Post by Zac Loh on Dec 3, 2008 15:37:20 GMT -5
There are three ways the body of Christ can unite. As the idiom goes, united we stand. These three ways of unity is like a tripod stand. To neglect or bypass even one leg – we will not stand.
We can have real true unity through the tripod of unity: Unity In Uniformity, Unity In Diversity and Unity In Conformity.
Unity In Uniformity
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
When we refer the above text scripture - contrary to what is usually conceived, approached and adopted - this Unity In Uniformity is not about methods and practices.
Even when we assert our methods and practices, we still will have to be subject to `lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
Looking at it, that oneness emphasized by our text scripture was about truth and principles – rather that physical acts and outward appearances.
Today we have a form of unity in doing projects together. We have symbolic acts and monuments of remembrances. In all these unity efforts, we have to be careful not to embrace the Tower of Babel unity which emphasized outward actions towards a common goal. You know that God disliked this form of unity because the whole motivation and concept - was void of God, and was not led by God Himself (Genesis 11:1-9).
Take for example, `baptism’. One should undergo water baptism because it is the outward reflection and assertion - of the spiritual truth and life reality. Nevertheless, one can undergo the physical act of water baptism without experiencing the truth and reality.
So what then should be our focus …the truth and reality of water baptism, or the ritualistic symbolic methods of water baptism?
‘one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all’: these oneness should be enough to unite us all. We don’t need other oneness because these truths are powerful enough to bring us together in true unity!
Unity In Diversity
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
We appreciate the variety of God’s creation when we go to a public park or garden. They look so beautiful. Arrange a bouquet of flowers, together they are beautiful.
Even so, we must appreciate the diversity of background, experiences, growths and gifts in the body of Christ!
We tend to measure others according to our own qualities. How many times have gauge someone or situation – according to our limited experience or exposure? I emphasized `limited’ because one person will not experience everything there is - that God has to offer. It is vanity and foolish to think that we can experience them all, and know them all. Yet we make judgments according to our own selves.
Unity In Conformity
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:13-16)
We all know that we are not there yet. We have been growing, we are growing, and we will continue to grow. I am different from what I was yesterday. And I am going to become better in the future.
As long as we pursue to conform to Christ, we will be looking for more of Christ in us. And the more of Christ in us, the more Christ-like we will become. And this means unity because it is one and same Christ we are becoming.
We are all zeroing-in to the same direction. We will have similarities, which is beyond symbolic acts and rituals. We are of Christ. And we have more of Christ in us. And we are becoming more Christ-like.
When we behave and act according to the Christ in us, we will have unity. The sad fact is that many times we react and make decisions which are outside the parameter of the living Christ Who is within us.
The good news; is that, when we become more Christ-like, the more united we will be …if not for the fact that unity itself is one of the character qualities of our Christ.
We can have real true unity through the tripod of unity: Unity In Uniformity, Unity In Diversity and Unity In Conformity.
Unity In Uniformity
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
When we refer the above text scripture - contrary to what is usually conceived, approached and adopted - this Unity In Uniformity is not about methods and practices.
Even when we assert our methods and practices, we still will have to be subject to `lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
Looking at it, that oneness emphasized by our text scripture was about truth and principles – rather that physical acts and outward appearances.
Today we have a form of unity in doing projects together. We have symbolic acts and monuments of remembrances. In all these unity efforts, we have to be careful not to embrace the Tower of Babel unity which emphasized outward actions towards a common goal. You know that God disliked this form of unity because the whole motivation and concept - was void of God, and was not led by God Himself (Genesis 11:1-9).
Take for example, `baptism’. One should undergo water baptism because it is the outward reflection and assertion - of the spiritual truth and life reality. Nevertheless, one can undergo the physical act of water baptism without experiencing the truth and reality.
So what then should be our focus …the truth and reality of water baptism, or the ritualistic symbolic methods of water baptism?
‘one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all’: these oneness should be enough to unite us all. We don’t need other oneness because these truths are powerful enough to bring us together in true unity!
Unity In Diversity
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
We appreciate the variety of God’s creation when we go to a public park or garden. They look so beautiful. Arrange a bouquet of flowers, together they are beautiful.
Even so, we must appreciate the diversity of background, experiences, growths and gifts in the body of Christ!
We tend to measure others according to our own qualities. How many times have gauge someone or situation – according to our limited experience or exposure? I emphasized `limited’ because one person will not experience everything there is - that God has to offer. It is vanity and foolish to think that we can experience them all, and know them all. Yet we make judgments according to our own selves.
Unity In Conformity
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:13-16)
We all know that we are not there yet. We have been growing, we are growing, and we will continue to grow. I am different from what I was yesterday. And I am going to become better in the future.
As long as we pursue to conform to Christ, we will be looking for more of Christ in us. And the more of Christ in us, the more Christ-like we will become. And this means unity because it is one and same Christ we are becoming.
We are all zeroing-in to the same direction. We will have similarities, which is beyond symbolic acts and rituals. We are of Christ. And we have more of Christ in us. And we are becoming more Christ-like.
When we behave and act according to the Christ in us, we will have unity. The sad fact is that many times we react and make decisions which are outside the parameter of the living Christ Who is within us.
The good news; is that, when we become more Christ-like, the more united we will be …if not for the fact that unity itself is one of the character qualities of our Christ.