Do you truly believe as a Christian that the seeking brethren can agree on everything? Or not?
The apostle Paul, our beloved brother, makes a profound statement to his Corinthian church plant concerning our adversary and arch enemy, the devil himself. He declares that “we are not ignorant of his (Satan) schemes (2 Cor. 2.11). This is stated in the context of holding back in forgiveness.
Well, if we’re not ignorant of the Satan’s schemes, what are they then? Have you ever mused and meditated long and hard with the Holy Spirit as to what list of these God considers vital to our walk with Him?
Mark Twain rightly quipped that it’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. And if we hear some error long enough without bathing ourselves in the opposite truth, the evil lie will sound just hunky dory.
Now then. I can unequivocally state that one of the devil’s greatest schemes is to get believers to “house break” egregious sins, making them normal in everyday life. Yes…agreed?
Let me throw one out that is right near the top of the list. How often do you hear this in Christian circles?
“Let’s agree to disagree.”
Take a step back for a minute now. Sounds familiar, no? Does it also sound correct with a comfortable ring to it? Perhaps even you subscribe to this and proclaim it often when any disagreement arises in the body of Christ.
Trouble is…it’s dead wrong. Completely.
God is always One and in unity
Before you lurch backwards, think, dear one, of God Himself.
Is He divided? At all? Over anything? Ever? Is Father God at odds with Jesus? And vice-versa? Does the Holy Spirit “agree to disagree” with the other Members of the Godhead?
Not on your eternal life!
But, you protest, that’s God and we’re just human beings, what can you expect. Just? Just?
What does the Word of God proclaim for you and I as a “little Christ,” a Christian?
1 John 2:3-6 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
So then, God’s ordinary expectations for every child of His is for every soul to “walk in the same manner” as our Master and Lord walked on earth.
In agreement with everything with the Father, by the power of Jesus Christ’s Holy Spirit. No exceptions…
OK now. Back to brother Paul’s profound statement. Here is Paul’s opening salvo to the Corinthians when he hears from Chloe’s people that this new church plant is acting like the pagans around them.
1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
When was the last time you heard that true truth proclaimed in no uncertain terms in the body these days? Ever heard it?
Paul’s exhortation was for normal behavior
Paul wasted zero time with nonsense and went post haste to laying a foundation that believers everywhere should always be in agreement. Over everything. No matter what you hear from stonewallers who refuse to seek agreement, it is the command of our great and gracious God.
But, you protest still, Paul and Barnabas split over disagreement. Yes, but that was not God’s plan. Notice that when Paul chose Silas they had the agreement from the local church body before they left. Perhaps Barnabas was in sin. And they did reconcile later to preserve the unity.
But, you protest again, Paul called out the two women, Euodia and Syntyche, in Philippians 4 to live in harmony. Indeed, but sincerely working toward agreement is not sin. But staying disagreed is heinous sin. It’s factious and a displaying a party spirit. It’s the demonic spirit that fuels 20,000+ denominations when God clearly states there is one body fully united.
Now there is a time when we’re to shake the dust off our feet, and not cast our truth pearls to the pigs and dogs in the church body. And Paul stated there would be those who will never be agreed by staying divided in factions, for they are disapproved and headed for the lake of fire in the end. That’s why Paul buffeted his body in 1 Corinthians 9.27 so he too would not end up getting his name erased from the book of life for being a reprobate. In this context, it’s causing people to stumble.
1 Corinthians 11:17-19 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.
Walk worthy to preserve the unity of the Spirit
If God has any major doctrine at all, it’s the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Preserving that precious gift from the Lord is holy to Him.
Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you 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.
One, one, one, one, one…
We are saints, never sinners.
Can we see why God is so wrathful against those who cause division, and consequently cause creatures made in His image to stumble?
Paul gives the Lord’s instructions to Titus, his fellow church planting apostle.
Titus 3:10-11 Reject a factious man (one causing divisions in the church body: a heretic) after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
This is also in concert with an irreconcilable person who just will not “make a truce” and wants to remain divided. They are the type in the body that may very well be tares vs. wheat. The Lord declares through our brother Paul that they have a form of godliness but have denied the power to overcome their sin.
We’re to avoid these types of church goers. If they continue, they are rejected by God Himself.
2 Timothy 3:1-8 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable (truce breakers), malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men (people) as these.
For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected (reprobate, disqualified like Paul’s warning in I Cor 9.27 of himself) in regard to the faith.
Serious charges indeed.
Unity in the first possible church split
We have to look no further than the Acts 15 church counsel to view the first possible church split in NT history. But they remained unified. The only compromise was on the level of holiness, never on the level of sin.
Notice that the “all the church” was in attendance (v 4), they had “much debate” (v 6), all listened without interruption and with honor, the conclusion seemed “good” (v 22), they became “one mind” (v 25), and “greatly rejoiced” (v 31).
Their expectation was that the Holy Spirit would help them preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And that they continued to guard this unity for the glory of Christ!
They took the admonition to go and sin no more seriously (Romans 6,8). And so should we, beloved.
I’m not saying it’s easy or always smooth sailing especially in a culture filled with arrogant irreconcilable sarcastic stonewallers (AISS’s). With God, all things are possible. Amen? We are dedicated to the word of God and His holy ways of the kingdom.
Being of one mind, united in purpose for the Lord, is the ordinary Christian life.
Acts 1:14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
Acts 2:46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
Acts 15:25 …it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul…
Exceptions to full agreement
Of course, there are some areas where we don’t need complete agreement. For example, take clothing. If you desire to dress in a short sleeve shirt in the summer in our home church assembly while I want a long sleeve, that’s fine.
But if a woman wants to dress in a revealing set of shorts or top, then that is a degree of modesty (1 Peter 3) that is lacking and may indeed cause a man to stumble.
Other areas of things in our freedom in Christ include the days to meet or food and drink (Col. 2.16), etc.
You get the picture. Most decidedly, there will arise areas that need to be worked out in the spirit of unity in the bond of peace. But our Lord is a God of mercy and will give us collectively His mind if we remain humble (1 Cor. 2.16).
Learning simple unity from the mid-eastern Christians
A noted house church leader relates the story of his visit some years ago with a group of Egyptian Christians in the desert. When he arrived, he was thrust into a large controversy of initial disagreement among these fine people in their collective culture.
The leaders then decided to meet in a tent that night and invited our brother to join them. They sat in a wide circle on mats on the desert floor of sand in the tent. The first brother began to talk to explain his position. And he talked. And talked. And talked. No one interrupted. All listened intently, often nodding their understanding of the brother’s position. No one seemed in a hurry at all.
Then the second man began to talk. And talk. And talk. Our visiting brother was stunned. He felt himself wanting to glance at his watch.
This went on for hours, he relates. Each man in turn had their say and individual part in trying to preserve the unity in the bond of peace.
At last, they were done. So our visiting brother thought.
Then, a main leader declared they needed to pray to receive the Lord’s mind. To his astonishment, they all descended to the desert floor with their noses in the sand!
And did they pray. And pray. And pray. This too went on for what seemed like at least two hours or more. Suddenly, they were done and rose to their feet. There was some quiet talk and smiles.
They were all in agreement. And this didn’t seem strange at all to them for it was their normal Christian life.
When was the last time you experienced this type of patience and honor of the brethren for each other in the body?
Ever?
Once again, we quote the earlier passage and following line.
Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you 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.
One, one, one, one, one…
Indeed.
Agree to disagree? Smells like smoke from the very pit of hell. Flee from the disagreeable stonewallers, my friends.
Now then, do you believe the body of believers can agree on everything, even if it takes a while?
Or not?
I, for one, will strive in the Holy Spirit to agree on everything like our Egyptian brethren. Until the day the Lord returns or calls me home to Him.
Will you join with me in fighting this good fight, beloved?
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
Bill Bremer says
I like you saying we are saints. The KJV translates Strongs G40 in the following manner: holy (161x), saints (61x)
Saints is a kingdom word identifying believers made holy by the death of Jesus’ physical body (Col 1:22, Heb 10:10) and cleansed from all sin by His blood (1 Jn 1:7). God has made us holy and consecrated us to Himself in His kingdom. We saints are called to turn away from following our own will and follow Messiah Jesus our King. In the text of the Bible, saint is never used as a title for an individual.
jesusislord says
Brother Bill,
Thanks for the enCOURAGEment! What a privilege to be called this gracious term and be pressing on in Him.
Brother Marc
Kathie Whitestone Thompson says
Thank you, my Brother. This is the best description with practical illustrations I have ever read discussing the Unity we are expected or shall I say commanded to individually and collectively strive to keep. By His Spirit, I will practice and practice!
jesusislord says
Sister Kathie — I so appreciate your en-COURAGE-ment. As of today, 99.9% of modern western church people would never consider this truth. Too busy with their humanistic lives.
Brother Marc