Brought Into The Oneness Of The Son: Coming Out Of False Unity Into The Depths Of True Fellowship Of The Spirit.
False unity demands agreement.
Unity of the Spirit welcomes diverse voices. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
False unity avoids conflict at any cost.
Unity in the Spirit welcomes healthy conflict which leads to covenant relationships.
THE NECESSITY OF HEALTHY CONFLICT
If you can’t deal with conflict, then you have no hope of maintaining a covenant relationship. Many avoid conflict because they have experienced unhealthy altercations. Refusing confrontation will lead to misunderstandings, bitterness, and ultimately, to lasting dysfunction in relationships. Refusing to deal with issues at the root with healthy conflict leads to blow-outs and blow-ups. To delay conflict doesn’t alleviate, but rather exacerbates our relational differences.
Healthy conflict is required in Christ-centred relationships.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
We are to sharpen one another. To sharpen a sword requires forging and grinding. Healthy conflict requires friction and grit. The duller we are the more substantial the grit that is needed to produce a sharpness in the spirit. (Ephesians 6:17) This conflict can be uncomfortable but is necessary in the process of discipleship.
Christ uses healthy relationships to forge us into His image.
We are to sharpen, not pierce one another.
Christ is the One who is to pierce our hearts. (Acts 2:37; Hebrews 4:12; Lamentations 3:13) Jesus is the surgeon, He is the One who takes the scalpel of the Holy Spirit to cut away our stoney hearts, replacing it with a heart of flesh; (Ezekiel 36:26) He is the One who cuts away the old man to bring us into the fullness of our spirit man. Jesus masterfully does the surgery needed to bring us into the fullness of Christ.
Jesus brings conviction.
It was Jesus’ finished work on the cross that bridges the gap from death to life, from sinner to saint. It is not our responsibility to take the place of the Holy Spirit in each others’ lives.
We are not to take up the sword, we are not to pierce one another. We are to take up the grinding stone, not a sword.
We are to take up the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17) However, this is not to be raised in opposition towards our brothers and sisters. Scripture states, “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood” . (Ephesians 6:12) We are to walk by the Spirit and only speak by the Spirit’s unction.
We are to take up this sword in defence against the hordes of hell not take it up against each other. Taking up a sword of war against our brothers and sisters in Christ, instead of a sharpening stone, is what brings division and dysfunction in our relationships.
Sharpening takes skill. We need to know the pressure, the grit and the knowledge to determine when the sword is sharp. We need to know when to change grits, when to apply pressure, and when to cease in order to ensure the usefulness and resilience of the sword. This is how discipleship and submitting to one another looks. (Ephesians 5:21)
THE DANGERS OF UNHEALTHY CONFLICT AND FALSE UNITY
This is the care we need to be taking in the conflicts that will inevitably arise amongst us. Unfortunately, many take the place of the Holy Spirit and as a result cut each other to ribbons. We slash wildly at one another with slander and accusations. We use shame to manipulate each other to “act right”. We weaponize the Bible to bring correction out of envy, jealousy and spite.
Conflict which brings sharpening leads to covenant relationships and healthy communities. Conflict that pierces leads to blood shed and emotional carnage which leads to division and alienation.
We are to sharpen one another not destroy one another.
What we see in many church communities is they react in one of two ways: they use conflict to control people or they avoid conflict to maintain false unity.
True unity welcomes conflict that brings sharpening: this leads to covenant.
False unity is focused on building institutions. Unity in the Spirit focuses on the construction of covenant relationships. False unity suppresses our God ordained identities in Christ.
Unity in the Spirit recognizes and acknowledges each Believer as a fellow image-bearer of Jesus. False unity honours only those who will benefit them. This honour is transactional, not relational. Unity in the Spirit honours each person for whom God made them to be with their gifts, callings, purposes and identities.
False honour focuses on highlighting the empires of man. Godly honour recognizes man’s submission to Jesus. It is the submission of Ephesians 5:21: ”…submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
THE TRUE PATH TO UNITY: ONENESS WITH CHRIST
False unity emphasizes staying within strict traditional and doctrinal criteria. False unity demands the obedience to rules and human structures.
Unity of the Spirit emphasizes cultivating a close intimate relationship with Christ Jesus. True unity invites the people of God into an encounter with a loving Saviour.
False unity feeds ego, pride and interdependence apart from Christ, emphasizing what seems right to man. (Proverbs 14:12) False unity is threatened by what is right in God’s eyes.
This ungodly agreement builds communities of humanistic, fleshly churches who refuse self-inspection and reject the chastening of the Lord Jesus.
“But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!” (1 Corinthians 11:19)
There is a “setting apart” in the Kingdom of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17, 6:17, 7:1; Romans 1:1,13:14)
The division that Paul is writing about in 1 Corinthians 11:19 is that of consecration and is essential in the coming together of the Saints. This divine division is the action of Jesus setting His servants apart for His service. (Matthew 13:24-30, 25:31-46)
This division is one that leads to a people set apart unto Holy unity.
Unity of the Spirit leads to consecration, holiness and dependence on Jesus by His Holy Spirit’s leading.
False unity denies the power of God, shuns prophecy, subverts Godly leadership and suppresses the fire of the Holy Spirit. This ungodly agreement counters the plans and purposes of Jesus Christ Himself.
Unity in Christ Jesus exalts the Kingdom of God. False unity exalts the kingdoms of man.
False unity leads God’s people to worship at the altar of convenience, compromise and human opinion. This unity is not unity at all. It’s legalism and the worship of the flesh.
True Godly unity is not about agreement. It’s about alignment.
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)
Note the key to the unity that Paul is describing is anchored “…by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Endeavouring to live in harmony with each other, attempting to prevent divisions by the authority of man, rather than by the authority of Jesus is carnal and demonic! When churches rebel against the authority of Jesus they fall into legalism and demonic control in their leadership strategies.
Godly unity and harmony can only flow from the authority of Jesus Christ.
The one mind mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:10 is only found in and through Jesus. To be “united in thought and purpose” there must be unity in the Holy Spirit. To attain this unity by another spirit is sorcery.
Central to unity of the Spirit is fellowship in the Spirit.
Watchman Nee shares in his book, Release of the Spirit, that this fellowship is
“…not an inflow of ideas.” Rather, it is accomplished when our spirit is
“…released to touch the spirit of others. In this sharing of spirit we experience the fellowship of the saints and understand what the Scripture means by “fellowship in the spirit.”’
Nee further clarifies that fellowship of the Holy Spirit, this Godly unity, is accomplished by spiritual alignment, not intellectual agreement:
“Indeed, “deep calleth unto deep” (Psalm 42:7). The depth of your being is calling for a touch of my depth; and I am calling for a touch of the depth of the whole Church. Here is the fellowship of the deeps, the calling and the answering of one another.” (Watchman Nee)
Unity of the Spirit is accomplished by spiritual alignment, not intellectual agreement.
You see this illustrated in the book of Acts. We do not read that the early Church agreed on everything but that they were aligned in their commitment and worship of Jesus and were dedicated to fellowship with one another. They were united in spirit and purpose.
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.” (Acts of the Apostles 2:42-44)
“They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts of the Apostles 2:46-47)
True unity requires common devotion and commitment to King Jesus, not necessarily agreement on every matter. This unity is embodied by a group who has corporately committed their whole beings to the worship and service of Jesus.
Look at verse 45 in Acts 2: “They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.”
This is a giving of one’s self to the betterment and fulfillment of Christ’s Kingdom community. Unity of the Spirit is represented by a people who have set their eyes and affections towards the throne of God, no matter the cost.
True unity, the unity birthed from the Spirit of the Living God, leads the Church to the throne of Christ, a people unified in worship before King Jesus! This is the true path towards Church unity, setting yourself before the eyes of the Lord in submission and worship.
The Spirit of Jesus exposes.
When we gather before Jesus, our thoughts, intentions and desires are laid bare. Your desires are transformed, your demonic agreements are exposed and disposed of in an instant.
The eyes of the Lord are fire. (Revelation 1:14) His eyes see into all things, they reveal every matter. No matter the false rhetoric, manipulation and lies used to force the people of God into human agreement, Jesus in not fooled. His eyes see the true from the false.
False unity avoids the gaze of Christ at all costs.
WARNING AGAINST FALSE LEADERS AND UNHOLY AGREEMENT
False and toxic leaders weaponize “unity” to root out disagreement. They ostracize, vilify and accuse any voice that does not echo their own. What this costs these church communities is the rooting out of the prophets and apostles among them. The resulting consequence is the rejection of the Holy Spirit’s voice. The end result is that a false Jesus is presented and exalted.
False unity is a battle cry of compromise:
Gather the people, gather the people, let us agree on the matter. We do not need to consult the Lord!
This is a Babylonian mantra that is contrary to the Kingdom of God.
Toxic leaders will labour to remove those who call the people of God towards unity before God Almighty.
Ahab called Elijah the “troubler of Israel”. (1 King 18:20)
King Ahab wished to maintain false unity and shunned those who spoke by the unction of the Lord.
In 1 King 22, King Ahab wished to exclude the voice of the prophet Micaiah, because “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me!” (Verse 8)
Ahab desired to facilitate the “unity” that was cultivated by his false prophets, those who would agree and endorse his selfish desires,
“King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”
All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!” (1 Kings 22:10-12)
False unity is maintained by the agreement of man speaking from the flesh and by the influence of evil spirits.
“Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”
But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?”
Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”
But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the Lord?”
Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.’”
“Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.” (1 Kings 22:12-18)
Jumping down to verse 26.
“Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’” (1 Kings 22:26-27)
Leaders who endeavour to maintain unity at all costs are often guilty of ungodly gatekeeping. They silence those who live and die on the words of the Lord, those who proclaim, “…I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
To maintain humanistic serenity they bar the doors to the prophetic voices who would speak Christ’s words of warning.
Maintaining false unity is not Christian leadership, it is overlording, and as with Ahab, it has its roots in divination, the action of gaining power and knowledge from unclean spirits.
Do not be fooled by the number of voices in agreement. I have been in groups who agree on matters yet in doing so they willingly and knowingly rejected the prophetic voices among them. They ignore “thus said the Lord” to fulfill their selfish desires.
DISCERNING GODLY VS. UNGODLY AGREEMENT
How can you tell the difference between Godly agreement and ungodly agreement?
Scripture is a good indicator. If the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are absent in a group decision it is not of the Lord. If those making these decisions do not hold to the leadership standards found in scripture (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1), then their agreements in their decision making will also be suspect.
Where you see compromise you will find demonic agreement
In your discerning ask yourself these questions:
Does the group attempt to force agreement by bullying, manipulation, shame and dishonesty?
Does the group welcome transparency and accountability when decisions are questioned?
1 John 1:7 makes it clear that true Godly fellowship only comes when a group is submitted and living in the light of Jesus,
“But if we keep living in the pure light that surrounds Him, we share unbroken fellowship with one another…”
Being involved in ministry organizations over the years I have observed patterns of unethical, ungodly decision making contrary to scripture. Time and time again these “group” decisions have been deemed godly and justified under the excuse of “there was agreement”, “the decision was unanimous.” These cannot be used as a barometer of whether a decision is of God or not.
In these cases the fruits of the Spirit were not evident and in their justification of the decisions in question they used manipulation and dishonesty to avoid accountability. These groups surely did not “keep living in the pure light that surrounds Him”. As a result, their fellowship was not Godly, but demonic.
Consider the dangers of concluding that mere agreement equals righteousness. The dark forces of the world have agreement. They are in agreement about actively coming against Jesus and His people. Just because a group invokes the name of Jesus does not mean they are truly a ministry of Jesus or that they are serving God (James 2:19). Often times these compromised leaders heed demonic voices and become pawns of the enemy, used by Satan to distract and dismantle the kingdom work of Christ.
Selfish ambition, pride, envy, competition and greed should not be the motivation behind our agreements.
Jesus came as a servant for all (Matthew 20:28) to set the people free (Luke 4:18).
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1
To come into agreement fuelled by selfishness, pride and human ambition is to submit yourself to a yoke of slavery. To be a party in the maintaining of faux unity, to “go along to get along” is to worship at the altar of man, one motivated by the fear of man, not the fear of God; submission to the soul of humanity rather than submission and worship to the will of the One True God, Jesus Christ our Lord. The goal of unity should not be to please man but to please God. (Thessalonians 2:4)
The goal of unity must not be centred firstly on closeness with your brothers and sisters in Christ. The ultimate goal of unity must be Oneness with Jesus.
Our core goal should not even be unity itself. Our main aim should not be unity with one another. Even simply being united to Christ does not go far enough. Unity is not deep enough. We need to go further! Our ultimate goal should be oneness. Oneness is where you can no longer differentiate where you end and Christ begins. We must be brought into oneness with Jesus and as result, be brought to our knees in worship so that we can be brought into oneness with one another.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21)
As we ascend into oneness with Jesus, we enter into oneness with one another. When that order is reversed we inevitably spiral into human effort, the flesh, legalism, control, people-pleasing and ultimately, into the conjuring of false sprits to maintain agreement. (see Exodus 32)
Unchecked humanism leads to demonization.
Jesus first! The opinions and views of man must be submitted to Him for His approval and scrutiny. When we come into agreement with Christ we are positioned to come into agreement as a people who truly seek the Lord.
A CALL TO INTROSPECTION AND REPENTANCE
Here is the challenge: in your friction, fights and disagreements, are you becoming more like Jesus?
In your agreement with others do you compromise your integrity, convictions and the word of God?
Do you feel pressure from those around you to ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to come into agreement with them?
Have you ever surrendered the conviction of the Holy Spirit because “the group all agrees”?
Do you feel pressure from the leaders around you to conform to their views, opinions and plans?
Do the leaders in your life endeavour to silence the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life or do they empower and encourage you in hearing the voice of Jesus?
Pray with me:
“Lord Jesus search my heart. Have I submitted my voice to the filter of man? Holy Spirit, reveal the intentions of my heart. Have I given ungodly agreement in any area of my life? Have I forfeited Your voice, my God for the voice of man?”
Take a few minutes with the Lord. Let Him examine your heart. Submit yourself to inspection before King Jesus.
Pray Psalms 139:23-24 out loud:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Meditate on Revelation 19:12:
“He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.”
Now, if the Lord Jesus is revealing that you have been guilty of ungodly agreement, pray this prayer of repentance with me:
Lord Jesus, I repent of my part in ungodly agreement. I renounce false unity and taking part in the worship of self and in building the kingdom of man. I renounce all false agreement. I sever all ties with the fear of man, the glorification of human leadership, of false honour, adoration and worship of personality. I reject the shame, manipulation and lies used to coerce me into false agreement and false unity. I break off my involvement in organizations and groups that operate in the spirit of Ahab, Jezebel and Leviathan. I break all agreement with every and any unclean spirit which has lead me into ungodly agreement. I repent of and renounce any and all ungodly relationships which were propelled, solidified and maintained by ungodly agreement. I only accept the unity of the Holy Spirit, the peace of Jesus and the agreements ordained by Father God.
Restore me Lord Jesus. Redeem and transform me. Bring me into oneness with you! Restore and transform me. Redeem and restore all of my relationships and bring me into Godly agreement with your people. Bring the people of God into Oneness with your Son. Transform your Bride, Lord Jesus. Bring us into Oneness birthed from Your Holy Spirit!
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Agreement is not the goal. We are seeking after Christ to bring supernatural unity.
I proclaim in the name of Jesus: give my brothers and sisters strength and discernment to advance unity in their families, churches and communities. I thank you that Your blood covers them. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to send Your angels to surround them as they go into battle, as they face human opinions and dissenting voices. Give them the supernatural ability to hear Your voice and to discern the matters placed before them.
In the powerful name of Jesus, may they stand strong in the face of adversity. Holy Spirit, give them spiritual eyes to see: right from wrong, Your opinions from the opinions of man.
May they go in the peace of the Holy Spirit, as ambassadors of King Jesus!
In Jesus name,
Amen!
