Oneness

A crucial matter that I believe is utmost on the Lord's heart is the matter of oneness. However, many misconceptions exist concerning what is oneness, how do we attain oneness, can oneness exist in this age? I would like to pose a few questions concerning this matter of oneness, not as an authority, but as a seeking brother in Christ.


BELIEVERS FOCUS ON THE DIFFERENCES AND PROBLEMS


I think Christians are always looking for a tangible expression of oneness among all believers. I think most look for a "church family" to become part of. The reason is that ALL Christians sense within themselves that they are part of God's unique, ONE family. We are all God's household and God only has one house, His church. The problem exists that we do not know how to accept one another in Christ. Unfortunately, I think we tend to look at the outward traditions, practices, formalities and organizations that would seemingly indicate oneness between Christians. But then we can never agree on what should be agreed on. We can never "sign a treaty" that enables all believers to look each other in the eye and say, "Brother" or "Sister."


My outlook on oneness may be too simple, but I believe that Christ, as God, is eternal. Therefore, He is infinite in all His attributes and virtues. There is no limit and there is no end to His person and eternal work. I love Ephesians 3:8, "To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel." Isn't Christ unsearchably rich? Therefore, isn't the life we possess unsearchably rich? And isn't our relationship together unsearchably rich as well?


According to mathematics, infinity is infinite in all its parts. In other words, you can take a part of infinity and still have infinity. Likewise, since Christ is eternal, He is infinite. What part of Christ is eternal or infinite? ALL!!! Therefore, whatever aspect of Christ we enjoy, that aspect is unsearchably rich, isn't it?


Christians have "built" walls between each other, much the same way that Jews and Gentiles "built" up a middle wall of partition. But Christ's death removed this middle wall of partition. Ephesians 2:14-16 states, "14 For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, 15 Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace, 16 And might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity by it." Christians have built up walls based on teachings, practices, traditions, rituals, etc. much like the Jews had built up a wall between them and Gentiles based on ordinances, teachings, practices, etc. Christ abolished these things. They should not exist.


I believe that the Lord allowed us, by His death, to be free from the problems and differences that exist between all peoples. We cannot avoid problems, nor can we avoid differences. So how can we be in oneness? It is simple. Maybe too simple. We need to focus on the Christ we have in common. Remember, any aspect of Christ is eternal, infinite. So we may have 99% differences among us as believers (which is not at all true), but we still have 1% Christ in common. This 1% is infinite!! It can grow and develop eternally!!!!! I believe that as Christians we have much more than 1% of Christ in common. In other words, there is infinite possibilities for common ground, for growth in Christ, for pursuing Christ together!


We cannot eliminate our differences in the human realm. Christ accomplished that for us on the cross. When He resurrected from the dead, He brought us into the divine life of God and that is common among all believers. And this life is infinite and unsearchably rich. I believe we should search this unsearchable life and find the common ground among our brothers and sisters and let God as the Holy Spirit deal with all the problems and differences.


(CTR/TWC)