Unity That Matters
Can’t we all just get along?
This week during our Sabbath service, Pastor Mark D. Vlad spoke on the topic of unity.
Philippians 2:1-2 tells us to fulfill Yahshua’s joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. This does not always mean doctrinal unity, because doctrinal unity is based on our personal walk with Yahshua. Over time we grow and our doctrinal beliefs can change based on revelation and maturity. Paul tells us to be like minded in love and in faith. If there is an issue where we cannot agree on something, we need to set it aside until Yahweh gives us wisdom on the subject. The enemy uses disagreements to tear the body of the church apart, something we see far too often in the body of Yahshua.
Ephesians 4:1-3 tells us to bear with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The Holy Spirit has a unique unifying presence. We see examples of this throughout Acts. During Pentecost, the Holy Spirit caused the gospel to be heard in everyone’s native tongue, so that they could be unified and come to Yahshua. Sometimes, in our lives, this means that we back off in order to keep unity in the Spirit. Yahweh will do the work to open our hearts, and the hearts of others, but it is important that we do not give the enemy a stronghold in our relationships with one another.
It is important to look at this topic with excitement! This is an adventure! We should be excited about the work of Yahweh, not waiting around waiting for the next bad thing to happen. We get to work with other believers because of our love for Yahweh, and for Yahshua! How amazing is it that we are blessed with the opportunity to have community with one another! It would be tragic to limit the power of Yah simply because we can’t get past our pride on a topic.
In Ephesians 4:10-13, we find that Yahshua Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of Yah, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah. There are many parts to the body of Yahshua, and we will have different perspectives on doctrinal issues based on our experiences, but scripture tells us that we need to come to unity of the faith. We see this in Galatians surrounding the topic of circumcision. This was a doctrinal belief that was causing division. When addressing this issue, we find that the instruction is that faith working through love is more important. That we are new creations in Yahshua, and that the pursuit of unity in Him is more important than dividing ourselves based on doctrinal systems. Continue to pray and seek Yahweh’s will and guidance whenever you feel the need to dig your toes in about a topic with other believers, remembering that unity is important to Yahshua.
We are blessed at New Beginnings Church to be able to work together in unity toward the Kingdom of Yahweh. If you are looking for a church that dives into the scriptures, carries burdens with each other, and rejoices in the good Yah brings, we would love for you to visit us. We meet every Saturday at 2pm for Sabbath Service!
