Dear Friends of God,
Some authors make a lot more sense than others and some make little sense at all, but some writers just seem to hit the button every time. (Well almost every time)
Let me just unpack this a little. Pre-Christ I was as are most in the world, obsessed with Unity. I wanted my world to be Unified, I wanted everyone 'To just get along'...I was a true child of this world, and the spirit of this world. I had not the Spirit of Christ and was therefore, none of His. The spirit of this world tends towards a Unity, much like what old John Lennon sung about, "All we are asking is give peace a chance." Now tell a advocate of the spirit of this world, that it is 'pie in the sky, when you die', he might reply, "Your Jesus is pie in the sky when you die."
Really friends, what is Christian Unity ?Paul was so right when he wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 'when I was a child, I spoke as a child, 'reasoned' as a child....but when I became a man (Christ's man, a new creation), I put away with childish things. Such as 'unification of the world, church, etc' the only Unity that is possible is the Unity that is in Christ, anything which is not upon this foundation is going to fall apart, be it a country club, a Union, a Soccer Club, a Church, a Denomination, a Religion, even your marriage ... 'and friendship with the world is' .... etc
I found the following article (reference below) to be of substance:
Perhaps we can talk about the points discussed ?These for instance:
1. In the first place, true Christian unity is a "unity of the Spirit," that is, a unity which the Holy Spirit dwelling in and controlling the hearts of regenerated men, women and children brings to pass.
2. In the second place, true Christian union or unity is a union that results from prayer.
3. In the third place, true Christian union is a union in Christ Jesus.
4. In the fourth place, true Christian union is a union in the Truth, a union between those who believe the great fundamentals of the Christian faith, and between these alone.
The writer mentions some of the fundamentals, perhaps we can discuss them and add some more.
a. The first of all of these fundamentals is the absolute deity of Jesus Christ.
b. The second fundamental is the absolute, final and infallible authority of the Bible.
c. The third great fundamental is the substitutionary character of the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
d. Again, anyone who denies the doctrine of the literal resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ from the dead is a follower of the Antichrist.
e. Still again, anyone who denies the virgin birth of our Lord is a follower of the Antichrist.
f. In the fifth place, true Christian unity is a unity of men and women who believe in Jesus Christ, a union of regenerated men and women.
The 1st Dean of B.I.O.L.A. ends with this rather amusing stanza: Titled: 'The Devil's Counterfeit' -
Let me know what you think about the whole article, as well ?I intended when I began to take up the marks of the devil's counterfeit of the true Christian union. But it is not necessary. The marks of true Christian unity which we have just indicated reveal by contrast the marks of the devil's counterfeit. The devil's counterfeit of true Christian unity is a man-made unity. It is a mere outward unity; it is a union out of Christ,- it is a union between those who disagree on fundamental doctrines; it is a union between the forces of Christ and Antichrist, it is a union between those who are born again, thus becoming children of God, and those who are unregenerated and, therefore, children of the devil. It is a union of the forces of Christ and the forces of antichrist.
For a true Christian unity let us pray and let us labor and let us make every necessary sacrifice. As to the devil's counterfeit of true Christian unity, let us fight it to the last ditch, knowing that it is the devil's great strategic masterpiece for the defeat of our Lord's work in the world. The enemies of Jesus Christ are far less dangerous when openly fighting against us than they are when they claim to be one with us and seek our cooperation in the substitution of any other gospel, the "social gospel" for example, for the saving Gospel of the once crucified, now risen and soon returning Lord.
From 'True Christian Union and the Devil's Counterfeit by R.A. Torrey (1st Dean of B.I.O.L.A.)
link:
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