Why do we not have unity of mind and spirit?

[chirpy]

I love the Lord, but this is an area that I just have not been able to fully understand.  As Christians, we do not have unity of mind or spirit.  We fight and chastise each other over trite issues... because some don't see things as trite.  And it's not the sprinkle or dunk baptism issue, it is  that person is so whackey I can't stand them, or I wanted to start this ministry in the church but the board said no.   It's the gossip, vitriol that takes place about the person who dresses wrong, has a sordid past, or who thinks different.   

I just keep thinking, if we are truly walking with the Spirit, why are we all still so harsh and unloving to others?

I live in a housing complex with mostly elderly and most claim to be Christians but the animosity towards others regarding lawns, car parking, noise, etc just makes me shake my head.   I see no love, compromise or unity of spirit. These people who have their bible study and pot lucks are cussing out other drivers on their way there, talking trash about other attendees and seeking harsh measures against people they don't like. 

These are not just a family, local issue, it is the same in the whole world and that is why we end up with corruption, wars, lawlessness etc.  The claim of so many to being a believer falls short because the concept of Love your Neighbors does not register with most... the idea of others being of more importance than self is not practiced nor taught.  Self is the idol of this world. 

People can not or will not put others first and I admit,  I have to constantly ask... please God, strengthen my heart and love for my neighbor so that I can love them......  it is a hard task and never fully accomplished.  I so wish once we turn our lives over to Christ, His spirit would truly take over and give us a unity of mind and love.

I suppose we were warned, many will claim to know Jesus, but He will not know them.  Maybe that was the big caveat, so many claim to love the lord, don't,  and that is why there is no unity.   But even the apostles did not see things the same and had disagreements.....

I guess I am rambling, I am just tired of people strife and wish as Christians we could be of one mind...

Maybe I really am just pro Borg... I want to be assimilated and all become of one mind.....

 

[Justin Adams]

3 minutes ago, chirpy said:

Maybe I really am just pro Borg...

Your comments seem valid and it is sometimes quite disheartening.. I agree.

I have had to re-validate my secondary views often and still there is so much to learn.

Thanks for the post. Belessings!!

[Stewardofthemystery]

Matthew 24:12

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

[Mr. M]

21 minutes ago, chirpy said:

I suppose we were warned, many will claim to know Jesus, but He will not know them.  Maybe that was the big caveat, so many claim to love the lord, don't,  and that is why there is no unity.   But even the apostles did not see things the same and had disagreements.....

Clearly, being born again and spirit filled has been reduced to lip service.

This is the wake-up call.

1 Peter 1:

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit

unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,

which liveth and abideth for ever.

Galatians 5:

15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

While reading First Peter, and making the honest assessment that I did not love

anyone fervently from a pure heart and was in drastic need of the Spirit to purify

my soul, I began to pray into these words. I then came across Psalm 139, and had 

the audacity to pray this out loud, and with complete sincerity:

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I proceeded to go through the most difficult season in my life, that resulted in a 

tremendous growth spurt in the Spirit. I found a new heart of compassion for "the

least of these" and knew that my heart had been re-aligned with the heart of the 

Father, for I previously could not have cared less. I became a weeping watchman

intercessor, and found that I had lost many of the desires of life that I had previously,

while many others continued, but fell away gradually. I wondered about this and asked

the Holy Spirit why I did not immediately become desire-less of the world? He showed

me this verse:

Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land

become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.

I understood that I had to first become more aware of the things that I held in

my heart and acknowledge my need for deliverance. Otherwise, the beasts of pride

would have had a field day. I don't know why the Spirit compelled me to share this 

testimony today, but I offer it in sincerity, and my best effort for what is still lacking

in humility.

 

[FJK]

43 minutes ago, chirpy said:

We fight and chastise each other over trite issues...

What else should we fight and chastising each other over?

Are there better things to be fighting and chastising over?

[chirpy]

not sure I understand your point.... it would be nice not to fight or chastise over anything...

the snide comments made about the type of spice used on a dish, or can't believe they brought that for a dish, or did not bring a dish and only a ??... the arguments over what color for the new carpet in the chapel or what songs to sing for the next service..... or did you see so and so park in the handy capped space... how dare they.... and on and on......  does any of it edify?

yes all is human and so frequent... but trite and belittling to others....  it just gets old...

if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything seems to be a lost idiom ....

unity of mind and spirit - the big things we fight over as well ------ women in the church, homosexuality, tolerance of fornication, adultery, and on and on.... we as christians are not united .... we argue about what is sin, what is right and wrong...

my point is ---- why has the Spirit not united us?  Yes, I want us all to agree and be a happy in sync group of followers of Jesus,  the reality is..... not going to happen on this current earth.... but I wish it would, and struggle with why the Spirit will not bring it about.

 

 

[chirpy]

Thank you all for the encouragement.  Utopia is not going to be on this earth, we must endure and be patient.  But I do wish as Christians our life and attitudes would reflect less of the world, and as a whole, as followers of Christ, the world would see a life style in us that gives hope and envy to others.

As our lives do become more divergent from the world and we do live different from the majority... maybe we will become more united and be a positive witness and messenger of hope to others. but at the moment,  I just see us Christians as not much different in our attitudes and behavior from the world.....

and yes,  all one can do is try to stay on the path and try not to worry about the path others seem to be on.  Keep our own hearts in tune and walk as best we can. 

It does say in the latter days many will fall away, so those left will stick out like a sore thumb......   time will tell

I still think I just want to be assimilated and brought into the group mind.... is that the easy way? ... takes all the work on our part away... we just become the slave, tool of the collective brain..... oh my, I digress....

maranatha

 

[FJK]

56 minutes ago, chirpy said:

.......... I just see us Christians as not much different in our attitudes and behavior from the world.....

I think it's important to realize that all who call themselves Christian are not always actually Christian.

Being Christian means truly following Christ and becoming separate from following the world (which stands against Christ by its nature) and living outside of the world and its ways even while living in it.

This is my thinking, there are others that may think differently and I will not judge them for it, that judgment isn't within my authority, but would encourage them to at least consider my perspective on it for any merit it may have.

[Vine Abider]

3 hours ago, chirpy said:

not sure I understand your point.... it would be nice not to fight or chastise over anything...

the snide comments made about the type of spice used on a dish, or can't believe they brought that for a dish, or did not bring a dish and only a ??... the arguments over what color for the new carpet in the chapel or what songs to sing for the next service..... or did you see so and so park in the handy capped space... how dare they.... and on and on......  does any of it edify?

yes all is human and so frequent... but trite and belittling to others....  it just gets old...

if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything seems to be a lost idiom ....

unity of mind and spirit - the big things we fight over as well ------ women in the church, homosexuality, tolerance of fornication, adultery, and on and on.... we as christians are not united .... we argue about what is sin, what is right and wrong...

my point is ---- why has the Spirit not united us?  Yes, I want us all to agree and be a happy in sync group of followers of Jesus,  the reality is..... not going to happen on this current earth.... but I wish it would, and struggle with why the Spirit will not bring it about.

 

 

Without Him we are just weak and prone to all the negative fruits of the flesh, which is our natural default.  But we are not without Him - He lives in us! 

Now it is all about letting Him live through us, and that is an act of our will.  So while we are born-again believers with the life of the Son in us, we still have freedom to choose what will be our source - our spirit which is joined to Him (1 Cor 6:17), or the flesh in which no good thing dwells (Rom 7:17-18).

We Christians often think it is a mental thing, but I think it is more about our will choosing to let Him live through us.  That is, telling Him, "Lord Jesus, in myself I don't find it to be loving or joyful or kind, but I turn from all my weakness to You right now . . . Lord please live through me and do these things You are so capable of doing!  Teach me to let You live your proper human life through me!"

[SpiritSong]

3 hours ago, chirpy said:

not sure I understand your point.... it would be nice not to fight or chastise over anything...

the snide comments made about the type of spice used on a dish, or can't believe they brought that for a dish, or did not bring a dish and only a ??... the arguments over what color for the new carpet in the chapel or what songs to sing for the next service..... or did you see so and so park in the handy capped space... how dare they.... and on and on......  does any of it edify?

yes all is human and so frequent... but trite and belittling to others....  it just gets old...

if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything seems to be a lost idiom ....

unity of mind and spirit - the big things we fight over as well ------ women in the church, homosexuality, tolerance of fornication, adultery, and on and on.... we as christians are not united .... we argue about what is sin, what is right and wrong...

my point is ---- why has the Spirit not united us?  Yes, I want us all to agree and be a happy in sync group of followers of Jesus,  the reality is..... not going to happen on this current earth.... but I wish it would, and struggle with why the Spirit will not bring it about.

 

 

I think that before the church is raptured there will be great revivals all around the world. God will gather His harvest, but remember that the wheat and the tares grow together until then. What is clear is that all humanity will be given the choice who to follow. 

Fortunately we don't have to be Borg to be of one mind in Christ! Deception is futile, and the truth will set us free. Not only will we live long and prosper, we are already in eternity. The Lord is coming soon, so not long now until we know the fullness of that reality. 

In the mean time, I'm setting my sights on agreement with the truth, as all these arguments - big and small - are just a distraction from the truth, and they are certainly not where we find freedom, which is especially important as we have a responsibility to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Hopefully this is a good place to find agreement in the truth of God's Word, and maybe even some encouragement.

We are living in interesting times, for sure.