Articles
How Important Is Unity? (2)
How Important Is Unity? (2)
Greg King
Jesus prayed for unity and stated His desire was for His followers to be one as He and the Father are one. He explains how this unity can occur when we speak the same doctrine. Paul commanded the Christians at Corinth to be unified by speaking the same thing and be together in the same mind and judgment. This unity would only occur when the word of God was truthfully taught and followed by all.
Some will protest and say, "It does not matter what doctrine a church teaches and practices." The apostle John said it mattered in 2 John verses 9-11. “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” More importantly Jesus said it mattered in Matthew 15:8-9. 'THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.' After hearing that the Pharisees were offended He says in verse 13, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.”
When we put all of this together, we understand that those who teach a doctrine or doctrines that are not part of Christ's doctrine do not have God, they worship God in vain and they will be uprooted. God’s word is the only basis of unity. Unity on any other basis than truth is a failure.
Recognition of proper authority in religious matters is essential. The teachings of Christ and the apostles are the standard we are to follow and stand on. The apostle Paul told the Christians at Galatia in chapter 1 verses 6 and 7, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” Paul says that these Christians have “deserted him who called you in the grace of Christ.” They have deserted God and Paul is astonished that they have done this so quickly.
What have these Christians done so that Paul would say that they left God? They had turned to another gospel, but Paul wants to quickly declare that there is not another gospel. There is only one gospel and when you leave the truth of the gospel then you have left the Lord himself.
