February 15, 2010
There is such disunity among Christians today and many wonder why that is. Everyone has a different idea of how Christianity or Church is done and so what we have is so much confusion that unbelievers are turned off and many believers are wandering in the wilderness alone because they cannot stand the turmoil and hypocrisy.
Apostle John wrote in 1 John1:4 And these things I write to you that your joy may be full.
What things was he talking about? Surely joy is one of many things that is missing in the body of Christ for instead of joy there is either just deadpan expressions or frustration or depression, things that we actually want to avoid if we want to have joy within ourselves.
Lets continue our reading of 1 John1 beginning with vs.5-7
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Sometimes I think that the most obvious is the most often overlooked when it comes to scripture.
Where are the teachers who understand the Word of God? The answers are there, why is nobody teaching it?
First to be understood is about light: A course in physics would reveal that light cannot be seen, only what light illuminates can be seen. God Himself is the source of all light and God cannot be seen and only what God reveals can be seen, therefore it takes a vibrant connection to the light source if we are ever to see anything. Know what is the greatest hindrance to that connection?
"Individuality" What is individuality? My right to myself. Do not confuse individuality with personality for the one is good and the other is opposed to God. Personality is what sets you apart from every other person on earth and makes you completely unique and is a gift from God but individuality will cause you to reject God's will for your life and must be subdued.
You cannot have fellowship with God and retain your individuality or your right to yourself for He said " you are not your own for you were bought with a price". When a man and a woman fall in love they give up their individuality for each other because something greater is obtained in exchange. No wonder we have so much divorce today because that has changed and now we have women who insist on keeping their maiden name and we have prenuptial agreements that say we will agree until we disagree and then that's it and everything I had before we got together is still mine. There's no surrender of the individuality for the oneness that is greater therefore they never become as one. Interesting how closely the marriage relationship mirrors our relationship with the Savior. As the boundary lines have been eroded in marriage so have they in Christianity until we no longer have lasting relationships with God or man.
Here is an indisputable fact; no one can give what they have not first received. If we have not received life from God then we do not have any life to give anyone else. If we have not received wisdom from God then we have no Godly wisdom to give anyone else. If we have not received the Holy Spirit who sheds His love abroad in our hearts then we do not have any love to give to anyone, especially the unlovely. If we have not received patience through trials he gives then we have no patience to extend to those who might try our patience. Do we not understand that the "fruit of the Spirit" that is spoken of in Galatians 5:22-23 is not a wish list of good characteristics that we strive to obtain but is actually proof of the life of One Who is greater living within us and manifesting Himself through us?
So again I ask, what is this light that Jesus is in that we are commanded to also walk in?
It is Jesus oneness with God through surrender of His individuality, remember that means my right to myself, Php.2:5-85 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
This is what it takes to receive God's light in order to walk in it. And NO it is not a onetime thing but we must begin with a willing surrender of everything we hold dear as well as to all sin and rebellion in our life to begin a journey that will last a lifetime. Over the course of time many opportunities will come to surrender something else that we did not know about before but has just been revealed to us. Our lives may be compared to an island in the ocean the may be but the tip of a great under sea mountain. Only God knows what is deep inside of us but He is faithful and will root it out if we will permit. In John 16:12 Jesus said I have many more things to say to you but you cannot bear them now. If it was given us all at once none of us would decide to take the trip but He promised that His Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth and as we are built up in Him we can then endure the dealings of the Lord leading to purification.
I want to return to the topic of unity among believers and as I said in the beginning the secret is found in "walking in the light as He is in the light" we must follow Christ's example and surrender our individuality in exchange for our membership in the body of Christ and we will receive through the Holy Spirit everything we need for life and godliness 2 Peter2:3. Unity does not come through the efforts of man but by being joined together through the Holy Spirit and our lives being directed by Him in all we do. Consider this example, A bee hive or an ant colony, have you ever seen bee's fighting? how about ant's? Instead they may be observed working together for a common goal and their accomplishments are considerable. I have never observed either species arguing about who is to do a certain task or who is greatest. I realize this may be an over simplification but consider why the above is true, "they get orders from the very one who created them". Well you say we are not animals nor insects but were given freewill and the ability to make choices for ourselves and you are correct. However it is to the one who "Overcomes" is given the crown of life. Overcome what you ask? Your freewill. lay down your freewill and discover the light that will flood your soul and the very one who created you will guide you into all truth and help you walk in the light just as He is in the light because it is His light that is now driving out all the darkness in you and I guarantee you will have true fellowship with everyone else who is also walking in the same light. Remember there is only one true light
and that light does not give out conflicting orders. This is why the ant has such unity because all of them get their instructions from the same source. Where are you getting yours?
John Martin