THE CASE FOR UNITY

and  THE CASE AGAINST UNITY

THE CASE FOR SPIRITUAL UNITY

He knew that He would be crucified the next day, yet that night the Master prayed for His disciples.  Lifting His eyes to heaven, Yeshua the Messiah prayed for the unity of His disciples:

“that they may all be one”   (John 17:21-23)

Was the Lord’s prayer answered?

It may surprise you but Christ’s high priestly prayer for unity has already been accomplished!   Really?  Perhaps it doesn’t appear that way if you look superficially at the many denominations within Christendom, but it is a spiritual reality.   Did not Christ say His Kingdom was not of this world?  (John 18:36)

Here is the case for the reality of our spiritual unity from the Scriptures:

ONE BODY

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ…”  (Romans 12:4)

That expresses our unity as being in the present tense.

ONE NEW MAN

The following Scripture shows that Christ has already made us ONE.  That’s past tense.

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one… in Himself one new man…” (Ephesians 2:14,15)

ONE BREAD

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”  (1 Cor 10:17)

ONE SPIRIT

“There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”  (Ephesians 4:4-6)

NOT OF THE WORLD

In context, the “all” in the above Scripture, is obviously referring to believers, those in the body, not everyone in the earth.  The Scripture clearly distinguishes believers from non-believers:

“Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.”  (Romans 8:9b)

Actually, in Yeshua’s  prayer for us to be “one”, He specifically stated,

“I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”  (John 17:9)

He includes in His prayer “those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”  (v. 20-21)

So Christ prayed for spiritual unity of the Body within the Godhead, not for a one world religion.

OUR UNITY

We, who are one in Christ are reading from the Scriptures and being taught by ONE HOLY SPIRIT.   Yes, our understandings differ, according to how much quality time we spend in His Presence and in His Word; and according to our maturity, our knowledgeability, and our former mind sets.  But we are admonished “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds”.  (Ephesians 4:23)   The more we all come into agreement with His Word, and not the opinions of man, the more we will demonstrate the same mind, “the mind of Christ”.

Despite our immaturity, evidence of the spiritual unity of the Body of Christ today is worldwide, though certainly not heralded by the worldly media.  One can find culturally diverse believers with similar testimonies of Christ and similar Holy Spirit encounters across the globe.  We join in global days of prayer together.  We worship together.  We help each other.

I have been a member or ministered at many and various different denominations.  I find passionate Christians who love our ONE LORD Jesus Christ across the spectrum of Christianity.    I enjoy the differences of culture. The variety of styles the Church offers shows its universality.  But the foundational truths of God’s Holy Word cannot be changed.

Perhaps there is also a safety net in having many different denominations.  If the enemy infiltrates one and brings it into heresy, there is still the other standing for the Word of God that maybe can help the other come back to “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”!  (Jude 3)

We are ONE BODY OF CHRIST sharing ONE FAITH in ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

THE CASE AGAINST UNITY

“Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”  (1 Cor 15:33)

Today the cry of “unity” is being misused to subtly promote a one-world religion, with major religious players, saying we all worship the same God anyway.  Sadly, Pope Francis has himself made remarks towards atheists and homosexuals that would lead them to think that they don’t need to repent.  He has also said that the Muslims and Christians worship the same God.  But such is just NOT the case.  The spirit behind Islam is decidedly not the same Holy Spirit of the Judeo-Christian beliefs.  Our God’s name is YHWH, the Great I AM!

The spirit of antichrist can never be ONE with the Holy Spirit of YHWH God!

DON’T BE ONE WITH A CANCER

Let’s not be so naive as to think we can let a cancer be ONE with us!   A cancer is destructive to the body and must therefore be removed or starved before it kills the entire body.   But that is the strategy of the enemy of our souls!  Infect!

The Church has not always been wise to remove some cancers.  We are infected by worldliness. We are lax in church discipline.  The mindsets and opinions of many Christians have been swayed by the deceptive platitudes of the enemy.   Some leaders want money more than godliness.  Some want to be the “nice guy” and be liked by everyone, so they don’t “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.”  (2 Timothy 4:2)  Yet overseers and shepherds have the God-given responsibility to protect the Body.

The Apostle Paul wrote “Purge the evil person from among you.”  Have you heard that preached lately?  He wrote that the church was not to tolerate unrepentant sexually immoral people, revilers, idolaters, drunkards, or swindlers within the membership of the church. (1 Cor 5:11-13)  What has happened? We have let some cancers spread.

Early detection of cancer can prevent its spread and good nutrition can even prevent cancer.   The Church’s best defense against cancer and infection is Christ, the Bread of Life, the Word of God, and the Presence of His Holy Spirit.

DON’T BE ONE WITH DARKNESS

“Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”  (2 Cor 6:14)

“If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”  (1John 1:6)

“Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him,”  (1 John 2:4)

“Do not love the world [system] or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”  (1 John 2:15-16)

Our Lord prayed specifically for the Father to keep us from the evil one:

“They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.  Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.”  (John 17:16-17)

We cannot ignore the latter part of Christ’s prayer for us to be sanctified in the Word, His Truth, in an effort to achieve a superficial unity.  That we all express His Truth, His Word,  is a witness to the lost in itself.  ONE in TRUTH is the unity that draws the world to the King of Righteousness, Jesus Christ!   But a money-seeking, power-hungry religious organization can draw people into its membership with flattery, deception, and half-truths.   They may sit in those pews but will they sit in glory?

If one does not follow His Truth, His Word, can one then truly be a true disciple of Christ, ONE  with the Head?  If one is not ONE with the Head, can one be ONE with the Body?

Yeshua, after saying one must eat His flesh and drink His blood and declaring Himself the Bread of Life, explained “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken  to you are spirit and life.”  (John 6:63)

Believers in Christ should therefore be feasting on His Word, living according to His Word.

DON’T BE ONE  WITH WOLVES IN SHEEPSKIN

Some say “Lord, Lord” but they do NOT DO the will of the Father.   Yeshua called them “workers of lawlessness” and will tell them “Depart from Me.”  

Our Good Shepherd warned us “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”  (Matthew 7:15)

These wolves are not ONE with Christ.  Sheep cannot be ONE with wolves spiritually, so we should NOT seek to unite with them organizationally.   They are lawless.  They follow not His will and Word!    We cannot in good faith unite with false religious systems or false prophets.

THE CASE AGAINST RELIGIOUS UNITY

Unity is akin to a marriage, a union, an agreement, by definition “the state of being one”.    Should good unite with bad?   Is every religion just as good as the next?  Is every religion truth?  Is every group calling itself “Christian” really Christian?

Spiritual unity does not necessitate everyone being in the same religious organization.  Spiritual unity does not necessitate there being one earthly religious super-leader.  Christians have ONE spiritual Head of the Church, that is Yeshua the Messiah alone!  (Col 1:18)

There is a movement afoot, of which we are forewarned in the Word, to unify all religions.    The Body of Christ can never be united with spiritual darkness!   We can and should love [“agape”] the lost, pray for them, be kind to them, and witness to them, but we cannot be one with them nor should we participate in their sins and idolatry.

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  What accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?  What agreement has the temple of God with idols?”

“… what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God.  I do not want you to be participants with demons.  You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?”  (1 Cor  10:20-23)

God forbid that we unite with any other religion and so provoke the Lord!    If they want unity, let them come, lead them to Christ who is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:9)

In the end, if you want to be ONE with the LORD, you cannot be one with the world system or a pagan religious system.

The enemy’s strategy is to divide people FROM GOD by UNITING the church with darkness!

THE NARROW GATE

But the devil cannot take true believers out of the Body of Christ.  “No one will snatch” us from His hand!  (John 10:28)   However, a compromised church will not be effective in its preaching or witness to non-believers.   Instead of the Truth, they might hear the lie that all paths lead to God.   How will they repent and come to the Savior when the church itself is erroneously saying that any religion is valid?

Yeshua spoke the truth when He said,

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”  (Matthew 7:13)

Or as the New Living Translation expresses it:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.”

“I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6) thus spoke the LORD Jesus Christ.

ONE WAY

So in conclusion, there is only ONE WAY  – Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ)!

I pray for you to be ONE with Christ Jesus and follow Him, the ONE WAY to heaven.

I pray the Church will perceive the deception, possibly the very one of which Yeshua warned us when He said:

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”    (Matthew 24:24)

This deception, being sold under the banner of “unity”, uses a part, not the whole, of the prayer of Christ to make it seem Scripturally based.  Then it appeals to the compassion Christians have in our hearts for all mankind.   The deception is an appeal to “reconciliation”.  But we need to preach the gospel:

“Be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ!”  (2 Cor 5:18-19)

Nothing else, no one else will save their souls!

Be alert therefore and watch out for the counterfeit so-called “reconciliation” that will con people to be ONE with Satan’s ONE WORLD RELIGION.  (Rev 13)  Please be careful, prayerful NOT to follow the hordes of lemmings off the cliff!

Written in love for the lost and love for the Church.

Shalom!

See also “Destroying Mountain” and “Come to Bethel and Transgress”