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Our focus is on unity! What place does unity have in God’s scheme of things? What place does unity have in man’s execution of God’s scheme? Is unity possible when it comes to matters religious? What constraints, if any, are placed upon the achievement of unity? Can we go too far in attempting to achieve unity?

First of all, in God’s scheme of things, unity is an automatic! Since He is the embodiment of all truth, there is no disunity, discontinuity, disconnect, or deviation of any sort with God! James stated twith God there “… is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1.17). In commenting on this verse, Albert Barnes wrote, “He is always the same, at all seasons of the year, and in all ages; there is no change in his character, his mode of being, his purposes and plans. What he was millions of ages before the worlds were made, he is now; what he is now, he will be countless millions of ages hence.”

Secondly, what place does unity have in man’s execution of God’s scheme? This addresses the age old question about theory being perfect and imperfection always showing up in execution. Even if man could perfectly design a system, he could not perfectly execute it! God’s plans are perfect; man’s execution always comes up wanting! Even though this is the case, God expects that we strive for perfect unity. Paul told the Corinthians, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

But, is unity really possible when it comes to things religious? The answer is a qualified yes! As long as men follow God’s plan it is impossible not to be unified in such matters! Disunity comes into play when man determines to follow his own will and to disregard the will of the Creator. For someone to say that unity is a practical impossibility among believers is an indictment of God’s wisdom and will. To put this another way, every vestige of disunity in spiritual matters is a result of sin on man’s part! The world and the church will be unified when they all believe and practice the same thing. Of course, if the world and the church ever come to believe and practice the same things, the distinction of world and church will cease! Either the world will have become the same as the church or the church will have become the same as the world! The former will not happen, and the latter would indeed be a sad, sad day in human history!

As we continue our thoughts on The Love of the Truth and how it relates to the theme of religious unity, we purpose to answer our question about what constraints, if any, God has placed upon the achievement of unity and whether or not we can go too far in the pursuit of unity. These are serious and timely matters in all aspects of the human endeavor and it is our purpose to provide a biblical answer to these questions.

As a parting thought for today, may I suggest that you pause for a moment and thank God for His consistency. In a topsy-turvy world such as we live in, it is comforting to know that there is one thing upon which we can depend – NO MATTER WHAT!!

Questions:

1. How can we know that God is a constant?

2. God is constant and in Him there is no place for error. What effect does this fact have on the physical universe? Upon spiritual truth? Upon our future?

3. What basis did Paul cite upon which the Corinthians could achieve unity?

4. Will the world ever come to be like the church? If not, why not? Might the church ever come to be like the world? Comment on that possibility.

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

3 steps to peace...