Oneness in the Body of Christ
The Canon of Prayer; Day 39 #Unity
That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Schism means division, separation; connoting strife, discord and or disunity. It is the will of God that there be one separation or disunity in the Church which is the Body of Christ. His will is that we be on one accord and not in discord...
“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” ( Philippians 2:1-4)
...that we have harmony and be fitly my joined together.
“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” (Ephesians 4:16)
Schism, strife, discord the mindset of competitive ministry, and ego is counterintuitive and counterproductive to the work of the Church, the ministry and mission of the Church. Jesus came and died, to break down every barrier or separation…
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit
(Ephesians 2:13-22)
The bible says…
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
This breaks down all racial, ethnic, gender and social barriers that separate and brings division.
There are two main enemies to the unity of the Church. One is pride and the other, false doctrine. When pride comes in, it makes things about me (my promotion, my elevation, my turn to Preach, no one recognized me, what I do, what I contribute) instead of the whole (The Church); this mindset, this spirit is anti-love, and without love there can be no unity. The other is false doctrine; seen as early as the first church. When teachers started polluting the truth and teaching error (Galatians 1:7); those who loved truth held to truth and those who liked the ease and compromise of error continued in error and went their own way. In this the first and second enemies of unity work together. Pride will have you to seek what pleases you and when correction to error is revealed; instead of humbly receiving truth, pride rejects truth.
I know there are other type and reasons for division in the Church, however these are what God laid on my heart. I believe if we deal with these in our lives and in prayer, unity will follow. As we replace pride with love, we shift from a "me perspective" to a "God perspective" focusing on the whole of the church and our assignment; love will make us receptive to correction and truth no matter how much it may rock our boat and we will move from error to truth. Love is the key to unity.
Father I declare and decree unity in the body of Christ. I declare and decree the walls of separation are coming down. I come against, bind and rebuke the devil, I nullify and call to naught every assignment, plan, plot, device and strategies of the devil to bring and keep division by the power and authority conferred to me by the King-Jesus.
I bind, ego, pride, religion, error and declare love.
I bind of the mindset and Spirit of exclusivity (ego) among those who has received the revelation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. I declare an urgency for the ministry of reconciliation, and edification to bring one another to a fuller understanding of Christ and our identity as Kingdom citizen.
This is the Decree of the KING
