That's mingled with Jehovah's fire;
Our rope's are white, our feet as brass,
We stand upon the foe's empire.
We bow no more to gods of men,
We shout the victory o'er the beast;
Yea, o'er his mark, and o'er his name
We overcome thro' Jesus Christ.
Upon this bright and glowing plane
Of heaven's truth and burning love;
Our souls in glory ever reign,
With all the ransomed host above.
In sweet and pure unbroken peace,
Upon this sea we glide along;
Our hearts so filled with holy bliss,
Flow out in everlasting song.
Chorus:
We stand redeemed upon the sea,
And sound aloud the harp of God;
All glory praise dear lamb, to Thee,
For Thou hast saved us by Thy blood.
When we do not have a clear understanding of unity and its elements, we would be at a loss to come to terms with division and its constituents. The unity of the church of God is that which is founded on the Word and the Spirit of God. Anything short of this is ecumenism. Since the unity is pivoted on truth, any deviation from truth which is the pivot will create a division. On Bible unity we stand! Whoever preaches unity should preach truth. The truth unites all its lovers and divides them from liars and the deceitful. It is a sword of division. For there must be such division among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. Anyone who is not on the Lord's side is against true unity. We stand in the truth of God's Word. We reach out our hands in fellowship to all the blood-washed ones. The brain-washed ones need our compassion, too. They are deceived and deceiving others. May the Lord deliver them from the captivity of satan. Amen.
Sadly, some men do also stand opposed to the truth as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses. God's Word is Truth, to oppose it is but strife. Many religious organizations of men are founded in opposition to the Word and Spirit of Truth. When the light of God shines upon a dear soul and shows him the errors of men's ways to oppose them, the heretics are quick to label such a one as a cause of strife and division. Saints are told to study to shew themselves approved unto God, workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, not striving about words to no profit, which do subvert or corrupt the hearers. We are to shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.Men, such as Hymenaeus and Philetus, who indulge in vain and profane speeches in opposition to the truth, are full of words that do eat as does a canker. They have erred concerning the truth and overthrow the faith of some with their false doctrines. People, such as these, are the real enemies of unity! So, let every Christian examine their doctrine to be sure that the word of truth is being rightly divided, without strife. Strife is in the opposing of truth. Strife is when we drift away or err from the truth. Strife is taking up arms against Christ. Strife is division. Strife is heresy. Nevertheless the foundation of God's church stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his, and are truly members of the one and only church of God. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. It is not enough to be a professor of name of Christ and His church. We need to stand with the truth and not against it. Who is on the Lord's side?
UNITY in the church of God, Nigeria is a must. Keep the banner flying. ENDEAVOR to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. It is worth every sacrifice. CHRIST gave the BEST sacrifice for this purpose. No sacrifice is too much. Mark them who cause division among us and avoid them. Those who resist the Truth and divide God's dear children will not be innocent. The bones of Christ Jesus was not broken at the cross. Anyone who attempts to, or supports those who, work at breaking the bones of our blessed union in the Lord will not be guiltless. WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?
Let read the words of our brother, Warner, who has gone to the yonder shore: 'The salvation of the Lord, which qualifies us for heaven, makes us one on earth. A religion of divisions will deceive the soul. The chief object of God’s ministers is to “perfect the saints.” The blood of Christ not only purifies from “all sin” and “all unrighteousness,” but also sweeps away all erroneous doctrines. The Comforter guides into all truth, which involves the removal of all error. It is true that cleansing from error is not as instantaneous as from sin. But the pure in heart have perfect fellowship, even though all previously educated errors have not yet disappeared. There is therefore no real cause of division but sin. Therefore to cry against sects and divisions without first being wholly sanctified, and then leading people into this precious paradise of holy love, is nothing but confusion mocking confusion, or satan buffeting satan, as the devil flogged the sons of Sceva. All efforts of union but that of God’s holiness is like pounding cold, crooked pieces of iron against each other to make them fit together. The more blows, the more crooks and differences. Put them into a furnace of white heat, and they will lose their cold, stiff, crooked individuality, and flow into one mass. That is God’s way of uniting His people, in the fire of the Holy Spirit. All tinkering up platforms of union is wasted time. Each effort has only molded another sect calf for the people to worship and wrangle over. Freedom from sin knits together in love. But all merely strapped-up unions are bundles bound together to be burned. Bible salvation is all that is needed. This obtained, both union of heart and soul, and harmony in outward worship and life, will follow as a result or fruit of the Spirit. When “baptized by one Spirit into the one body,” and made to drink in the one divine Spirit in His fulness, there will be no trouble to “worship God in Spirit and in truth.” For all such “know the truth, and the truth makes them free.”
'On the plane of Bible holiness, no outward observances are made a test, in fact nothing is made a test of fellowship. For holy men “judge not from appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” I John 1:7. Fellowship is of the Spirit (Phil. 2:1), and exists where heart-purity exists. It is the conscious blending of hearts filled with the same Holy Spirit.
'One may have been led into all truth, the other not. This does not interrupt fellowship. Nevertheless it is the duty of such as “know the truth,” in meekness to instruct others who do not. Ignorance of some truth does not destroy fellowship, but resisting the truth does, because it forfeits salvation. We must not sanction people’s errors, but if saved, show our love and fellowship to them, so long as they do not get the evidence that their wrong doctrines have become wilful, or they have in some way lost salvation. The fellowship ends, but love and kindness still continue in faithful efforts for their salvation. To ignore fellowship simply because of some doctrinal error is bigotry. To agree to disagree, or to put on an equality truth and error, is babel confusion. To know the truth is our privilege; to teach the truth our duty; but to have fellowship with the pure and upright of heart is an involuntary and spontaneous fact. Sects are the result of carnality. Nothing but perfect holiness destroys carnality, and thus removes both sectism and its cause. The fire of God’s love saves the soul, harmonizes all hearts that receive it, leads them into perfect and uniform obedience to all truth, and drives afar all who refuse to pass through its purging fire, and gain the plane of holy fellowship.'
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