unity in Christians

[stefen]

Hi,

From past few years, I was filled with thoughts of unity in Christians. We will be called as Christians because we are the followers of Christ and also He resembles in us through our acts. But some times, in Christian countries (I am From India and I don't see these type of answers here), people introduce themselves as RC, Baptists, Pentecostals or whatever..! It doesn't looks like Paul says in Bible that they belong to silas and some belong to Paul.. And He condemned these type of separations on those days itself. But now, knowingly we are doing that. Does it is unity? Does all these denomination / different named Church will be called as single church?? (Bride of Christ) everyone has hope and thoughts that their denomination / church only will go to heaven. Next church if filled with lots of mistakes.

Note: I am not a non denominational guy. I go to local church every week and on special occasions. But I wanted to know do we go to heaven with this perception??

 

[forrestcupp]

AMEN! We need to be able to look past our theological differences and truly love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

It's a lot more important that God's children start acting like His body instead of being so consumed with being right. We all have our opinions and interpretations of the Bible, but why can't we look past that to the heart of it all and be satisfied that we all have Jesus in common. Instead of fixing our eyes on our differences, we should be fixing our eyes on the magnificent Lord Jesus.

Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Imagine how far the Body of Christ could go toward turning the world upside down for Christ and His Kingdom if we all worked together instead of fought each other. He's looking for a Bride that's without spot or wrinkle. It will happen someday, but why can't we do our part to see it happen today?

 

[stefen]

Yeah..! We are fighting in ourselves. In my country, other religion is laughing at us. Buddhism will say they are buddhists. Hinduism say they are Hindus.. Whey are we not introducing ourselves as Christians than denomination name?? We won't go to church beside our home. Will go which is very far away..! When gentiles saw that..! Won't they laugh at us?? Muslims will go to their masjib which is nearby (when they are traveling also). But we will stop going to church if we won't find our denominational church, when we are out from our hometown..! Doesn't it look crazy??

What is the disease for us so called Christians??

Please think about that. As USA flag theme says "Unite we will stand" This will be applicable for us also.

 

[Axehead]

Yes, no one Christian has all the truth. You will know if TRUTH (Jesus) really abides in them if they don't alienate one another who Christ died for. All Christians are at different places in their walk and we are to love and encourage one another. Mostly on forums, people talk about doctrine but if doctrine is not your "thing", then there is a fellowship forum here, too. And just because someone is born-again does not mean they have perfect understanding of all things. Far from it. The challenge is can we love our brothers and accept them, (Don't have to accept what they believe) without ourselves going off track?

In the city, you have many churches sometimes in the same neighborhood, or on the same block. They are separated by doctrine. In this forum, people bring their doctrine and continue the separation between brethren.

And no, we will not be separated by men's divisions/denominations in heaven.

2Ti_2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Axehead

 

[aspen]

Unity among Christians is great until one group of Christians decide another group of Christians is not really Christian. As a Christian who attends a Catholic Church, I have experienced this attitude from many on this board - one person has decided that I am not even Catholic.

 

[stefen]

I think most of the people can't even come out of their group and speak independently.. Its mixed in their blood, may be becoz they are practicing the group rules than Christ life from their birth.

 

[forrestcupp]

Unity among Christians is great until one group of Christians decide another group of Christians is not really Christian. As a Christian who attends a Catholic Church, I have experienced this attitude from many on this board - one person has decided that I am not even Catholic.

That's why we need to work all the harder to love each other and not fight doctrine in an unhealthy way. It's ok to discuss your beliefs, but when feelings get in the way, it's gone too far. The only real thing that matters is:

John 14:6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

 

[Pelaides]

I think most of the people can't even come out of their group and speak independently.. Its mixed in their blood, may be becoz they are practicing the group rules than Christ life from their birth.

You are making a good point.When they asked Mahatma Gahndi why he would not become a christian ,he replied ,"I love Jesus,but I dont like christians,because they are so unlike their Christ".

 

[justaname]

I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. I believe in the Holy Trinity. I believe Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father and will come again. I am a Christian, a follower of the Way, a believer in Yeshewa my Messiah. I believe in the unity of the Universal (Catholic) Church, the Body of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, one body, living for one accord and one namesake, our Head, Christ who's Head is God.

We are united, although the tares make it look like we are not, and have even deceived some of the wheat into thinking we are divided. God is sovereign, and has reserved a remnant for Himself. Do not be fooled and continue love one another glorifying your Father who is in Heaven. Those who do not accept the love of Christ in you are not to receive it, for they do not accept the One who sent you. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Knowledge produces pride or puffs up, but love builds up. The foundation has been laid with Jesus as our cornerstone and capstone, and we as living stones are one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, giving light to the world that God has sent Jesus. This is our unity, to love and proclaim the gospel, being a city on a hill, so that the name of Christ is glorified thereby glorifying the Father in Heaven. Faith working through love completing every good work prepared fro us before hand by God.

 

[stefen]

I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. I believe in the Holy Trinity. I believe Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father and will come again. I am a Christian, a follower of the Way, a believer in Yeshewa my Messiah. I believe in the unity of the Universal (Catholic) Church, the Body of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, one body, living for one accord and one namesake, our Head, Christ who's Head is God.

So, You seem to say that Catholic church will unite and will go to heaven which is accepted as universal church by God isit? Cant we think beyond that to be united?? why are we naming we are catholics, baptists, lutheran or whatever??

 

[brrrilliantsteve]

Hi Stefan, God bless you for such a positive post.

I came to this forum in search of fellowship with fellow Christians from other denominations, other countries, & other view points. During my own conversion I was shown that even an atheist with a Muslim heritage can be more Christian than a Christian. So I believe strongly that we all have something which we can learn and something which we can share. Like most here I do have a strong belief in the Bible as the word of God, and try my hardest to include biblical references in any comments I make. I would like, however, to share a quote I just read in response to your question below.

But I wanted to know do we go to heaven with this perception??

A quoted comment on Ephesians 4:11-13 "It cannot be shown that the church did, in the lifetime of Paul, reach the state of unity, knowledge, and perfection, here mentioned. And certainly the church did not enjoy these during her apostasy, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and the period of her flight into the wilderness, Revelation 12:6. Nor has she reached this state of unity, knowledge, and perfection, since the labors of Martin Luther. The church today is almost infinitely below this state of unity, knowledge, and perfection. And not until the Christians of the last generation of men shall be brought to the enjoyment of it by the last warning message, and all the means God may employ to prepare them to be translated to heaven without tasting death, will the ultimate design of the gifts be realized." {1SP 13.3}

This person says that we will indeed "enjoy" that unity which we all seek (if only briefly), but it will not come until "the last warning message", and until God has used all his means to prepare us for heaven "without tasting death".

So if this is right, your answer would be, "No" we do not go to heaven with dis-unity (not sure if that is a word). We go to heaven unified.

The unfortunate thing though, is this scenario would mean that we are stuck with this problem until literally just before the end.

 

[stefen]

Yeah..! If we go to heaven in this mindset..! Just imagine how that place will be..! We all will be in groups again, will not speak to the next group guy. But will be in shock that, how this guy came to heaven??

Some group leave Jesus Christ and will run to Mary or peter. Some will run to John, some will run to Paul, others will go to moses..!

Will these type of mind sets will reach heaven?? As Jesus said, we can be greater than John the baptist, As we follow him with more faith. Can't we??

We are also same human being with flesh and blodd as he is..!

 

[Episkopos]

The church of Jesus Christ cannot be represented by any form of human institution. If people choose a religious institution over the unity of the Spirit...well that speaks more about the people than the church that Jesus Christ is building.

 

[SilenceInMotion]

Saying that a person is not Christian even though they adamantly believe and work with Christ is sort of a dead thing, something which you'll only see rather mean ultra-conservatives (who are barely Christian themselves) try to tell people.

The concern is not really about the personal believer, but the churches themselves. The Church, for example, embraces Protestant churches as Christian because they have all the neccesary requirements for being a Christian church. This includes things like preaching, baptism, belief in the trinity, congregation, and so on. But they do not recognize Mormon churches as being Christian, because they do not teach the basic, universal beliefs of Christianity.
So while a Mormon can be saved, their church is not Christian.

That's really what's going on now. There are so many denominations that it's pretty much impossible to unify them. Thankfully, salvation in the Lord does not require that one go to a church that is right, only that you are right with the Lord.

 

[stefen]

That's really what's going on now. There are so many denominations that it's pretty much impossible to unify them. Thankfully, salvation in the Lord does not require that one go to a church that is right, only that you are right with the Lord.

Denominations are created by some rulers / authorities for their own benefit or divided from their parent church due to the lust of the world and money. The enemy is playing with us by creating these type of divisions.. If we are being a ball in enemy's court, we can never expect to see heaven. Thats pretty sure.

Live like Jesus.. Thats it..! You can be called as christian. why are all these useless divisions in us?? which is adding distance to reach heaven. Think and act my Friends. Be blessed.

 

[Pelaides]

Its like chipping away at a diamond,you cant break it all at once until you reduce it to little pieces first.Thats what satan has done to the church(the rock).

 

[forrestcupp]

I came to this forum in search of fellowship with fellow Christians from other denominations, other countries, & other view points.

Me too. I came here hoping to find some fellowship and encouragement, and found a big fight.

The unfortunate thing though, is this scenario would mean that we are stuck with this problem until literally just before the end.

I'm kind of feeling like God is calling out to His people to begin to desire unity because we're getting closer to the end. Unity in the Body of Christ is kind of like a "camel walking through the eye of a needle" thing, but with God, all things are possible. We should do whatever we can to promote unity in the Body, and that does not mean getting watered down with the world.

 

[justaname]

So, You seem to say that Catholic church will unite and will go to heaven which is accepted as universal church by God isit? Cant we think beyond that to be united?? why are we naming we are catholics, baptists, lutheran or whatever??

I think you misunderstand what it is I am saying. The body of Christ is united. We are universal (the definition of catholic). Some may not be able to see past the lines of denominations, but not all are like that. Truly in the eyes of God there is only one church, the universal church, the body of Christ. It is only man that is confused. When it comes to names I prefer the name Christian.

 

[stefen]

Thanks..! Please walk forward to be united and don't bring variation thoughts in our lives hereafter..! You go to whatever the church beside your home. But remove the bad roots on the unity and greet everyone with Holy Spirit minded. Live like Jesus. We all will meet in heaven without any doubts..

Be blessed.

 

[forrestcupp]

I think you misunderstand what it is I am saying. The body of Christ is united. We are universal (the definition of catholic). Some may not be able to see past the lines of denominations, but not all are like that. Truly in the eyes of God there is only one church, the universal church, the body of Christ. It is only man that is confused. When it comes to names I prefer the name Christian.

I was hoping you were using the real definition of "catholic" church, and not the generally understood meaning of the Roman Catholic Church.