Articles
Is It Possible For Us To Be One?
Jesus Christ prayed to the Father for His disciples "that they all may be one" (John 17:21). How is it possible for all religious folks to be one, that is, united in peace and harmony?
Jesus Christ is the author and founder of peace and unity. It is only “in Christ” that we can ever hope to be one. Christ’s sacrifice for sins allows all men everywhere now to be united together. Paul said of Christ, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now IN CHRIST JESUS ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our PEACE, who hath made both ONE, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us...And that he might reconcile both unto God in ONE BODY by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby" (Ephesians 2:12-14, 16, emp LS).
Jesus Christ gave us the basic plan for having peace and unity as He spoke to the Samaritan woman (John 4:5-42). Jesus said, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him MUST worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24, emp LS). What Jesus was saying is that we must worship God with the proper attitude or disposition and in truth, that is, according to the Word of God (John 17:17; Colossians 3:17).
The apostle Paul gave us the details for peace and unity when he said, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:1-6). The first three verses of Ephesians 4 describe the proper attitude for peace and unity in Christ. Verses four through six of describe the proper truth for peace and unity in Christ.
My friend, the purpose of these articles is to appeal to all of us to be one, united in peace and love in Christ Jesus. I have no desire or intention to make anyone mad or to hurt anyone’s feelings. "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (I Timothy 1:5). I pray that you will study seriously these passages in Ephesians 4:1-6. Do not take my word for it, rather be like the Bereans who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Next time we will study in detail Ephesians 4:1-6.
