The Unity of the Faith

Left: Pastor Aubrey and Sister Lorene Hastings

Psa 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
God desires unity for His people. By all the debate and disharmony so prevalent today, you’d wonder if it is true or not. But, it is. God wants us to be a united people. Jesus prayed for it, the Apostles preached it and died for it. UNITY is the hallmark of the Church of Jesus Christ.
To discuss unity, we have to first discover what unity is and what it is not. Mention the world UNITY and a lot of people think “Ecumenism”. But, the two are worlds apart. Lets differentiate between the two:
ec·u·me·nism
1. A movement promoting unity among Christian churches or denominations.
2. A movement promoting worldwide unity among religions through greater cooperation and improved understanding.
u·ni·ty
1. The state or quality of being one; singleness.
2. The state or quality of being in accord; harmony.
Notice the difference? Ecumenism is a movement that requires effort. Unity is a “state of being” that requires no effort. To illustrate: Sit back, relax, put you feet up, get comfortable. That is ecumenism. An effort or movement to achieve a state . Now: are you relaxed yet? Just enjoy that relaxed state for a minute. See? Once you put forth the effort to relax, it requires no effort, no movement. That is a state of being.
Organizations have sprung up all around us to achieve UNITY. But, all too often they fail because UNITY is not a movement. it’s a state. Organizations have the opposite affect than what is desired. They contribute more to dis-unity than they do to unity. By-laws are written, resolutions are based and doctrinal statements are clearly (well, not always) defined that provides a basis for unity. But, while this serves to promote unity within the group, it creates a fracture with other groups. Just look whats happening around us today. One organization is weakened while another forms. This is ECUMENISM, an effort to achieve a state of unity, but it seems to be a failed effort at best. Because UNITY does not come through our efforts.
UNITY does not require effort, because UNITY is a gift to God’s Church. It is God that brings unity and not our efforts. Human efforts to achieve UNITY have failed from the very onset of human history. In the beginning man communed with God. That’s it… there was no one else to commune with. He walked with God, God talked to him. It was a one on one state of unity between man and His Creator. But, other humans were introduced and man communed, then conflicted, with man. The first effort, the first movement to achieve UNITY was thwarted by God at the Tower of Babel, because it was a human effort. It was ECUMENISM. Human effort that was doomed to fail.
So, peace was taken from the world and since that time to this, unity seems to be, as one writer said “an enduring dream”.
Then Jesus was born. Surely He, the Son of God, they manifestation of God in the flesh could and would bring unity to the land of Israel and, ultimately to the world. But, no, once again, the very Prince of Peace could not achieve what man could not comprehend. Peace. Unity. Like today, UNITY was inconceivable in ancient Israel. How can different cultures, different races, different religions be united as one? He who said “…my peace I leave with you…” was a source of great conflict in the days He walked he walked on earth, and that conflict remains with us to this day. So, from whence does this UNITY come?
To discover the answer, go back to the relaxation exercise. When did that relaxed state come from? From your effort to relax? No, it came from within. Jesus said this: He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Jhn 7:38 . That peace, that serenity you experience doesn’t come from your effort. It doesn’t come from your surroundings, but it comes from within. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luk 17:21 In Jhn 14:17, Jesus said [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The UNITY we all so desperately yearn for doesn’t come through human effort or organization. In a very real sense, it doesn’t come through our doctrinal position. But it comes through the Holy Ghost.
Jesus prayed in the garden: Jhn 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. We look at the work of winning souls for Christ, and we have to ask ourselves: Are we reaching the world with the Gospel? We preach Pentecostal doctrine, yet, by and large, we aren’t achieving the results we should be. Why not? Jesus gave the answer in Joh 17:21; The world will believe when we become one in Christ. As long as the world sees us as a bunch of religious fanatics who can’t get along with each other, why would they give us a second look. We squabble, we argue, we debate over doctrines and procedures and methods, when we should be preaching JESUS! Our doctrines about Jesus and Truth are more important that Jesus and Truth!
Lets look at Pentecost, the very founding of the New Testamament Church. What is the underlying theme presented there? Doctrine? Baptism” Tongues? NO! These are the affects of Pentecost, but the underlying theme is the unity among those gathered in the Upper Room. Notice:
Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Act 2:1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.


Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
They were united in PUROSE before Pentecost. They were united in Possession during Pentecost. And they were united in PROFESSION after Pentecost. Their UNITY was not an effort, a movement, but “a state of being” that resulted from the inception of the Holy Ghost into His Church. It wasn’t about doctrines, creeds and manuals, but it was the Acts and Power of the Holy Ghost that brought UNITY to the early church. It was the fulfillment of God’s promise: Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: It is our stony hearts of flesh that causes us to argue and debate doctrine. Paul said strife and divisions comes from carnality and our insistence to walk after the flesh. 1Cr 3:3 . We think UNITY is all speaking the same, doing the same, dressing the same, and believing the same. But that isn’t unity. Unity is believing what God has revealed to us through His Spirit, walking in truth as we understand truth, and, above all else, loving our brother, in spite of the fact that he might see or do things differently.
Some would counter with the verse from 1Cr 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by 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 perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” But I ask, where in that chapter does it list all the things we must speak the same? Does this mean, that, in order for us to walk together, we have to believe speak, and agree on, exactly the same thing? Amo 3:3. If so, then we’ll all walk a very lonely walk for its doubtful that any two will agree on everything? But what is the thing Paul tells us to “…all speak the same…”? He first list some things the Corinthian church was divided over, then he tells us exactly what we are all to agree on: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1Cr 1:18. The central message of God’s church- the message we must surely all believe and teach is the message of Salvation that was purchased at Calvary. In Galatians 1, Paul refers to the “Gospel of Christ”. There, in verse 4, he tells us what that Gospel is: Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: That, and that alone, is the Message of Salvation: That Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God willingly sacrificed His life to redeem our souls. Then Paul; says this: If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Our doctrines about baptisms, about “standards” about organizations are NOT the Gospel of Christ. Water Baptism, as the writer of Acts so skillfully points out is the Apostles Doctrine (I.e., a basic and fundamental doctrine of the NT Church,) But the Gospel of the Death, Burial and Resurrection of our Lord is the very foundation upon which Jesus established His church. The revelation that Jesus came as the Son of the Living God to die, be buried, and be resurrected, is THE GOSPEL upon which we must all be in agreement. To preach ANY other thing for the purpose of teaching the way of salvation is to preach another gospel, of which Paul said is no another Gal. 1:6-7.
Paul likens God’s church to a building. There are many components of a structure, but it can have only one foundation. Our foundation is the message of the Cross of Calvary, where the Blood of Jesus was shed for many. Our other doctrines, (Godhead, baptism, standards, etc), however important to the structure are but components. The writer of Hebrews makes this clear in Heb. 6. We place great emphasis on certain doctrinal components and virtually ignore others. We seek to build a building out of our doctrines, but our foundation is faulty at best, or non-existent at worst, because the Message of Calvary has lost its centrality in or theology. What is represented by the Death of Christ (repentance) fits into our theology more than the reason and purpose of this Death. The representation of the Burial of Christ (baptism) is given preeminence over the purpose and plan of His Burial. The purpose of resurrection is placed on the back burner, so to speak, as we haggle over the how’s and the what’s of His resurrection..
As long as our foundation is askewed, we will remain so. We’ll never unite is our petty views, opinions and interpretations. But, through the Holy Ghost we can be united as One in Christ. Paul said this: 1Cr 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Notice how the work of the Holy Ghost takes preeminence over everything else in this Chapter? And, so should the work of the Holy Ghost take preeminence in our lives, as well. I think, sometimes, we lose sight of what the Holy Ghost is and does in our lives. First of all, the Holy Ghost is God’s Spirit. We believe the Holy Ghost is the third of 3 manifestation of One God. I refer to the Holy Ghost as a “He” because HE is God. In us. God in us! Think of it! If that doesn’t make you either want to shout “Hallelujah!”, or fall down before the Lord with a broken and contrite spirit, I don’t know what will. The great God of all creation lives on the insist of your heart! The Holy Ghost, Paul taught, is what baptizes us into the Body of Christ. We who that are filled with His Spirit are all members of His Body. Our doctrines, our baptism, our beliefs, no matter how important to us, do not baptize us into His Body. The Holy Ghost does that. The moment he comes to abide, He welcomes us to the Body (or Church of Jesus Christ). Our organizations do more to divide than to unite. Human effort fails dismally to unite God’s people as history shows us.
But, the simple act of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and walking in the Spirit brings us together in fellowship and harmony simple because of the fact that He has but one Church. A church, I might add, that is without spot, wrinkle of blemish. A church that cannot be prevailed against by all the forces of our enemy. A church that has but one Head, and One foundation- Jesus Christ. A church that is governed by known else than the Word of God. A church that is “fed” by a ministry of five-fold: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Shepherds and not “lord’s over God’s Heritage”. Servants who care for God’s church, who speak what He speaks. It is through this 5-fold ministry we are brought to the unity of the faith.

Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The word “Endeavor” comes from two words which means “To try” and “Duty” It is “our duty to try” to maintain UNITY in the Body of Christ.
Unity. That is what permeates the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is united in prayer. In purpose. In possession. And, in purpose. It is not a movement toward unity, it is unity. It isn’t an effort to unite, it is the state of being united. Only through, and by the Power of the Holy Ghost is this attainable.
Prayer is the key. It was while in prayer that Jesus spoke about the unity of His Church. It was while in prayer that the early church came together as one. It is through and by prayer that we humble ourselves- come down from our lofty perches and submit our selves unto the Lord. Prayer. Try it: Try to be angry or cross with a brother while in prayer. Can’t do it, can you? That’s because when we pray, we enter the very Presence of a Holy Ghost. Division, disagreements, strife, these acts of the flesh cannot enter His Presence. Before the disciples could enter the prayer room to pray that had to put the mixed emotions of the “Judas incident” behind them. They had to let go of the emotions, the anger, the sorrow and the animosity that act of betrayal represented. Once that was dealt with and out away, then they could approach the throne of grace for the much needed Promise of the Holy Ghost. Only by turning loose of the emotions of the flesh could they “be endued with Power from on High”. The unity that was broken by Judas betrayal and subsequent death, has to be restored.
We, I believe, are in for a Revival of Restoration. Joel’s Book speaks of restoration throughout and culminates with the prophecy that God would one day “pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh”. If the Apostolic church ever hopes to see Revival, they will need to set about bringing restoration in the divided Body of Christ. Racial divisions will have to be wiped away. Divisions over doctrine will have to be set aside. Animosity for past wrongs and past hurts will have to be dealt with. Barriers that hinder and forbid fellowship will have to be broken down. In order for the Church to be set in order, the ministry will need to open dialog and find a place where UNITY will be the standard that rallies us. It is the ministry that sets the pace for the church. Divided ministry, divided church. And, a house divided against itself cannot stand. Notice how Jesus said that? Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: He mentions kingdoms first, then houses. If the kingdoms (leadership) is divided, so the house (church) will be as well.
We look at the early church and we say, “See, they were divided!” And, yes, so they were. But see, they were the former rain. We are the latter rain. They were the early church, we are the church of the last days. There must be forward movement- -a progression- for us to be God’s Church. Hag 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. The former hose is a house of peace and unity not debate and division. We mistakenly believe that we must compare to the early church. We think to be the viable Body of Christ then we should mimic the early church. But, just the opposite is true. We are the latter house. Our anointing should be greater. Our results should be greater. But… what’s happening? Instead of doing “greater works” we are content, we actively seek to be like the church of the 1st Century. Why? Because the degree of our harmony, the extent of our agreement, the depths of our unity is all but non-existent. Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Lets not wile away our precious few days of harvest time, looking back, wishing for the days of yesteryear. Let us not hang our harps upon the willows ands weep when we remember the days of Zion’s former glory. As Paul wrote: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Phl 3:13. Forget Pentecost. It was a mere Jewish holiday. Forget Azusa Street. Forget the mergers and the splits. By looking back, we lose sight of the vision God has set before us. New opportunities. More souls to reach. More churches to establish. More workers to train. Look ahead, what do you see? Failure? Defeat? Uncertainty? Now… look ahead through the Eyes of Jesus. Now what do you see? Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. Jhn 4:35
He also said, Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly [is] great, but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Luk 10:2 Do you pray for laborers in God’s Harvest? How do you pray? Do you say, “Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child.”, as Jeremiah prayed? Jer 1:6. Or do you answer the call, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” as the prophet Isaiah by saying, “Here am I; send me.” Isa 6:8
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
We’ve tried everything else. Resolutions, affirmations, by-laws, creeds, organizations. But, honestly, what of those things has brought even a measure of unity? In 1945, a brother, writing by inspiration coined a phrase that brought together two relatively small groups into one world wide organization. Now those immortal words are all but lost to history. ‘We shall endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the disunity of the Body‘. Those words, inspired from the very pages of the Bible, should be written on the heart of everyone who is filled with God’s Spirit. L.R Oorten said, “There is no greater need among Spirit-filled children of God today than the unity of the Spirit”. These are not the words of one organization or group. These words were the words of men whose very hearts were set ablaze by the fires of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, who yearned for the day when they could stand shoulder to shoulder in fellowship and unity. The word UNITY stands out boldly in both statements, for if UNITY could bring two doctrinally diverse groups together into spiritual harmony, can not the spirit behind those words bring us all together as ONE IN CHRIST?
To do so, however requires a great number of things, one might think. Not so. It requires but one. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Our spiritual landscape will be healed of its fractures, if we’ll but answer the call to pray and humble ourselves before God. The dry and barren land of our churches would be restored to the former glory if we’d but turn from our divisions and doctrinal quarreling and move with God’s Spirit to the UNITY that we can only find in Him. Our strife, our animosity would be swept away by a fresh, invigorating out-pouring of the Holy Ghost.
This is it, folks. We pray for REVIVAL. We yearn for REVIVAL. Then, we must pay the price. Often, we want the benefit, but we don’t want to pay the price. The price is simple, the reward are plentiful. God operates in, not so much an atmosphere of faith, as we are often taught, but in an atmosphere of unity. The Bible speaks of at least one time when Jesus could do no mighty miracles because of unbelief. We interpret that as a lack of faith But, unbelief stems from division. These people were divided in their thoughts and opinions of this Man from Galilee. Who was he? What was He doing? Some thought He was Elijah, some thought: John the Baptist. Until we get a clear understanding of Who and What Jesus is to us, we’ll continue to be mired in division. Its not enough to believe what the Bible says about Him. Jesus said to Peter: But whom say ye that I am? Mat 16:15 We have to know Who and What He is to us. He is our everything: Our God, our Savior, our Healer, our soon coming King. He is our everything because we determine to know nothing else but Him. We live, move and have our being…in Him. He is the source of all we need. From Him comes our unity. In Him we are made one. To those who believe and teach the Apostolic Message, L.R Ooten said, ”If we preach Oneness, it is also necessary for us to practice the same”. The Oneness of the Godhead and the Oneness of His Church go hand in hand. The Holy Spirit alone is the source of the spiritual cohesiveness of God’s Church. Note how the New Testament uses the word “together” in relationship to God’s people:
We have….
“communed together”,
“assembled together”,
“come together”.
“gathered together in [His] name”
We….
“rejoice together”
“live together with him”,
“comfort yourselves together”
The….
“multitude came together”, and “all that believed were together”
We come….
“together to hear the word of God”.
“together with Jesus”,

He has…
“gathered the church together”.
The…
“disciples came together”
We are….
“planted together”
“builded together”
“workers together”
“labourers together with God”
“elected together”
“children together”
“eagles…gathered together”,
“knit together in love”

In Jesus we are…
“glorified together”,
God brings….
“the body together”
We are….
“helping together by prayer”
“assembling of ourselves together”,
“heirs together”
We are His…
“gathering together unto him”
He has…
“quickened us together”
We have…
“one mind striving together for the faith”
And, if we will remain faithful unto Him we will be…
“caught up together”
Is there any room for doubt as to the intention and purpose God has for us? God’s purpose is for a united church, rather than the divided church we see today. His church is described as a “glorious church” a “royal priesthood”, “a chosen generation” that has passed fro spiritual darkness and into His marvelous light. If we abide in Him, and He abides in us, we are THAT church. His church. Spirit-filled, united and standing resolutely in the Name of Jesus