The Price Of Unity
People talk as though finding a workable plan is the only obstacle to unity among men. That is not so.
The pope has a plan that guarded unity in the Catholic Church for centuries. It could produce unity for all men. The pope settles all questions and makes all decisions — Do exactly as I say. That plan will work — all will be one — If all will unquestioningly accept his decrees.
The unitarians plead for unity based upon compromise. No person is to advocate anything that conflicts with the ideas of another person. I wont believe anything if you wont is the result. The mutual ground is unbelief — no conviction. Yet unity can be achieved IF all compromise enough.
I know a sure plan for unity. Burn all Bibles and religious books. Ban religious instruction for one life span. All will be ignorant of truth. All will be enemies of God through ignorance (Eph. 4:18). All will walk together on the same road — the road to hell. Well, that is unity. too!
God planned for unity among men. He wants all men to be of one mind (Phil. 1:27). The Bible is the basis for that unity. If all men believe the truth and practice only the truth unity will prevail. All will be of one heart and soul (Acts 4:32). Pauls plea to be of one mind (1 Cor. 1:10) was neither empty nor impossible. The apostles had the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). All who accept their teaching will be of one mind by letting this mind be in you, which was also in Christ (Phil. 2:5). Why then have men not achieved a complete unity? All schemes fail to produce world-wide unity for the same reason — all men will not pay the price. The popes plan fails because all will not bow to him. Many — including Catholics — will not sacrifice their convictions to be one with the unitarians. Likewise, multitudes refuse the Bible as law. They will not pay the price for being one with God and believers (Jno. 17:20,21). Lets not throw Gods plan out the window because all will not buy it. It is still the best plan available.
Unity between believers and unbelievers is both impossible and undesirable. Christ came to divide the obedient from the rebellious (Matt. 10: 34). Such division is of the Lord (1 King. 12:24) who expects his saints to be separate from the world (2 Cor. 6: 14-18). Love for truth must come before love for peace with men.
A man who determines to seek... first the kingdom of God. and his righteousness (Mt. 6:33) may find himself alienated from friends. The result may even be.. no man stood with me, but all men forsook me notwithstanding the Lord stood with me (2 Tim. 4: 16,17). However, he will soon discover a common bond with the other kingdom seekers. Love for God and truth will draw them toward each other. Patience in personal matters will grow from respect for each other and open Bibles will produce one faith (Eph. 4:5). They approach being one in Christ as the mind of Christ rules each one (Phil. 2:5) Joe Fitch