I received a voice message from a friend telling me about the wonderful time she and her team had going out to evangelize and she was quite happy that many people were accepting Christ. This is in a country where anyone who is seen evangelizing on the streets could be imprisoned if caught. However, God has been opening doors for Christians to evangelize and they have been taking advantage of these opportunities for evangelism. In the latest one day trip to evangelize, my friend and her team went to another city that had a festival organized by a government official. She was very excited that other Christians came from other parts of the country to share the Gospel at this festival. They gave out Christian literature, including the Gospel of John and shared the message of Christ with many. I am so excited that she told me her testimony as I could see God working in all that she said happened. I could definitely recognize that there was the unity of God’s Spirit among the believers who came from different areas but had one purpose in their hearts even though many did not know each other. When we are of the same Spirit and we know the One true God, then we will have one agenda, which is to do His will, no matter where we are from or who we are. God’s Spirit will make us one as Jesus and the Father are one.
“I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who 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 sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one.” John 17:20-22
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:2-6
I am seeing that although there is persecution of Christians in my friend’s country, many of the believers are one and are keeping unity in the Spirit. However, I have been alarmed to hear and see what has been happening in our Western Churches. I can’t even be sure we are serving the same Lord and are of the same faith as there are so many different beliefs and opinions. There is a lot of division and discomfort in what is supposed to be the body of Christ. Persons with a specific belief about Christianity may treat another Christian that has an opposing belief with condemnation and speak condescendingly of the other. Therefore, there is a lot of confusion and anger in the Church. But this cannot be of God because God is not the author of confusion. There is great disunity in the Church, although Jesus prayed to the Father that those who believe in Him would be one just as He and the Father are one. He also petitioned the Father for the believers to be in Him and the Father. The main reason given for this is so that the world would believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. (See John 17:20-22). We should not be surprised that the world does not believe when those who say they believe in Christ are not one in body and in the Spirit. We cannot seem to come into agreement on many issues, even the importance of the Bible. It is getting more difficult to find Christians who can come together and truly agree about anything.
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:19-20
Some Christians are even arguing about who Jesus really is and what name to use for Him. How can we usher in the presence of the Lord when we cannot agree on the essentials and take so much time focusing on non-essentials like a church carpet or the colour of the chairs? The enemy has distracted and divided us. We are often led by our flesh, and pride takes over instead of us walking in humility and being led by the Spirit. We think our way is the only way, when it may not even be God’s way. We lack discernment and like a worldly person we do not accept the things of the Spirit of God.
But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
If we are in Christ, we will have His mind and there will be little disunity in the church. We are humans and disagreements will come, but the Holy Spirit will convict us each to reconcile our differences so that we can not only live in peace, but also live as one. We cannot walk in pride and walk in the Spirit at the same time. That is incongruous and our pride keeps us from reconciling with God and each other. We cannot even discern that the enemy gets great pleasure in disunity in the church. Why do we keep on pleasing the devil?
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