Love-Fueled Unity

Love-fueled unity already exists. It existed around the throne, and in the Godhead before time existed. That same unity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is so real that we say as Christians that we have ONE God functioning as three persons. Scripture is littered with references where the Three are working as One and where their names are being interchanged and used to explain the same action.

At present, the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ has the nasty public image of fragmentation, division, and confusion. Every day, a new group comes up with a new name and offers a new flavor of Christianity to the world. We have now found hundreds, thousands, and millions of reasons to divide. The most famous being:

1. Doctrinal beliefs
2. Race
3. Language
4. Denominations
5. Nationality

The greatest is not in that list, but it underpins all the above reasons for the present division. It is the lack of love. It’s the one we don’t want to talk about. The lack of love-fueled unity breeds separation, division, and produces its disgraceful partner –  competition among each other.

In the beginning during the first century, Christians were brought into ONE church. That church was founded on the love and inclusiveness that the apostles had witnessed in the nature and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. That one Church was built upon one foundation, and that foundation had only ONE name.

New believers were coming daily, not to walk to the front and get saved, but to live out a love-fueled unity around the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Phil 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Cor 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

We would ALL say that we believe in them. WE would ALL say that when we gather we are functioning in them. Then why bring up these three verses?

Because any additional names added to the Church of Lord Jesus Christ and The Body of the Lord Jesus Christ is a travesty, and it is division. Man! Do we have names in the Body of Christ and those that call themselves the Body of Christ today! The Church today looks nothing like its Master and Lord. I suspect the reason why is that even though we throw His name around at our convenience, He is really not our Master and Lord.

I hear you. OK, what is the solution? How do we bring back the Body of Christ in Unity? What is the title of this article? Love-fueled UNITY. I will attempt to describe what I mean below. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit helps me express the Lord’s heart and that at the same time, the Holy Spirit helps you to understand and bring this revelation to your heart.

Love must be our only Foundation. I always say this, but I will repeat it till Christ is fully formed in us. For God so loved the world… Love is the foundation that started the process of rescuing humanity! Love is the fuel behind everything that happens in the Kingdom of God. Love is first! Love initiates! God is love, and God initiated our rescue. We are not searching for Him. He is passionately looking to relate with us! An interesting fact, the Lord says in scripture that love-fueled unity among us is the only reason people will be drawn to Him.

Doctrine is not the cause of our unity. At Pentecost there were 16 different languages represented among the people. There were many different races and thousands of different personalities and cultures. On that day three thousand found unity in the NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ. Twelve apostles who didn’t think the same joined with 108 who didn’t have the same understanding and brought in three thousand new believers. Immediately they found unity. The very next verse says;

Acts 2:42-45 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

Sounds like unity to me! Now don’t read your world into their world! There was not one bible among them. There was no scheduled weekly meeting. There were no priests or pastors. There were no pens and paper because over 97% of them could not read or write. There was no front of the building or altar. We invented all that! The apostles could only teach the Lord Jesus Christ. He was central. He was the only subject! How He loved! His sacrificial love for us and how we were to show the same love for each other was the main theme. It was in that atmosphere that the Holy Spirit glorified the Son and love-fueled unity existed.

Do you want to sit in and listen to one of the apostles teaching in the first century? Here it is.

(Apostle standing in the center around a group of believers sitting on the ground under a tree)

We saw the Lord get up and get a towel and bowl of water and begin to wash our feet. At first, we thought it strange because in our culture the lowest slave washes the feet of their Master. Yet there we were, and the Master was washing our feet. Then He said these words:

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

He also said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Do you still think I have taken this love and relationship thing too far? You still think there is another foundation? One that maybe only an Apostle can establish? Really?? SMH

A couple years ago my spiritual father and I came to a disagreement. Normally we were both taught by the religious system that a separation was called for. He taught me to love, so I told him now was the moment of testing of everything we claim to teach. Could we remain in relationship while at the same time we would both be free to go our separate ways in our teaching and ministry? He knew I wasn’t talking about the cheap “I love you” you hear on Sunday mornings. I am proud to say that although we have had our strained moments, we still very much love each other.

Steve Crosby said today (same day I posted this article) on Facebook:

Since treasure is in earthen pots, we should not be surprised if we often find more clay than treasure. Vibrant relational existence in Christ, with one another, is not for the faint of heart. If you are going to be put off because some professing Christian is a jerk, or because some believer “hurt you,” or because some professing Christian is a hypocrite, well, you need a reality adjustment. If you and I are to prosper relationally with one another, we best have some stamina, or disillusionment and disappointment will be our portion, rather than the perfecting of love.

AMEN, AMEN, and AMEN!!!

Listen to me, in 30 years of ministry I can tell you that I have seen every Name or Belief which men have lifted a flag to come crumbling down before them. It is Christ and Him alone that will stand when the present shaking ceases! Simply put; HIS love, IN His saints, FOR each other, will be the magnet that will revolutionize the world. I call that love-fueled unity! May the Lord bless you to find it while you still have breath to enjoy it.

Much love,

Jose L. Bosque

Jacksonville, Florida USA

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