p. 8 | God's Great Oneness by Charles L. Taylor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 12, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 44.

God's Great Oneness

By Charles L. Taylor

ONENESS is divine. Unity is God's great concept of life. Before time began, even "before the foundation of the world," the great purpose of the Godhead was to "gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." Eph. 1: 4, 10.

The unity of which the scripture speaks is one that embraces within its provisions God's great universe. All created intelligences, whether men, or angels, or unfallen beings of worlds afar, are invited to share its blessings. Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me." John 12: 32. And when, at last, the redemption work of Jesus Christ shall have been completed, "every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, . . . and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them," shall unite in saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5: 13.

The Center of All Hopes

Our Lord Jesus Christ was the "universal Man," the "Desire of all nations." In Him centered the hopes of men of every age, every nation, every clime. Patriarch, priest and prophet, Jew and Gentile,—all have found or shall find salvation through His name. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4: 12.

It requires no reasoning whatever to discover that God's plan in Christ contemplates but one great system of faith, one great unit of believers, one great truth, one great Teacher, one great result—this is a mighty and self-evident fact. The apostle, by inspiration, sums it up most beautifully and completely when he says, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Eph. 4: 5, 6.

Reflecting the Same Image

From whatever angle this truth is viewed, it reflects the same blessed image of unity in the Christ. Take the church, the body of true believers of all earth time. By what name is it known in the records above?—It is styled "the church of the First-born," "written in heaven." Heb. 12: 23. In that church are Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, David, Paul,—all who by faith accepted the righteousness of the Messiah, and obtained title to everlasting possessions.

So absolutely true is it that the believers of all ages are counted as one in Christ, that Abraham, the man of faith who lived more than 1,800 years before Christ, is called "the father of all them that believe." Rom. 4: 11. "And if ye be Christ's," says Inspiration, "then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs

according to the promise." The church of Christ is the church of all probationary time.

But One Church in Reality

If it be true—and it is—that there has been from earliest times but one church, and that "the church of the First-born," then in a most beautiful sense the children of God in all ages have been Christians. Abraham was a Christian, for he saw the day of Christ and was glad. John 8: 56. David was a Christian, for he spoke repeatedly of Him who was to come. This thought is tremendously emphasized in the words of the apostle, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Eph. 3: 14, 15. Whatever men may have been called on earth, in heaven those who are His have been known by His name.

In various ways the blessed Word of God brings before us the unity which is found in the Lord Jesus. Under the figure of the body—that delicate organism which is declared to be "fearfully and wonderfully made"—the apostle sets forth the relationship existing between Christ and His church, and the relationship between the different members of that church. Christ is the great Head,—"He is the Head of the body, the church." Col. 1: 18. And as the Head of the whole body, He is the Head of each particular member and part. "The head of every man is Christ." 1 Cor. 11: 3.

Source of the One Life Current

From the great Head, Christ, there comes to the body and to all its parts one great current of life. Listen! "The Head," says the Word, is that "from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." Col. 2: 19. And again the Lord admonishes His children to speak the truth in love, and to "grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from 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." Eph. 4: 15, 16.

Every one who enters fully and truly into God's great life plan, becomes intimately, yes, vitally connected with Christ. He bears within himself the divinity of the Head, he is controlled directly by the mind of the Head, and shows forth in his experience the glories of the Head.

Compared with the Human Body

In this great spiritual organism are found also those beautiful inter-relationships which are found in the human body. The individual parts "are members one of another." Eph. 4: 25. In every normal being, each part is dependent upon every other. "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." 1 Cor. 12: 26. A great spiritual circuit is established, the Christ life flowing to all through all. That gift of life which blesses the one goes on through the one and becomes the blessed gift of all.

This is "the unity of the Spirit." Eph. 4: 3. It is a unity which has for its bond the invisible power of divine unction. It is that unity which existed between Jesus Christ and His Father. "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee." John 17: 21. It is the unity which at once makes the believer the bond-servant of Christ, and yet leaves him in a world of absolute freedom of belief and action.

It is, indeed, good and pleasant "for brethren to dwell together in unity." But whenever or wherever this blessing is realized, it is because the one mind governs each brother, each sister. Diversity will be present, but not unlikeness; difference of opinion, but not dissension. The great oak has no two leaves which exactly resemble each other; and yet, while all are dissimilar, each one loudly declares, I belong to the oak. In the church, among Christian brethren, there are diversified gifts and individuality of action; but all positively testify, We are Christians, parts of the same great tree. Oak life makes oak leaves; the Christ life produces Christian faith and action.

Were all men fully and completely to surrender to God, make His will their will, and His mind their mind, then should we see one great common faith. All would be taught of God (John 6: 45), and all, consequently, would see the same truth, and stand as a unit in belief. It is only man's unwillingness that debars the great Teacher from leading into that oneness for which Jesus prayed.

Is Unity by Federation?

To-day men are seeking to bring about unity by means of federation. The effort, however, will not succeed, for federation can be brought about only by compromise and suppression of much that is vital. Such unity is but a mild form of coercion, a visible cloak covering invisible disorder and spiritual chaos. Churches of different beliefs and practises may come together in a great spiritual trust, but, as a matter of fact, their union must smack of the same error that constitutes the pseudo forced oneness of the Papacy. There is no unity except that which is founded in oneness of mind, oneness of choice, oneness of faith, oneness of life, oneness of spirit, and all rooted and grounded and founded in Christ Jesus.

Jesus prayed for oneness. His prayer will be answered, but never perfectly on earth. No one visible church has ever known it completely. It is the privilege, tho, of each believer so to submit to the leadings of the divine that when God's great church of the ages, called out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, shall finally be gathered before the throne, he may be numbered among them, and unite in that wonderful united chorus of praise which shall then be offered.