Why Unity Among All Christians is Important

[Hoaj]

Actually, I couldn't make much sense out of your OP so I dismissed it out of hand. Not quite sure how my post, which my intent was to be amusing, has to do with how Jesus prayed to the Father. The two are not connected whatsoever. I am quite familiar with the book of John also.

I am glad you replied. I think I must have brushed the touch pad and sent the reply accidentally. When the reply seemed to disappear, I thought better of what I should say and thus it looks like I replied twice, but with different wording after the quote from John. So I apologize, please forgive me for not being more loving. Since you are know the Gospel of John quite well, you know that Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you.” Since you could not make sense of what I was saying, perhaps you could tell me why—what was it that you did not understand? I am serious. I am not trying to argue. If you could help me in this aspect, then I will be better able to convey my thoughts with others. I assumed that you did understand and was mocking truth. The essential truth in my post was what Jesus prayed. John included that part of Jesus’s prayer, not as an interesting bit about Jesus, but for us so that we could know the will of God—the oneness that is intended for the Church. Since I thought you understood, then what I was saying was that your joke was in effect mocking Jesus.

 

[Hoaj]

Kind of ironic to discuss Christian unity, then when someone makes a joke you preach down at them in a condescending tone with a complete and utterly lack of joy. You came across more as an uptight Pharisee than trying to unify Christians. Seems to me that immediately discredits your first post.

Yes, you are right to a large extent. Please see my apology above. Yes, I do have faults. I suppose it is similar to the sin of Peter that Paul confronted in (Gal 2:14). Peter’s sin hurt the message of the gospel, but it did not change the truth of the gospel.

 

[Hoaj]

I would focus upon the inner unity.
The older I get the more I lose the belief that we can influence the world from the outside. I think it is a mystery...
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. ---------> ordaining unity on the inside first
Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Outside is only an outward appearance of what is inside, and we were told to be careful with appearances.
What is the use of exercising unity formally if people don't really feel it.
If they feel it, they can go out into the woods and feel like one with all living. They don't need to be physically close to others, nor in the same space with them, nor in church. They can look at a bug crawling and notice Spirit of God in everything that moves.

James 1:8 is talking about faith in what we pray for. I suppose that calling it inner unity is a good description. We all need peace, not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives—inner peace, which as you say is inner unity. But the purpose of God’s work does not stop with inner unity. God calls us to use our talents, including our peace, for His kingdom. Jesus told the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30. The one who kept his talent to himself, did not invest it in the kingdom, was rebuked by the master. Unity is the result of loving as Christ calls us to do. I do not always feel love, say as an example for my family, but my love for them has not changed. Love and unity are more than feelings.

 

[Hoaj]

Actually, I couldn't make much sense out of your OP so I dismissed it out of hand. Not quite sure how my post, which my intent was to be amusing, has to do with how Jesus prayed to the Father. The two are not connected whatsoever. I am quite familiar with the book of John also.

(I hope this is not posting twice. I am still getting use to the system.)
I am glad you replied. I think I must have brushed the touch pad and sent the reply accidentally. When the reply seemed to disappear, I thought better of what I should say and thus it looks like I replied twice, but with different wording after the quote from John. So I apologize, please forgive me for not being more loving. Since you are know the Gospel of John quite well, you know that Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you.” Since you could not make sense of what I was saying, perhaps you could tell me why—what was it that you did not understand? I am serious. I am not trying to argue. If you could help me in this aspect, then I will be better able to convey my thoughts with others. I assumed that you did understand and was mocking truth. The essential truth in my post was what Jesus prayed. John included that part of Jesus’s prayer, not as an interesting bit about Jesus, but for us so that we could know the will of God—the oneness that is intended for the Church. Since I thought you understood, then what I was saying was that your joke was a comment on the content of the oneness that Jesus prayed for.

 

[Hoaj]

I went to that site you suggested @Hoaj . Do you live in Orlando? I lived in the metro Orlando area for over 20 years and relocated to Clearwater in 2014. I lived mostly in Apopka and Mt. Dora off US441. Clearwater is congested with traffic too but not quite as bad as Orlando, especially the Walt Disney World and Universal Studios area. I 4 turns into a parking lot once you hit that stretch but I'm sure you know that already if you live in Orlando.

Yes. I live on the eastern side of Orlando. I wrote an apology which may or may not show up after this post. If it does show up, I will post it again. (I started having problems after I wanted to edit another reply. Each effort to correct something seems to multiply the mistakes. It may be posted twice.)

 

[Hoaj]

Kind of ironic to discuss Christian unity, then when someone makes a joke you preach down at them in a condescending tone with a complete and utterly lack of joy. You came across more as an uptight Pharisee than trying to unify Christians. Seems to me that immediately discredits your first post.

(It appeared that my first response disappeared. I hope this is not the second post for the same reply.)
Yes, you are right to a large extent. Please see my apology above. Yes, I do have faults. I suppose it is similar to the sin of Peter that Paul confronted in Gal 2:14. Peter’s sin hurt the message of the gospel, but it did not change the truth of the gospel.

 

[tourist]

Yes. I live on the eastern side of Orlando. I wrote an apology which may or may not show up after this post. If it does show up, I will post it again. (I started having problems after I wanted to edit another reply. Each effort to correct something seems to multiply the mistakes. It may be posted twice.)

No problem brother. It's all good.

 

[Scribe]

There are lots of positive things that go on in the name of unity like the evangelical associations where many denominations join in conferences etc. There is nothing wrong with denominations as long as they don't think they are the only ones saved. The Assemblies of God get along with the Baptists and other denominations in most towns but people who believe in the gifts of the Spirit operating in the local church like they were in the first church want to attend a church that believes in that and allows it and not one that teaches against it and bans it. People who don't believe in it don't want to go to a church that allows it. So you have two groups who differ but they don't hate each other and come together for events and evangelistic crusades to the same town. I think that is awesome. People should have choices. We see through a glass darkly and we will not all agree on everything until Jesus comes back and when that which is perfect is come we won't need the gifts of the Spirit to operate and tongues will cease and we will all agree in that day.

 

[SoulWeaver]

James 1:8 is talking about faith in what we pray for. I suppose that calling it inner unity is a good description. We all need peace, not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives—inner peace, which as you say is inner unity. But the purpose of God’s work does not stop with inner unity. God calls us to use our talents, including our peace, for His kingdom. Jesus told the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30. The one who kept his talent to himself, did not invest it in the kingdom, was rebuked by the master. Unity is the result of loving as Christ calls us to do. I do not always feel love, say as an example for my family, but my love for them has not changed. Love and unity are more than feelings.

If you think inner unity and inner peace does not have impact upon the world, think again. That's not to "bury talants". I think people misuse that parable a lot. In the parable of the sower all who heard the Word give some profit (every believer gave an amount of wheat). The person who buried talant and accused Jesus is then an unbeliever, not a believer, and like Jesus said they had no fear of the Lord which definitely lists them as unbeliever. People who lived saintly life as hermits are people who made the biggest of impacts in spiritual sense. In fact people flocked to them to be edified. The Kingdom is within us. Deep calleth unto deep. Your spiritual growth is what triggers other people's spiritual growth, whether you preach to them with words or not make no mistake they are perceiving what you have and it speaks louder than words.