Some Of The Problems Of Unity
Keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is a duty which God has assigned to every Christian. The widespread neglect of this duty is due to the failure to realize that this is a duty assigned by God; none is exempt. We need to be made aware of our personal responsibility in this matter, lack of such awareness can lead only to spiritual ruin of the individual as well as division in the body.
The moving entreaty of the apostle, written from prison, is indicative of the seriousness with which he viewed the matter of unity. Paul wrote, "I therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3).
The prayer of the Lord on behalf of us who believe on him through the word of the apostles had unity as its chief theme — "neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and 1 in thee, that they may also be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me" (John 17:20, 21). Think of the many things for which an all-wise and concerned Saviour could have petitioned the Father on behalf of his future disciples, and then ponder the fact that out of all these things the Saviour selected the unity of future disciples as the sole petition which he uttered on behalf of those disciples! The reason for this is the effect that such unity would have upon the world — "that the world may believe that thou didst send me." The rejection, by the world, of the doctrine of the deity of Jesus, is due in a large measure to the division among the professed believers. Ridicule is heaped upon Jesus by unbelievers for the divided state of "Christendom" as much as for any other thing.
To the Corinthian saints the apostle wrote "Now I beseech you, brethren, through 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 perfected together in the saint mind and in the same judgment. For it hast been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren ... that there are contentions among you ...' (I Cor. 1:10,11). The contentions which were present in Corinth were the opposite of that unit) of speech, attitude and judgment which the apostle besought the members to maintain. The specifications of the unity here approved are far more exacting than is the "unity in diversity" concept. Any diversity with reference to whom we are following is carnal and no amount of glossing wilt ingenious phrases can alter its character. Faithful gospel preachers are stilt only "ministers through whom ye believed," "Wherefore let no one glory in men" I Cor. 3:21. The increase realized from the preaching of the gospel is of God. God gives the increase through his word. Ministers who preach the word and nothing but the word are keeping the "unity of the Spirit." Those who pervert the gospel have the curse of heaven overshadowing them. Those who receive the gospel as the word of God, and subject themselves to the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel, have the unity prescribed and required by the Holy Spirit. No unity or "togetherness" which involves compromise of truth is to be tolerated.
It is still "good and pleasant" for brethren to dwell together in unity. But if those who have attained to that good and pleasant state described as dwelling together in unity expect to continue enjoying the pleasant fruits of unity they must be alert to early detect those who would cause division. To this end the Holy Spirit requires us to "mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent" (Romans 16:17,18). So many are so unsure about the doctrine that they are unwilling to commit themselves positively to "one faith" "once delivered unto the saints." Those who take pride in the fluid state of their "convictions are unable to decide what is contrary to the doctrine which is learned from the New Testament. This uncertainty prevents taking the action, prescribed by the Holy Spirit, which will insure the "Unity of the Spirit." We need to learn that concord with darkness or agreement in error is not the unity of the Spirit. "Evil men and imposters wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived," making it difficult to "abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou has learned them" (II Timothy 3:14). But the unity of the Spirit can never be enjoyed except as we mark and avoid those who teach and act contrary to the doctrine of the New Testament. The antics of those who are "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth," disrupt and confuse but now as in the first century the faithful child of God can and will "abide in the things which he has learned" from the New Testament. All who abide in the things learned from the apostles are "one"; they are keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Unity In Diversity
"Unity in diversity" is a phrase of "smooth and fair speech with which the heart of some has been beguiled. Some have been induced to accept the unity in diversity doctrine in place of the unity of the Spirit. The nature of the unity of the Spirit is not understood by those who will settle for any agreement or togetherness based upon human wisdom. Any doctrine that allows for faiths many of necessity must allow "Lords many." The Spirit which demands recognition of "one Lord" also demands recognition of "one faith." The diversity of heathenism is condemned by the Holy Spirit. "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through him" (I Cor. 8:5,6). The standard of authority in religion for this age is unique -- "there is one faith" Ephesians 4:5. This "one faith" is the gospel. Paul preached the gospel, Galatians 1:11; when he preached the gospel, he preached the faith, Galatians 1:23. The anathema of heaven is upon any who preach another gospel (faith). No diversity can be tolerated which exists by reason either of open defiance or impious indifference to the teaching of Christ, the gospel, the one faith.
The need and possibility of understanding the will of the Lord, is apparent. Understanding and unity are inseparable. The contention that we can't all see or understand alike is a denial of the possibility of gaining and maintaining the unity of 'the Spirit. Conceive, if you can, of a situation where Mr. White met the requirements of Ephesians 5: 17, "understand what the will of the Lord is," and Mr. Brown also met the requirement of the passage; but they didn't understand alike! There was diversity of understanding! The passage recognizes only two possibilities — "understand" or be "foolish." When diversity exists with reference to the will of God, it is not a case of different understandings, it is simply a case of misunderstanding versus understanding, or misunderstanding versus misunderstanding; never can it be understanding, versus understanding. One either understands or he misunderstands. The need is urgent for concerned saints to direct their energies toward understanding what the will of the Lord is and to raise their voices in leading others to understand and do the will of the Father who is in heaven. This is not the case in our day ; rather than preaching the word with conviction, "voices of concern" are raised in defense of a diversity which diversity can only exist in the absence of understanding.
Lowliness, Meekness, Longsuffering, Diligence
Among the problems to be met by the saint in discharging his duty as a Christian in keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is that of lowliness. Lowliness is indispensable in gaining and maintaining the unity of the Spirit. No one can walk worthily of the calling wherewith he was called without lowliness. The death of lowliness accounts for much of the division that exists. Lowliness literally means "low lying." It is the opposite of counting self better than others, of setting "all others at naught." The unity of the Spirit cannot long continue where some think of themselves more highly than they ought. It is difficult to convince a high-minded person that he IS high-minded. It is pretty much of a personal problem to be solved by each individual for himself. Sober thinking is a duty of every man; it is God who requires it. Being a God-imposed duty, it must be within the reach of every responsible being. You can "think soberly."
Meekness is also essential to success in keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. To regard the lowliness and meekness here required as marks of weakness would logically demand that Jesus be regarded as weak and one to be scorned, for he himself claimed to be "meek and lowly in heart." He was "despised and rejected of men" for men have never been generally committed to the value and strength of meekness and lowliness. The spirit of the world is characterized by pride, arrogance and over-confidence in human accomplishments. Meekness is the temper of spirit in which we accept God's requirement of us as good. It is that spirit or attitude toward God which, knowing what the will of God is, never questions it but relies upon it implicitly. The absence of meekness causes one to be ashamed of the gospel. The thoughtful can see how such hinders acceptable unity.
Long suffering is "long temper." This long temper is to be exercised in love. A short temper doesn't put up with irritations and things that are personally unpleasant to the servant of the short temper. It is only masters who exercise long suffering; not servants who are exercised by short temper, who can expect to succeed in keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
"The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," which characterizes the one who "walk(s) worthily of the calling" of Christ is not something which can be deferred. It cannot be assigned a secondary place. Christians must give diligence to "keep the unity of the Spirit ..." Diligence is "to hasten to do a thing, to exert oneself." It is to take the direct route. Some one defined it as "go jumping fences." No barrier is to be allowed to hinder or turn one aside from the goal of unity — Holy Spirit approved unity, that is.
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