Absence of One Faith and One Mind

Dec 12

Within the scriptures, God counsels us to be of one faith (Ephesians 4:5 / Mosiah 18:21) and one mind (2 Corinthians 13:11 / Phillip 2:2 / 2 Nephi 1:21). Jesus spoke in the same manner, that he and the Father are one. (John 10:30). Jesus further stated that he can do nothing of himself, but follows the will of the Father (John 5:30). In other words, his power and authority comes from the Father to do the things he did.

When reading the scriptures with the focus of seeking the connection between the authority and power of God and being of one mind and one faith, you will read that a divided house falls (Luke 11:17/ Mark 3:25). We know that with God, all things he does and says are connected, where without one thing the rest will fail or the rest would not be possible (James 2:10). This reveals the importance of “unity” among the principles and truths of God, that one principle or truth cannot operate when others are absent or violated. This is why God is perfect, he operates and lives according to all truths and all principles and all laws perfectly and in unity.

Putting these scriptures together, we begin to see a connection between unity and stability, power and authority.

Jesus Christ made it clear that he had no power in and of himself, but because he was one with the Father in heaven, which is also saying, of one mind and one faith, he had great power and authority because of the principle of unity and his obedience to it. This is why God speaks of the power of faith moving mountains, the living of faith in perfect obedience gives that person the power to do great things. Hence the purity and faith in perfection of Jesus Christ served to solidify his ability to receive and exercise such great power and right from heaven.

No person, not even Jesus Christ can share in the power and authority of God without obedience to this principle of unity. Any degree of division, the power or authority is lost. Hence the strictness of obedience to the principles found in God’s doctrines in the gospel.

Speaking on the matter of division, the majority of us know the effect of division. In business and in war, when the competition or enemy is divided, their power is greatly weakened. When a group of people are demoralized, they become divided, even against each other. This is why demoralization worked so well to weakened and divide unwanted groups. A family that is divided also finds itself in an unstable or chaotic and weakened state.

Unification teaches us that when people are unified, being of “one accord” with each other, they prosper and gain power to do many things. When a business or an army are of one accord, unified in purpose and intent and goal, success occurs. They show to have great power, become formidable, as though they are of great power and authority, overcoming many things. This very power is displayed in the Old Testament when the Army of David worked in unified faith and overpowered their enemies in battle, because the power gained by unification comes from God.

For example, against all odds, God’s people who were smaller in number battled and won against large armies, such as the story in Judges 7. Gideon’s army of three hundred men against a great multitude, they performed and stood as one. In doing so they had God to assist them and by the unity of faith, his power blessed them. In Judges 7, God divided the Midianites through their fear and they fled, which was a manner of division. The power and authority of Gideon’s army was great that even the multitude of the Midianites could not stand against.

Simply put, Division weakens, unity is power and strength.

There is no authority and no power in a divided house, at worst, anarchy exists. For this reason, the Apostles in the New Testament counseled Church members to be of one accord, one faith and one mind. When a house is divided, there is no strait direction, no solid base to stand on, no rock of God present. As seen above in the examples, the power of God comes from unity to one faith and one doctrine. The one doctrine means the doctrine that is only of God and comes only from him. All effectiveness, power and authority is lost in division and heance, lost in false doctrines because these cannot provide faith in God.

God’s Church must be of one faith, one mind, of one accord, else it is not God’s Church. God sets the requirements, we do not. He commands, we obey. This speaks volumes when we see this in the context of many Christian churches. Jesus is not as God without his unity with the Father. The Holy Ghost is not as God without his unity with the Father. The Father is God in and of himself because of his perfect unity with the eternal principles and laws. What makes Jesus and the Holy Ghost what they are is their unity with the Father in heaven.

This unity is not seen in the many thousands of different Christian denominations, each having their own doctrines, ideas, beliefs and goals. There are similarities, but there is no true unity with God because divers doctrines cannot be in unity with God. The many Christian churches show; no baptism or differing baptisms, there is no true one accord in any doctrine they hold and all of this is contrary to what the gospel preaches. Christian churches making agreements between them as they maintain divers doctrines, faith and practices does not unify them with God. Accept the other’s doctrines to make peace is not what true “one faith” “one mind” is about. It is not what the Apostles preached and not what Jesus showed by example. With the divisions that exist between the many Christian churches, how then can it be that they are of God? Remember what God said, that a divided house falls? The word divided includes the division of doctrine, faith and practice.

True unity, one mind, one baptism, one accord can only exist in “one Church” of God, it cannot exist in many different churches who are all divided from each other. Division is a sure sign something is not of God, not God’s Church and not God’s membership. Division of mind and heart belongs to man, not God (Romans 16:17). God did not want division in his Church (1 Corinthians 11:18), which is why he had his Apostles address the divisions to lead the “one Church” back on track to unity as Jesus preached.

When God’s people are unified in his “one faith” “one baptism” “one doctrine”, then God’s power and authority works through them. This is where God gives the membership possession of many spiritual gifts to work wonders. There is no such power and authority from God through just any Christian group or church that is in the state of division from God, which means they are unto themselves and their own personal doctrines (Hebrews 13:9). Unity with God can only occur with the complete gospel in the hands of his Church. If at any time the complete gospel is broken, pieced or divided, making it incomplete, then it ceases to be God’s true Church. This is what occurred in the New Testament when the Apostles were gone from primitive Church of Christ, all manner of false doctrines entered and division replaced unity. This is where the proclaimed end to revelation occurred. So long as God’s true gospel remained divided, the people (and the church) did not have his Spirit and guidance

People wrongly think that by simply believing in Jesus Christ and possessing the Bible that they have God’s power or authority. This is sorely wrong and is against the Doctrine of Unity, which dicates there must be “order” in God’s realm. Unity is never without proper order and in proper order is also proper authority, for power of God is never given when there is no authority ordained by God. This is what the Apostles struggled so much to maintain. God maintains order in his kingdom and with all things he does. To allow people to hold his authority on a whim, no matter what they believe, places God into disrepute with his spiritual laws of order and unity, which sets things into disorder. How many people have proclaimed the Bible, claiming they are called of God and they preach against other Christian preachers and act against God’s principles and doctrine? The belief of automatic authority is against the doctrine of “one faith, one mind, one accord”, showing it is actually an example of a divided house, meaning each are to their own ways. Any such person or group that professes the ways of division are of a divided house, are fallen in their divers doctrines and are not of God, neither do they possess God’s authority and power.

God’s true Church, as shown in the New Testament, is based on the principles, doctrine and practice of unity, “one mind, one faith, one baptism”, which makes it God’s true “one church”. It is this true Church of God that possesses the power and authority from God, no other.

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Comments

John Mcleod

January 22nd, 2012 at 1:51 AM

you speak of unity as necessary for stability,power and authority. I think understand your point but you fail to see what God means by unity. You think of it only in human terms. God meant unity to mean a house, army, church etc. working against itself. An army could not defeat another if it fought against itself from within. It has the army, navy and airmen all doing a different job for a common cause. God turned the army against itself and that is why in the bible many battles were won. Because different churches worship in different ways does not make them at cross purposes as you wish to see the Christian churches. All true Christians worship Jesus Christ, not as you see him when he was on earth, but as He truly is now. He lowered himself to come to earth to show us how to live as we are now, not as we will be when we meet him in heaven. We will be change then and knowing ALL. We are not in fact divided as you say unless our worship if off center with God’s calling on us as One God, one Word, one purpose in serving Him, one Truth, One in Three Persons. No other interpretations of this oneness makes that person’s interpretation correct. Your understanding of being divided is not a Godly interpretation but only a human interpretation. Not wrong in this world or the people you may believe you are speaking to but is incorrect in the Spirit of Christ I believe.
I believe that if you were to speak to a Christian about the similarities of beliefs you would find you are hard to find a difference in beliefs through the Holy Spirit but an appearance of difference in how we all worship Him.
I quote a portion of your message here:
How many people have proclaimed the Bible, claiming they are called of God and they preach against other Christian preachers and act against God’s principles and doctrine? The belief of automatic authority is against the doctrine of “one faith, one mind, one accord”, showing it is actually an example of a divided house, meaning each are to their own ways. Any such person or group that professes the ways of division are of a divided house, are fallen in their divers doctrines and are not of God, neither do they possess God’s authority and power.
Just as Nathan said to King David — You have now become that man.
Please consider this as a word to you and not an invitation for an argument. I am open to discussion that leads to the truth not to a justification. The latter will only be determined by God in the final instance. As a fellow believer with one God I share what I believe with you, not to change you but for your consideration. You and God are responsible for any changes. I am open to a frank discussion as to the truth of the matter but not to argue one point against another. That is done in the spirit that draws us all to One God, One Christ and One Sprit of Faith. All churches in end times need to check why they are separate in name on earth. If they are in fact separate in spirit then there will be problems when we meet Him. If we are in fact of One Spirit and that is the Holy Spirit of God then it is time we brought a spirit of unity where is applies and separate where it does not.
Thank you for your willingness to express your faith succinctly as best can be done in one language we have in common for now.
Blessings
John

MWarbinek

January 23rd, 2012 at 10:25 PM

Thanks for the reply.

Here is where I speak from.

Unity applies in all aspects of life, not just between members of God’s Church, but between the individual and God himself as Christ showed by example between himself and Heavenly Father. The unity on a group scale is seen with the words that the Father, Son (also described as the word), and the Holy Ghost are one, also called the Godhead in the Bible. How all three of these are one (unified).

The basis of unity is in the eternal principles and truths God lives by. Christ was one with the Father because his thinking, perception, etc are in line with the same eternal principles and truths that make God the Father what he is. That speaks of the godly terms or as Christ referred to in John 6:63, the “spiritual terms” by which God operates and gives his scripture.

When we look at the many Christian denominations (over 32,000 in North America), one wonders where the unity exists in this, how many may show similar beliefs, but show many contrary beliefs as well. God’s house is one of a unified doctrine, which is what the New Testament Church and God’s apostles have shown. A divided house from God is one where they are not abiding in the doctrines God teaches and not abiding in his manner of Church government. When you said that a belief of automatic authority depicts a divide house, you are correct. Authority to preach or even have a Church in his name must be ordained by God as having the authority to do so and that can only come by revelation in the manner already set out in the scriptures.

What are to do is learn God’s eternal principles and truth and live by them. When we do individually, we can become one with the Father in heaven as Christ showed by his example. This also leads us to learn to discern things spiritually and righteously (1 Cor 2:12–15).