Much of the problem people have today in understanding the will of God stems from a lack of understanding the concept of authority. People either do not realize the authority aspect of the Word or they simply ignore it or they actually rebel against it. Some want to do their own will so much they pattern themselves after the men of Judah when they met with Jeremiah. Let’s take a minute to read Jer. 44:15-17 which states,

“Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not harken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.”

These people needed a good lesson in the concept of respect for the authority of God and what He says. By the way, they got that lesson and anyone today exercising the same disrespect for the word of God will, when God so chooses, receive their lesson also.

1. Who is in Charge?

Who is in charge, God or man? It would seem that, based on history, God is the one in charge. Do you remember how pharaoh withstood God and His appointed representative, Moses? Do you remember what happened? It was a bad year for the Egyptians. God attacked their false gods (such as the Nile River), their false god’s representatives (the magicians), even their future god (pharaoh’s oldest son). Then God ransacked their nation, killed the majority of their army, and left their great empire in shambles. It would certainly seem that God was in charge and there are tons of other stories in Scripture that bare the same results when man rebelled against the power and authority of God.

Who is in charge, God or the church? Well, in Eph. 5:22-33 we are told that Christ is the head of the church and that it is subject to Him. We read in Revelation 2:1 – 3:22 that if the churches in Asia are unfaithful, then Christ will “come quickly” and remove them. These seven churches are representative of all churches of all times and any congregation which ceases to be faithful to the Christ will certainly be removed by Him. It would again seem that God is in charge.

Who is in charge, God or the pastor? You would think when listening to the pastors of today that they feel they are in charge. You see signs on buildings naming them as the founders of their various churches, you hear them change what God has said in His word, you hear them make laws or vanish laws as it suits them personally, and you hear them claiming the value of their different ministries and how you should send them your money so that they can continue. They teach what they want to teach and answer to no one, not even God.

Yet when Christ announces in John 16:13 that He will send the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles, He states that not even the Holy Spirit will “speak of himself” but will speak only what He is told to speak. Now, if even the Holy Spirit cannot change the word of God, how can a pastor who is supposed to be, through the word, guided by the Spirit, dare change even a syllable? I think perhaps God is in charge.

Who is in charge, God or self? We can clearly see that neither man, nor the church, nor the pastor, nor anyone else is in charge. Only God is in charge. That is, we can see that until self enters into the picture. Somehow, we can rationalize that in some situations and issues, our will is perhaps a little clearer and more effective than is His. It happens, believe me. In fact, whenever we get to later studies and begin to exercise our newly learned hermeneutical skills on select scriptures we may find that we are reluctant to accept the obvious conclusions or logical consequences of His divine word.

2. To whom has Authority Been Divested?

First of all, we must realize that God is the Sovereign of all that is. God the Father is even the God of His son Jesus Christ (Ps. 110:1, Heb. 1:8-9, I Cor. 15:27-28). Everyone and everything answer to the omnipotent God. Psalm 33:6-9 reminds us that God made the heavens and all their hosts. That would include the sun and the moon and the stars also. That would include the meteors and the comets and the space dust. That would include the quasars and the black holes and the nebulae. That would include the millions of heavenly bodies from the smallest dust particles to the mightiest super novas. God made and controls it all. He made it simply by speaking it into existence!

Not only did God fill the skies with these creations (and probably some things we have not even as yet discovered) He also fashioned the world. He gathered the waters, created the lands, and filled the earth with an amazing collection of interrelated plants and animals. He ordered the function of it through times and seasons and so many other necessary things. He even created flowers so small that they can only be seen with a microscope. All of this did our God do, and all of it functioned perfectly.

The crowning act of creation was humanity. To man He gave not only life but eternal life. He gave man not only instincts but also the ability to reason and choose. He gave Him not only life but directions how to live it so that it would be an abundant life. Without a doubt, God holds all authority and, because of His might, wisdom, love, and patience, all wise members of His creation will recognize His sovereignty and humbly bow before it.

If God is the supreme Sovereign (and He is) and if He has all power (and He does) then it is reasonable to understand that there is no authority outside Himself unless He wills it to be. It needs here to be remembered, however, that Christ is also presented by the Scriptures as God. (John 1:1-14). He shares in this authority by nature of His Godhood. His authority is second only to that of His Fathers (I Cor. 15:27-28). Everything else has been put under His feet. In fact, Christ would boldly state in His commission to His disciples that He was given all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18).

It is the Christ that gave authority to the apostles to go and teach the world the things He would have them to know and do. (Matt. 28:19-20). He did not authorize them to teach their own thoughts and ideas. He authorized them to teach only what He had taught them. He even promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide them so that they would not sin by teaching something that was not acceptable (John 16:13). But even in that promise we are reminded that the Holy Spirit was not given the authority to go beyond what Christ instructed Him to teach them. He could not “speak of himself” but could speak only what had been revealed to Him by the Christ.

Eph. 2:20 would tell us that the church is built on the apostles and prophets, Christ being the chief cornerstone. The apostles and prophets had authority by virtue of being chosen to deliver their particular teachings by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are set into the church as its foundation by being tied to the Christ. Any teachings not directly tied to the Christ do not belong in the church of our Lord at all. Anyone built upon teachings other than those of the apostles and prophets are being built on a foundation which does not belong to Christ and they will ultimately fall. All that is authorized in the area of religion is authorized in the Scriptures. Anything not authorized is inherently condemned as we shall see in our future studies.

3. Two Basic Approaches.

While there are many different philosophies about how to handle the Scriptures, they all boil down to basically two approaches. The first is, I will do only that which is authorized and the second is, I may do anything that is not specifically condemned. The second is the most popular, the first is the way of God.

Consider the second approach briefly. It is, for example, the approach that justifies instrumental music in worship. “The Bible doesn’t say we can’t have a piano,” says some denominationalist as if that justifies their addition of it to the assembly. This argument is used to defend rolling in the aisles, hand clapping, and a host of things too long to list. But any line of reasoning needs to be tested and see if it has some logical fallacies. Let’s do just a little testing.

Where in the Scriptures does the Bible condemn the following: Having more than one wife (polygamy), dancing as worship, incense and eastern meditation, seances, etc. I list these because ALL of them have been defended as being acceptable practices based on this particular approach to the Scriptures.

Now try the following to see if they are specifically forbidden. The marriage of four year old children to adults, the recreational use of illegal drugs such as marijuana and crack cocaine, spitting in the preacher’s face when you disagree with his lesson, skipping Bible study because there is a good show on television, etc. Hopefully you can see that this approach is fatal spiritually.

The first approach is God’s approach, that is, doing only that which is authorized. Scripture time and again tells mankind not to add to, take away from, or tamper with in any way, God’s divine revelation (Deut. 12:32, 4:2, Rev. 22:18-19, Josh. 1:7, Prov. 30:5-6, Gal. 1:6-12). We may do only that which is authorized by the will of God. Men such as Nadab and Abihu doubtless rationalized within themselves that what they were doing was all right, only to find themselves condemned before God.

4. Dig A Little Deeper. 

Whenever children are being raised up, parents try to instill in them the concepts of right and wrong. They teach their children to always do right and never do wrong (or at least they should). But whenever children are raised to be righteous before God, they should not be raised up to do right and not do wrong. It goes deeper than that. They should be raised up to do what is right and cannot be wrong. This principle is taught in Romans 14:21-23 and must be followed if we are to have a proper respect and reverence for our God.

This eliminates the questionable from our lives. Any time we find ourselves unsure if something is right or wrong we simply do not do it and we cannot possibly go wrong. We may, with this philosophy, have to give up some things we want to do and, in fact, we may end up not doing something which would have been all right, but then, we eliminate the possibility of accidentally or carelessly or ignorantly offending God. Surely the advantage of being right with God outweighs what we may have to give up in this life.

I have seen quite a number of deviancies in the practice of taking the Lord’s supper, for example. I have seen the cup passed first rather than the bread, I have seen them passed at the same time, I have seen where the entire congregation held the bread until all had it and then took it at the same time, I have seen it where it remained on the communion table and people walked up when they wanted to and took it. None of these follow the new testament pattern and, I believe, based on this principle, every one of these deviancies is sinful.

One must also ask himself why these deviancies were even thought up in the first place. If it is for variety or to make the Lord’s supper more exciting or less dull then someone is already headed to hell because they don’t have a clue what the Lord’s supper is all about. It is a reflection on the saving act performed by Christ on that cruel cross so many years ago. If we are ever bored or not satisfied with just reflecting back on this great event then we need to consider our heart, not our actions, concerning the Lord’s supper.

We must always do that which is right and cannot be wrong rather than doing that which might not be wrong. The very attitude that would motivate us to take the chance is an offence before God and is therefore a sin within itself even if the action is not (Rom. 14:23). We must never tempt the lord our God (Deut. 6:16-17).

5. Inspiration And Authority.

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

You probably remember reading this passage from II Tim. 3:13-17 earlier in this book. It is repeated here because we must understand that the Bible is the word of God, not the word of man, and, as such, must be treated with reverence and care when handled by man.

The words used for ‘inspiration’ in both the old and new testaments carry the concept of divinely breathed. That means whenever we read in the Holy Scriptures we are reading that which came directly from the mind of God. It is formed by His will and expresses His thoughts. It is unquestioned and unquestionable. It is the mind of God.

Since the Scriptures are a record telling us how God feels about things and since we are His creation and are commissioned to do His will, inspiration demands we obey that which is written because it is by God’s authority it was written in the first place.

It is important to realize that all scripture, old and new, are written for our learning (Rom. 15:4). It is the bedrock of the old that supports and makes solid the new. The Bible teaches us that the old law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24-25). It is through the old that we can have assurance and confidence in the new.

In Psalm 119:105 we find that the word is designed to guide us. We are told in Scripture that we cannot adequately guide ourselves (Jer. 10:23) and that while we may believe we are headed in the right direction, without the guidance of the word we will actually be headed in the wrong direction (Prov. 14:12).

In I Pet. 4:11 we are told,

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

It would seem clear in this passage that opinion and personal conjecture have no place in the scheme of Christianity. If one speaks he is to speak only the things of God.

Just as a note here for the student to record in the back of his mind for future reference. The word oracle comes from a form of the Greek word logos which means word and is used in John 1:1 in reference to Christ. That means we are to speak as the word of God and could also say we are to speak as the son of God because we are not to teach anything not taught in the gospel of Christ. Only Christ has the authority to establish laws and codes of conduct and any teaching not from Him is vain (Matt. 15:9, John 4:24).

6. Suggestions Or Laws.

All of this brings us to the question, “Is the Book of God a book of laws or simply a book of suggestions?” Considering Matt. 7:21-24 added to the previous studies so far in this book, we must conclude the Bible is a book of law to be obeyed totally and completely. It has always been a requirement of the omnipotent God that man do as He bids him do or suffer the consequences. Many have done their own will, as we will shortly observe, only to suffer the consequences.

7. God Reacts to Man’s Deviancy.

The Bible is filled with stories of men who transgressed the will of God and suffered for their transgressions. In this section we will look briefly at only a few of these men and see how God responded to them.

Nadab and Abihu.

(Lev. 9:23-10:3) In the story of Nadab and Abihu there has been much supposition. What we do know, however, is that they offered strange fire before the Lord. In the Hebrew the term strange means profane or adulterous. Nadab thought it all right to change God’s directions and offer unauthorized fire. But in the eyes of God this act adulterated the offering and in His anger He consumed these rebellious change agents.

Saul.

(I Sam. 15) In this story Saul is the relatively new king of Israel. He is sent by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites, their king, and all their possessions. But instead of following God’s directions, they kept alive king Agag and the best of the flocks, supposedly for sacrifice to the Lord. Under the new hermeneutic that Saul employed, his actions were justified (vs. 19-20). But God rejected him as the king of Israel because of his rebellion. We need to consider the now famous words spoken on this occasion by Samuel in verses 22-23 which states,

“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

God in this story wanted things done HIS way rather than the way of the king. It is the same for us today.

Uzzah.

(II Sam. 6:1-7) Under the direction of king David, the ark was being transported from one location to another. It was designed to be carried by the priests but on this occasion it had been decided to transport it on a cart. As it was traveling, the cart shook and Uzzah reached forth his hand to steady the ark. The Bible says God killed him for his error. It was not the intent of Uzzah to do wrong. He was doing what he felt he should. God was not impressed by his intentions. His action offended God and God acted swiftly and decisively. It was the command of God not to touch the ark and the prescribed punishment was death (Num. 4:1-15). Doubtless Uzzah felt that on this special occasion he would be spared. He was mistaken.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

(Numbers 16) One of the most interesting stories in the Bible concerning rebellion and ‘new hermeneutics’ is found in the account of the actions of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. In that story these men lead a rebellion against the authority of Moses. They persuaded “men of renown” to join them in their folly as they sought to enter into the priesthood rather than do the duties assigned them in God’s service. Moses invited them to bring incense to burn before the Lord at an appointed time and let God decide who was right. We remember, of course, that God opened the earth and swallowed them up and sent fire to consume the so-called men of renown.

It is interesting that on the next day there were many who murmured against Moses because of the deaths of Korah, his family, and his friends. This angered God again and He slew thousands more for this “fellowship” with Korah by these rebellious people.

Several things are seen in this story. First, those that rebelled against the will and commandment of God were destroyed. Second, it did not matter that some of them were men of renown and princes of Israel. One’s rank does not sway the justice and judgment of God. Third, those who try to serve in a way that they are not authorized will offend God and be punished. Fourth, anyone who supports another in his folly towards God will also suffer the wrath of God for his actions and allegiances.

Achan.

(Joshua 7) In this story we find the nation of Israel as they are entering the land of promise. The first city, Jericho, is to be totally devoted to God. When it is destroyed they are to take no spoils for all of it belonged to God.

Achan saw all the plunder of the city and began to covet what he saw. Finally he stole some of it and hid it beneath his tent. Shortly thereafter the nation of Israel went against the men of Ai in battle and were defeated by this small band of men. When Joshua approached God about this he was told of the sin in the camp. Eventually, through God’s direction, the guilty one was uncovered and destroyed. Even something done in secret is seen by the God of heaven and all unforgiven sin is appropriately punished.

Moses.

(Numbers 20) In this story we find that the people are again murmuring because they do not have water. By now they should know that God, the great provider, will give them what they need if only they will ask. Instead of asking, however, they would rather murmur. Moses approaches God and God directs him to speak to a rock and water will come forth. Moses, in his anger, struck the rock and said,

“Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10)

Many people believe that it was the striking of the rock that got Moses in trouble. The Bible says differently. In verse twelve it says,

“And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

The Hebrew word for sanctify has several meanings. It means to hallow, purify, etc. These would not fit here because God is always holy. It also, however, means to dedicate or to wholly proclaim and that is the idea in this passage. It was, is, and always shall be the duty of man to honor and exalt God rather than himself. In this story when Moses spoke in anger to the people he presented himself and Aaron as bringing forth the water rather than “wholly proclaiming” the goodness and power of God in bringing forth the water. In other words, he took credit for bringing forth the water rather than giving God the credit. His action was rash and in anger but God holds us accountable for our actions even when we are upset. For his punishment Moses was not allowed to enter the land of promise with the children of Israel.

Whatever other conclusions can be drawn from these stories, one fact is for sure. Whenever man deviates from the directions of God, whether in actions or thoughts, God will deal with him at the time God finds appropriate and in the way He chooses.

8. God Demands Obedience.

Whenever one considers the greatness, wisdom, and love the omnipotent God has for us one must wonder why mankind does not follow His directions. It seems reasonable to a rational mind that God better knows how we should live than do we. Yet history records rebellious people one generation after another going about to do their own wills rather than the will of our God. History also records the almost limitless and needless suffering mankind has experienced because of this rebellion. Even in our world today the ravages of sin are clearly seen that have been brought about because of our many sins. Hunger, war, disease, corrupt political entities, terrorism, and the list goes on. Even if this world was all there is, following God would still be of great benefit to mankind.

But this world is not all there is and man must one day give an account before Christ concerning his conduct in this life. That account will determine where we spend eternity and that outcome will be based on whether we have been obedient or rebellious (Matt. 7:21).

Consider the writings of the apostle Paul as he instructed the church at Colossae how they ought to behave. In Col. 3:17 we read,

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him.”

This scripture teaches that I must do only things that are “in the name of the Lord”. That phrase means by the authority of the Lord and this scripture teaches that not only what I do but also what I say must be authorized.

The Bible is filled with scriptures which demand obedience to the will of God. Many different terms are used but they all teach the same thing, man must submit himself to God’s will or suffer the consequences. We are told we must submit (James 4:7), obey (Deut. 11:26-28), observe (Lev. 19:35-37), and even hearken (Acts 4:19). Yet there are still some today who teach otherwise. They are either not reading God’s word or they simply do not care what it says. Their hermeneutics leave much to be desired.

9. God Teaches Through Command Or Direct Statement, Approved Example, and Necessary Implication (inference).

I feel inclined to write about fifty pages on this particular section simply because it is so very important. Yet in spite of its importance, most people just simply do not understand the precepts involved. I think probably this is due to apathy, that is, people simply do not really care what God says.

In spite of the inclination to be lengthy on this section, such is really not necessary because the principles involved are easily taught and understood by those truly seeking God’s way and so we will briefly explain these three methods God uses to convey His message.

Command Or Direct Statement.

The idea of a commandment (or direct statement) is generally understood by all. Here are several examples for our consideration. (1) Thou shalt not steal. (2) Thou shalt not kill. (3) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (4) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together . . . (5) Pray without ceasing. All of these various statements are commands and are to be obeyed without question.

Approved Example.

There are examples in the Bible, both good and bad. Some are to be followed, some are not. Judas went out and hanged himself after betraying the Christ. This is an example we are not to follow because this action never received the approval of God. But in Acts 20:7 we find that the church came together on the first day of the week to take the Lord’s supper and this action was approved because it was waited for and participated in by the apostle Paul. He, through inspiration, approved of the taking of the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week. Since there is no divine direction to take it any other time, we adhere to the practice of the apostle and the early church. We know that if we do so we will be right and cannot be wrong. Any other action may be wrong and is, therefore, not authorized. That which is not authorized is sin. Rom.14:23 reminds us that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and Rom. 10:17 reminds us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. Such being the case, whatsoever is not of the word of God is sin.

Necessary Implication (Inference).

Much of what we obtain from the new testament is obtained through this concept. It is the idea that the Scriptures so strongly indicate something to be true that there is simply no other conclusion. If there is another conclusion which is plausible then the thing under consideration may be probable but not inferred conclusively. Let me give you an example so that you might better understand this idea.

In the Lord’s supper we use unleavened bread and grape juice. Why is that? Why can’t we use saltine crackers and coke? It may or may not surprise you but I have heard that very thing suggested. In fact, the person making this absurd suggestion argued that as long as your heart was right with God, what you use for the emblems really does not matter. I argue that if you would make this change with no Biblical authority then your heart is already not right with God.

The reason we use grape juice and unleavened bread is because it is necessarily implied by God and, therefore, necessarily inferred by us that Jesus used those very things to institute the Lord’s supper in the first place and if we use what He used then we cannot possibly offend God by so doing. But how do I know that those were the things Christ used? It is really very simple. Christ instituted the Lord’s supper with the Passover items which He had at hand. From this we know He used unleavened bread because in the Passover meal that was all that was used, leaven not even being allowed in the house, and that he used Passover wine, quite often and most probably unfermented in nature. Christ did not use saltine crackers and coke and neither should we if we want to remain faithful to the example He left for us to follow.

We need to again focus on the idea that we need Biblical authority for whatever we do. Our approach is what is authorized, not what is not condemned. Our approach is what do I know is right and cannot be wrong, not what might I get away with. There used to be a popular T-shirt with a cute little teddy bear on it which said, “How bad can I be and still go to heaven?” The answer to that question is that the ATTITUDE which would provoke the asking of such a question will surely send you to hell by itself without any further need of other sins.

Simon Says.

Most of us have played the game called Simon Says and have been quite probably eliminated for some mistake where we did not do what Simon said. This game, of course, is based on the principle of authority. In it one must do exactly what Simon tells him to do or be eliminated. Of course this is just a game and even if you are eliminated you will get another opportunity to play. But in the game of life it is God says not Simon says and you get to play only once. If you are eliminated from “God says” then you are eliminated permanently.

Specific Versus Generic.

There are some commands which are given which are specific and must be followed exactly. In the story of Naaman the leper (II Kings 5:1-14) he is instructed by the man of God to dip in the river Jordan seven times. Had he chosen a better river or had he only dipped six times and decided that was enough then he would have died a leper for having disobeyed the God of heaven.

There are other commands which are generic and are left up to man how to carry them out. The command to teach is such a generic command. One might teach through classes, radio, television, the printed page, etc. As long as the method one chooses to carry out this command does not contradict other Bible teaching then it would be proper. But the command to teach does not authorize women preaching in the church assembly in the presence of men, brain washing, teaching at gunpoint, or any other practice inconsistent with Bible teachings or principles.

10. Principle.

While it is true that God teaches through command, approved example, and necessary implication, it is also true that He provides us with several principles which will assist us in our Bible study. We will look at a few of them here and will indirectly look at others in our future studies.

Our first principle is that the Bible is always right, I may not be. It is, after all, the inspired word of God and is unquestionable. Truth is truth even when one does not accept it (Rom. 3:3-4). Truth is truth even when it comes from the lips of a hypocrite. Truth is truth even when we do not like the speaker. Truth is truth even when it contradicts what we believe. Truth is truth because it comes from God (John 17:17).

Our second principle is we must do that which is right and cannot be wrong. In Rom. 14:23 we found that we may do only that which is authorized and cannot go beyond faith, that is, beyond the system called the faith (Jude 3), without offending the Almighty God.

Our third principle is that God comes first. This is really the first principle of life altogether. In Matt. 6:33 our first obligation is to seek the kingdom of God. This ultimately means to seek God. Eph. 4:6 tells us that God is above all and, knowing this, we should surely realize that His will is above all other wills. To follow any will other than the will of God is an offence to His majesty and sovereignty.

So many other principles concerning God’s love of good and hatred of evil, His support of the righteous and His defeat of the wicked, His acceptance of the humble and His destruction of the proud, are found in the Scripture that one must conclude it is a Biblical principle that we should always seek only good things and flee from bad things.

There are so many principles which we live by which are not laws within themselves but are concepts from which we can approach life which are established by laws revealed to us from the wisdom of God. It is necessary to allow ourselves to establish and follow in our lives only those principles based on the philosophies of Christ.

We will mention here the concept or principle tied to the statement, “What would Jesus do?” As long as I follow the principle of doing only what Jesus would do in any situation I find myself, I cannot possibly go wrong.

11. Bible Concept of Unity.

What do you suppose would be on your mind if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? Would it be some ball game? The household budget? The new car you want? Perhaps a new roof on the house? Probably none of these things would be even a consideration. Your mind would be on what was really important to you; husband, wife, children, friends, God. Probably you would pray a lot in those last hours. But what exactly would you pray for? Certainly whatever was the most important thing or things to you.

The gospel according to John records one of the last prayers Jesus ever prayed. Unlike the other gospels which give us a look at the life of Christ, John gives us a deeper insight into who Christ really was and how He felt. This section is based on that which was most important to our Lord just prior to His death on the cross.

In His last prayers Jesus prayed a great deal for His disciples. In John 17:9 He prayed for His disciples that He then had. In verse twenty, however, He prayed for all those who would believe in Him. That means that if you are a Christian, one of the last things on the mind of Christ was you! You and I were the most important things to Christ in His last few hours and the last thing on His mind in this world!

It is certainly comforting to know that Jesus prayed for me. But what exactly did He include in that prayer? In verses 21-23 we find that He prayed for the unity of all believers. Not some “agreeing to disagree” unity but a unity identical to His unity with the Father.

One might here ask, “On how many things do God and Christ disagree?” The answer is, of course, none. They are in perfect agreement on every issue; sin, salvation, worship, reverence, righteousness. They disagree on nothing and neither should their disciples. Remember the unity statement in I Cor. 1:10. We are to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment. That is new testament unity.

12. Fellowship.

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But 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 1:3-7)

What a marvelous concept to know that as Christians we have a powerful and unique relationship with the Creator which we call fellowship, a relationship once hidden but now available to all through Christ; a relationship extended through and to that body we call the church — and to it only, that relationship which is part of the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8-10).

But what exactly is fellowship? We often use this term but do we really understand its meaning? Evidence in modern writings suggests strongly that the meaning of this term has been long forgotten and replaced with a much inferior concept than was originally meant.

Fellowship is not just association. We speak of a fellowship dinner or a fellowship trip or a fellowship meeting. This conveys a distorted or confusing picture of what true fellowship is all about. Fellowship is not just association.

In Scripture we are taught to have some association with the worldly. First, we are taught it is impossible to live in this world and not associate with them (I Cor. 5:9-10). Second, we must associate with them at some level to be able to teach them (I Cor. 9:19-22). Jesus gives us in His life some examples of how we might associate with the worldly (John 4, Luke 15). Fellowship then is not the same as association.

So then what is fellowship? The principle word used for fellowship is koinonia. The simple meaning of the word is a partnership, a sharing, or joint participation. It suggests intimacy and self attachment. Fellowship is where all involved have a common goal or purpose.

A good way to better understand this partnership is to look at a modern partnership in today’s business world. Whenever a group of people form a business concept, goals are set, rules are laid down, and agreements are signed. The venture is underway. Let’s say that Bob, Dick, and Jill form a company. Bob is good at advertising, Dick at operations, and Jill at sewing. We’ll call our company “Fashions” by Jill. From the very beginning of this partnership and continuing forever, everything done by its members will be for the good of the corporation. Everything this partnership does as a partnership will be for the purpose of nurturing the corporation so that it can grow and flourish. No one can use the corporation to further their own personal cause; no one can use the corporation funds for their own purposes; no one may act in a way that injures the corporation or violates its rules of conduct. Everything done by the partnership is for the good of the corporation.

With this in mind, let’s look at Christian fellowship. We have already seen in First John that the Christian partnership is between God, Christ, and all that are walking in the light. Our corporation we call the church. In this partnership, all that God has done has been for its creation, nurture, and growth (Eph. 1:11-12). There is not one single act of God that has ever in any way injured or threatened the church. God’s plan of redemption, His directions for worship, and His rules concerning personal conduct are all designed for the benefit and growth of the church. His system of church government and discipline is designed to keep her strong, pure, and on track. Everything God has done has been for the good of the church. God has been faithful to the partnership in all things.

In this partnership, all that Christ has done has also been solely for the good of the church. Giving up for a time the glories of heaven, He came to the earth, suffered the heat of summer, the cold of winter, the soreness of labor, and the other trials of daily human life. He struggled to teach a rebellious people. He suffered affliction, rejection, and finally death so that the church could live. He even carried our sinful guilt on His sinless shoulders, suffering separation for a time for God so that, through the church, we might escape this terrible experience ourselves. Everything Jesus has done has been for the good of the church. Jesus has been faithful to the partnership in all things.

When one becomes a Christian he becomes a member of this partnership, receiving all the rights and responsibilities due therein. That means everything the Christian does must be for the good of the church. As a partner, he is expected to defend her, guide her, teach her, encourage her in any authorized way possible. He is to promote her in her purpose and not cause her to lose her focus on her God assigned goals. He is to defend her against error and strengthen her towards good. Anyone who injures the church, misleads her, brings reproach upon her, supports or endorses false teachings or false teachers, or does anything to cause her to fail has broken fellowship with God, Christ, and all others who are walking in the light. One will break the partnership by doing wrong or by supporting other “partners” who do wrong. Scripture teaches us not to associate with those who violate this partnership (II John 9-11).

All that we do should be for the good of the church. If we want to remain faithful partners with God, Christ, and all others in the light, we must in all things strive to uphold the church by doing only the will of God.

13. Concluding Remarks.

In all of this we should learn that we must have authority from God for all that we say and do. We must choose to do only that which is right and cannot be wrong. We must remove all doubtful activities and practices from our lives if we desire the true confidence provided by a life which truly seeks to please God.