Perhaps the psalmist said it best,
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard; that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (Psalm 133)
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| A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver |
The Scripture records that "when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). Many have experienced being in one place with others. Fewer have experienced being of one accord with others. And far less have experienced the precious blessing of being “all with one accord in one place.” This is, indeed, the aim of the assembly of the saints. God will work in such an environment as evidenced by the blessing poured out on that day of Pentecost.
Fellowship, true fellowship, cannot be produced by fleshly means. Fellowship extends much deeper than association with similar people. Fellowship, like unity, is “of the Spirit” (Php 2:1) and must also be maintained in the bond of peace (Eph 4).
Many times churches attempt to create fellowship by gathering like demographics together for a fleshly activity, such as sports or dinner. While they do this in the name of fellowship and unity they actually create the opposite effect - division. Separating believers on the basis of age, gender, and worldly interests causes division among the brethren. Unity based upon fleshly traits is both shallow and transient. It changes with the flesh.
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are,” among other things, “hatred, variance...wrath, strife...envyings” and other things like these (Gal 5:19-21). By comparison, however, the fruit of the Spirit includes “love...peace, longsuffering” and things like these. Where there are people walking in the Spirit, there will be oneness with each other. Where people are walking after the flesh, there will be division among them and the saints and no amount of fleshly activity will supplant spiritual division.
The church in Corinth was a carnal, or “fleshly” church and their many divisions were an evidence of this (1 Cor 1:10-13). “For ye are yet carnal” said Paul, “whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor 3:3). The “church of God which is at Corinth” was dividing itself on the basis of which man baptized each individual into Christ. “For while one saith, ‘I am of Paul’; and another, ‘I am of Apollos’; are ye not carnal?” (1 Cor 3:4). This mindset is after the flesh and is all too common in today’s churches. Men separate themselves from other brethren on the basis of men who taught them. “I am a Lutheran”, “I am a Wesleyan”, “I am a Calvinist”, they say. Or, “I follow the pentecostal movement”, “I am part of the reformation movement” or “I am a part of the restoration movement”. All of these are man-made divisions emphasizing a distinction in the flesh, and not in the Spirit. The truth is that regardless of the person who baptized you, “by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13) and as a result we are all one in Christ. The only necessary distinction is whether a person is in Christ, or not. Paul exhorts the brethren and the exhortation is applicable today. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos” (or today’s version, “Who then is Calvin, and who is Luther, and who is Campbell”) these faithful men are “ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave every man?” (1 Cor 3:5).
Fellowship, true fellowship, cannot be produced by fleshly means. Fellowship extends much deeper than association with similar people. Fellowship, like unity, is “of the Spirit” (Php 2:1) and must also be maintained in the bond of peace (Eph 4).
Many times churches attempt to create fellowship by gathering like demographics together for a fleshly activity, such as sports or dinner. While they do this in the name of fellowship and unity they actually create the opposite effect - division. Separating believers on the basis of age, gender, and worldly interests causes division among the brethren. Unity based upon fleshly traits is both shallow and transient. It changes with the flesh.
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are,” among other things, “hatred, variance...wrath, strife...envyings” and other things like these (Gal 5:19-21). By comparison, however, the fruit of the Spirit includes “love...peace, longsuffering” and things like these. Where there are people walking in the Spirit, there will be oneness with each other. Where people are walking after the flesh, there will be division among them and the saints and no amount of fleshly activity will supplant spiritual division.
The church in Corinth was a carnal, or “fleshly” church and their many divisions were an evidence of this (1 Cor 1:10-13). “For ye are yet carnal” said Paul, “whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor 3:3). The “church of God which is at Corinth” was dividing itself on the basis of which man baptized each individual into Christ. “For while one saith, ‘I am of Paul’; and another, ‘I am of Apollos’; are ye not carnal?” (1 Cor 3:4). This mindset is after the flesh and is all too common in today’s churches. Men separate themselves from other brethren on the basis of men who taught them. “I am a Lutheran”, “I am a Wesleyan”, “I am a Calvinist”, they say. Or, “I follow the pentecostal movement”, “I am part of the reformation movement” or “I am a part of the restoration movement”. All of these are man-made divisions emphasizing a distinction in the flesh, and not in the Spirit. The truth is that regardless of the person who baptized you, “by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13) and as a result we are all one in Christ. The only necessary distinction is whether a person is in Christ, or not. Paul exhorts the brethren and the exhortation is applicable today. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos” (or today’s version, “Who then is Calvin, and who is Luther, and who is Campbell”) these faithful men are “ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave every man?” (1 Cor 3:5).
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
Amazingly enough, men have taken something that ministered unity - laboring together in the Lord - and used it to cause division. The flesh truly lusteth against the Spirit. In the flesh there is divisions all about, but in the Spirit there is unity. Oneness is not the result of fleshly similarity. It is the result of being made to drink of that one Spirit."
This is awesome. And so spot on. So often, the church is divided based on gender, age, culture, upbringing, schooling, indoctrination, even sometimes race and social class. This is a beautiful reminder that it is CHRIST that unites us, nothing else. Our differences are to be celebrated, for sure. But what should be MOST celebrated is what unites us. Of those gathered in Acts 2, it's said: "And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common." Jew? Gentile? Greek? Roman? Lutheran? Calvinist? Man? Woman? Black? White? Doesn't matter. Those who are in Christ are still said to have ALL things in common. Because in the end, Christ is all that matters. He is our source of unity; he is our source of salvation. So let us fix our eyes on HIM, and him alone.
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