Sunday 20 February 2022

The Unity of the Spirit

 


Scripture: Ephesians 4 v 3:  "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."


Unity is always a good thing when the right people are involved but suddenly it dawned on me that I needed to examine those words more closely to find the true meaning.  Mostly its more like herding cats than sheep!  Sheep are docile and able to go in one direction.  

The Holy Spirit, our Teacher, Strengthener and Comforter, wants us to be in unity in our spirituality so that we conform completely to Him.  He is the third member of the Trinity and is never an 'it' or an 'influence'. He can be grieved and quenched and lied to - with serious consequences! Acts 5 consequences!

When we are in unity with Him we will be in one accord in the Body of Christ with no divisions or differences or discord of any kind. The exhortation to be in unity with the Holy Spirit means that we are fully submitted to the will of God and to each other.

Disunity, discord, lack of harmony appears in a congregation where sin is pushed under the carpet and there is no active ministry against demonic influence.  There will be little or zero engagement with the Holy Spirit, or His gifts.  The correct use of His gifts brings about order and good management of Christian living. 

It does not just mean great harmony in worship while singing in tongues together although that can greatly encourage that unity and be part of achieving it.  It certainly enhances our unity with the Holy Spirit.

What we really need to focus on is unity of purpose to line up with God's actual will for us rather than what we think His will should be. We know His will is for all men to be saved. What we don't always know is what we as individuals should be doing to achieve that.

We all have different abilities, talents, strengths, skills and functions. The Holy Spirit wants to harmonise all those into one effective, well-oiled, whole machine. That "machine" is the consecrated Body of Christ consisting of born again believers wherever they are on this planet.

What spoils the unity of the Holy Spirit the most is strange doctrines that have crept into church teachings.  I was once in a business meeting when an atheist challenged me out of the blue.  He said, If there is only one God, how come there are so many different churches, sects and denominations?  I was immensely grateful that the Holy Spirit spoke through me and answered, Because the churches are divided by what people had added to, or subtracted from, the Word of God!  It silenced him, and I learned something new that day.

To achieve the harmony of the early church, we need to examine our beliefs and behaviour against the true light of the Bible.  Would Peter, Paul or John have approved of building cathedrals, or luxurious churches, or using wealth to draw people to God?  All Christians in the Book of Acts sold everything they owned and had all material things in common.

There was no status, or status symbols, like we see today.  They had a whole world to convert, teach and heal, and their one purpose was to get this done right.  They were united in the purpose of Jesus Christ, to continue what He died to give us.  A way out of Hell, and eternal life in Heaven.  Every Christian has this goal, few are motivated.

Every born again saint has received the Holy Spirit at the moment Jesus comes into your heart. After baptism you can, and should, be baptised in the Holy Spirit. The word baptised is from the Greek word BAPTIZO meaning "immersed". Just as you are immersed by water baptism you need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. The evidence of this is usually that you begin to speak with other tongues.

When you speak or sing in tongues your spirit is refreshed, your soul released and you are edified or built up in the Holy Spirit. In this way He can begin to engage us in different ways to achieve the purpose and will of God. The closer you get to Jesus and listen to His voice the closer we will get to one another spiritually speaking. 

When we are in unity with the Holy Spirit we are able to be led as a flock and guided to the right pasture to eat the correct nourishment that will contribute to us going in the right direction to achieve God's purpose for the Body of Christ.  Consider a flock of birds flying, wheeling, turning and moving as one.  Perfect flying formation.  That's what the Holy Spirit wants to achieve in us.

So endeavour to be in unity of Spirit through seeking God through fasting and prayer to determine His true will for your life and you will find yourself coming into a whole new experience in which you flow with others in spiritual awareness of your true purpose and God's real plan for your life.


Prayer: Heavenly Father we want to do Your will to achieve Your purpose and it needs us being in unity with the Holy Spirit. Change me Lord to conform and flow with all other consecrated Christians to glorify You and edify the Body of Christ.  Help me to get back to basics and become radical against sin and its consequences.  In Jesus' name. Amen.