Unity as Defined by God, Not Us - Ask Pastor Tim

Do not let minor doctrinal differences drive wedges between believers. Every member of Christ’s body is valuable and in need of one another. Separating over non-essential matters like race, language, or minor theological nuances only harms your spiritual well-being. Embrace fellowship to strengthen your faith and the collective body of Christ.

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[illbehonest]

0:00 How to approach answering questions.
5:08 The question.

[nephoone]

So thankful for Tim's teaching. There is much unnecessary division in the church also. Pride divides. Truth unites. We must clothe ourselves with humility so God doesn't resist us. Richard Baxter's use of humility in his book The Reformed Pastor is very helpful.

[rijaandriamalala]

I was growing in specific protestant chuch of Madagascar but was born again in an Assembly of GOD church of Paris-France where I am serving the LORD now. Our Pastor is from USA. Now, I often listen to sermons of Pastor Conway, Washer and Bevere whom I know do not belong to the same denomination. Yes, GOD helps me to get connected with genuine christians no matter their denominations.

[MoonPhaze]

I spent 10 years with another believer that wanted a lukewarm walk of faith, and all it did was plague me with depression and attacks from unbelievers that are acquainted with the lukewarm believer.
I would be more careful of who you DO congregate with rather than who you DON'T congregate with. Remember the leaven!!! I was blessed to get away from that without becoming backslid myself!

[johnnydelrome]

This is a really great topic. Thank you for posting this.

[asmitashaw]

Thank you for your teaching that in a way division is good because you will be able to define goats from the sheep.
Christ came to divide one from another in one household.
Thank you for emphasising that even if people move to a different local church but know Christ, we should not cut ties with them.But continue to fellowship or pray for them as a brother or sister in Christ.

[samdunlap]

James 2:26

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

[pugglesprindle]

1st Samuel 2:30 “honor God and He will honor you”

[samdunlap]

2 Timothy 2:15
King James Version
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[samdunlap]

Philippians 2:2

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

[faithijn]

Our Unity is our Belief in Christ & His Life, Crucifixion, Death & Resurrection Belief in the GOSPEL! It’s not perfect harmony with each other. We ARE ONE IN CHRIST. If you look for a church with no opposing views you will never find it. ONE CHURCH under GOD… the Denominations are either in it or OUT. All GOD’s Promises are Yes in Him, it is why we utter Amen to The Glory of the LORD! 2 Corinthians 1:20.

[samdunlap]

The division bring unity, that is how we lear it is that simple

[samdunlap]

Matthew 5:19

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”Revelation 14:12
King James Version
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

[samdunlap]

1 Thessalonians 5:22-24
King James Version
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Read full chapter

[samdunlap]

Ephesians 4:3-32 KJV
KJV


NKJV
ESV
endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

[samdunlap]

1 Timothy 4
King James Version
4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

11 These things command and teach.

12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

[samdunlap]

In the King James Version of the Bible, 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you". Matthew 13:24-30
King James Version
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Read full chapter

[MoonPhaze]

Strange, I wonder why Tim leaves out "one baptsm" in Ephesians 4:5. So many will argue that we must be water baptized, but it's not at all in accordance to the truth. We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into that ONE BODY; which is Christ. There is no other baptism that can do that. And it is a work of God, not of ourselves.

[samdunlap]

James 1:27
King James Version
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

[JBNetBreaker]

I think that the fact that a church calls itself a different denomination automatically implies different doctrine, the question is where do you draw the line so that one is not partaking of that which is displeasing to the Lord. In the name of tolerance, many sins have been growing in the church, the kindness of man does not represent the following of scripture. Yes there are minor things that we have to put up with, this is not the case for most people, the conversation should be about doctrinal matters; a lot of pastors don't talk about the doctrinal issues, what about celebrating Easter? What about celebrating Christmas? Did God not talk about these things? Or how about keeping the sabbath? Oh that's an old testament thing, but in the same token the Thithe being from the old testament, comes out stronger from the pulpit than keeping the Sabbath which is written in the Ten commandments, is there no hypocrisy? Let love win, but in the process truth is left in the dust. Am I wrong?!