- Name: Jonathan Brauer
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True and False Unity<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Mankind’s version of “unity”
- A unity based on man’s desires and goals independent of God.
- A unity created over knowledge, over technology, or over doctrine.
- A unity based on uniformity, on coercion and compromise.
Principles of Christ’s Unity
- A unity based on mutual submission to God, to His Spirit’s work in every man’s heart
- It is a unity in diversity. A unity of heart in the search for truth. A humble willingness to follow truth wherever it leads.
- A unity that does not require agreement on all issues. (It doesn’t ask us to put aside our convictions in the name of unity.)
- A unity that does not compel or require compromise.
True unity is about coming together in humility respecting each others differences and commonly seeking to be led by God wherever He will lead. It is a Unity in diversity. A humble discussion, with disagreement, in brotherly love, based on a common desire to seek God’s guidance.
· Mankind’s Unity
- Mankind’s unity is a unity created over “knowledge,” over agreement on what we can both agree to be “Truth”. Agreement based on uniformity: “If we can all agree on the Sabbath, or on the State of the Dead, or on what music is appropriate to have in church, or whether it’s okay to wear jewelry, then we will have unity.” Even if that uniformity is one of compromise: “If we can just agree to disagree, then we can have unity.”
- It is unity based on man’s desires and goals independent of God. (Gen. 11:1-9, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />
- It can seek to control others, to compel by force, position, or appeal to “authority”. It asks for a surrender of our own consciences for the good of the whole.
· “Christ”ian Unity
- True unity is based on a total surrender to God.
- It is a unity in diversity.
- It is a unity that refuses to compel another man’s conscience.
- Godly unity is a unity based on a transfer of allegiance, a submission to Christ as Lord.
- It is a unity that seeks truth wherever it leads.
- True unity is about coming together in humility respecting each others differences and commonly seeking to be led by God wherever He will lead. It is a Unity in diversity. A humble discussion, with disagreement, in brotherly love, based on a common desire to seek God’s guidance.
True Unity is when our allegiance shifts from each other to God. Take ten people who are willing to submit to God, be led, and transformed; who more concerned about His glory than their own—and you will have unity.
Eph. 4 (especially vs. 3, 13)
Real unity doesn’t require agreement on all issues. It doesn’t ask us to put aside our convictions in the name of unity.
Information Technology and the Search for Unity
- Information Technology can hopefully be used as a tool to promote true Biblical Unity, to connect the Body of Christ in ways never before possible, and enable true humble discussion.
- The Internet by nature however can make many uncomfortable who are seeking to follow the principles of False Unity. The Internet is impossible to control. It is hard to enforce uniformity in a world where everyone is free to interact around the sharing of ideas.
True and False Authority
[incorporate into thoughts on True and False Unity]
· Standards and The True and False Principles of Authority
- It is the nature of
- It is the work of Christ however to present truth and to allow His Spirit to convict. To lovingly reach out to a brother and seek to point them to the true source of truth and knowledge, portraying truth as the Lord convicts but leaving it to the Holy Spirit to bring this truth home to the heart.
- Standards and sources of authority should be looked at in this way, as means by which consensus can be developed and unity of effort be attained, rather than as means of enforcing compliance or keeping another in check.
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