity is possible today and is commanded in the New Testament. The Lord prayed for all to be united upon the teaching which He brought from heaven and which the apostles were sent forth to preach (Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus passionately prayed, "Neither pray I for these (the apostles) 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 17:20-21). Jesus died in order that the blood-sealed covenant might bring unity to His followers (Acts 20:28; Luke 24:46-47). It is shameful and eternally condemning to reject His teaching for human creeds (John 12:48-50). Paul exhorted, "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). In view of these verses, it is a flagrant sin for men to pray and thank God for division today! Though it may seem paradoxical, unity demands division in one sense. Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34). The sword of His word is not accepted by all (Heb. 4:12) but it must be followed to have unity and peace. We are to divide from those who cause their fellow men to sin morally or doctrinally (Matt. 18:6-7). We are to divide ourselves from men who teach another doctrine (Gal. 1:6-9) and we are even to separate ourselves from those who cause division in the church (Rom. 16:17). We are not to be "unequally yoked together" with those who refuse to walk in the light of truth (1 John 1:7; 2 Cor. 6:17-18). These we must oppose, and in so doing we will all be united upon the word of God. |