Truth and False Unity

The Lord has shown me that the church is drifting down the wrong path of “unity for the sake of unity”. There has been disunity in the church for so long, that some leaders have decided to come together in unity. The problem with this is that leaders can never bring about unity, even with good intentions. Men, in their own will and strength, can never achieve unity. The Lord is the only One who can unify His church, and it can only happen when His grace is released. Our best efforts will fall short, and only the Holy Spirit can unify the church in His way and timing. 

Truth Divides

When the church began 2,000 years ago, many people divided against the truth. Jews began giving their lives to Jesus, but were met with severe resistance from those who rejected the truth. For a time, certain truths were lost from the church. However, as they were recovered, division broke out. The restoration of being saved by faith and grace was met by evil persecution. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues was spoken against and criticized. Healing the sick and the gifts of the Spirit were rejected as error. The restoration of apostles and prophets was met with great opposition, and it still is. 

Jesus does not take sides. He is the Truth, and it is up to us to side with the Truth Himself. Anyone who chooses to side with the traditions of men or the belief systems of their own soul, chooses to take their stand against Christ. If you are not for Him, you are against Him. If you don't gather with Him, you will scatter. It doesn't matter how right we think we are. It only matters what the word of God says, and if we agree with the word in obedience. Taking a stand for a doctrine that the Bible does not teach, is taking a stand against the word. For example, if I believe a doctrine that states apostles and prophets are no longer in existence, I am taking a stand against Jesus and His word; because the Bible does not say this. I would be believing my opinion and stating that my opinion is truth. Truth is in what His word says, not necessarily what people believe. 

Jesus the Truth

“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”” (Luke 12:51-53 NKJV).

Jesus is quoting from Micah 7:6 which states: “For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.”

The Truth that Christ is and the truth that comes from Him will bring division. There will even be division in our own spiritual household (the church). Division is the result of believers not fully embracing truth. We as believers are on a journey to know the Truth Himself. With every truth that we embrace, the closer we get to the Truth. When we stop embracing truth, we stop getting closer to the Truth. Fear, deception, and false doctrines are all tools that Satan uses to stop believers from advancing in truth. Many believers who have stopped advancing in truth, are the biggest persecutors of those who are still pursuing the truth. These are the "three against two" or the "two against three." 

When a believer rejects a certain truth, he cannot advance any further on the path of truth. Obedience and belief in what the Lord says, is required before the Lord will give additional truth. This is why some believers "camp out" in the wilderness and their spiritual growth slows to a crawl. They are no longer advancing, because they have not believed the truth that the Holy Spirit has placed before them. 

Wherever Jesus went, division surrounded Him (John 7:12, 43 and John 10:19-20). Unbelievers and believers have free will, and can choose to reject truth. Most rejection of truth comes when a person follows their own will, thoughts, and beliefs over Gods'.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”” (John 8:31-32 NKJV).

We can't just know the truth, and be made free by knowing the truth. Jesus says that we must first abide in His word. We study, meditate, and accept His word; whether we like it or not. Once we accept his word over our own will, it will become apart of us. When the word has become apart of us, we have abided in it. When we have abided in His word, only then are we His true disciples. And when we are really His disciples, then will we know the truth and be made free. 

Therefore, if we choose not to believe in certain aspects of his word for whatever reason, we have not abided in His word. If we have not abided in His word, we are not His true disciples. And if we are not His true disciples, we will not know the full truth and be made completely free. Much of the church is in a place of knowing some truth, but no longer advancing in truth; because of their unwillingness to abide in the word and be true disciples. Because of this, there will always be division in the body of Christ. 

False Unity and False Doctrine

There is a false unity coming. We will definition false unity as: believers coming together for the sake of unity who do not believe the same things about the Lord and His word. This may seem very noble and mature, but Jesus never promoted this kind of unity. Jesus actually caused division with his own disciples, who were unwilling to accept the truth:

“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” (John 6:53-66 NKJV)

Jesus spoke the truth to His disciples. Many of His own disciples were unwilling to accept the truth, and walked away from Him. Jesus didn't grab them by the arm in order to get them to stay. He didn't call after them and say, "Wait! We don't have to agree and you don't have to accept all truth. Just stay and let's walk together in unity." Jesus clearly allowed truth to divide, even though the modern church would paint a different picture of Him. The modern church believes and teaches that Jesus would not divide over truth. The Bible teaches differently. Jesus is in fact the Truth, and when we reject a truth about Him; we reject a part of who He is. It is not okay to reject an aspect of the Lord because we don't understand or like it. Jesus is not okay with us rejecting truth about Him. If we think that He is alright with it, we don't really know Him and are greatly deceived. 

When believers reject truth they are in pride. Pride (in this case) is believing your own opinion, doctrine, or theology over what the Bible and Holy Spirit say. Pride is a form of idolatry and rebellion because one is putting greater trust in themselves, than God. When one disagrees with the truth of the Bible, they are agreeing with false doctrine. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, tells us not to even eat with another believer who is in unrepentant sin (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). He also warns believers about other believers who were spreading false doctrine like gangrene (2 Timothy 2:15-18).  

False doctrines are doctrines of demons. Doctrines of demons and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit cannot dwell together in unity. Believers who are proclaiming and believing false doctrines from demons, can never be in true unity with believers who accept the truth of Christ and His word. Demons cannot be unified with the Holy Spirit. Only when believers are willing to humble themselves, repent of false doctrine, and embrace the truth; can there be real unity. 

Even if a group of believers or leaders were to make an effort to get together, knowing they believe many different things; there could not be the true unity that the first century church had. False beliefs and false doctrine is demonic. The demonic cannot mix with the truth of Christ and His word. It simply will not work, ever. The church's desperation for unity at any cost is simply not the Lord's plan for unity. 

Knowing the Truth

““I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:41-44 NKJV)

Men are blinded from knowing the truth when they desire the honor that comes from other men, more than the honor that comes from the Lord. The pride of life works as a deception that blinds men with false doctrine. When we only care about he honor that comes from the Lord, we will be in a position to know the truth that Christ releases. 

“Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” (John 7:16-18 NKJV)

Those believers or unbelievers who want their own will, doctrine, or theology; will not recognize the true doctrine of God. These people will not be able to accept the truth, because they have blinded themselves from the truth. Only when we truly want His will over our own will, can we properly discern the truth. When we place His will before our own, we will be opened to the truth in the scripture. The Lord releases understanding to those who want the truth more than their own will and opinions. 

The Unity of the Faith

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may 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.” (Ephesians 4:11-16 KJV)

The scripture states that when apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are operating in the church; the unity of the faith will be achieved. The unity of the faith, in this context, is referring to being unified in what we have faith in (God and the doctrines or teachings of His word). Once we have come to the unity of the faith and are mature, we will no longer be children tossed around; and carried away by every wind of doctrine. 

The immature can be deceived by the cunning traditions of men that have filled the modern church. This has caused great divisions in the body of Christ. Since we are currently being carried away by many different "winds of doctrine," we are not in the unity of the faith. Some in the church are even carried away by the windy doctrine that states apostles and prophets are no longer operating. That deceptive doctrine nullifies the above scripture, and makes it impossible for us to come into the unity of the faith. That false doctrine is holding back the body of Christ from coming into maturity. This false belief actually promotes the disunity of the faith. Disunity with what the Lord has said, will never bring about unity. Making peace with these false demonic belief systems will never bring true unity among believers. We must speak the truth in love so that our fellow brothers and sisters can have the opportunity of coming into the unity of the faith.  

Through this scripture, we see that the will of God for His church is to be in unity with what we believe. It is not okay for us to be divided over doctrine, and be carried about by many different doctrines. Confusion is the battle plan of the enemy to keep us divided. At the same time, Jesus will not compromise truth for the sake of unity. Only when we accept the truth, can we be unified. We will never be truly unified by agreeing to disagree. Agreement about disagreement is not unification, but simply being nice about our disagreement. To unify means to make or become a single unit, or to unify conflicting theories. Therefore, believers meeting for the sake of unity (even though they still believe many different and conflicting doctrines), would not meet the definition of "unify." Much of our talk about unity may sound good and wise, but it may be nothing more than a self-deception. 

Christ and Unity

The answer to the unity problem is seeking Christ first. When we seek Him first, we are transformed into His image. All of our false beliefs and doctrines get destroyed when we wait before His throne and meditate on His word. If we put Christ first, unity will come. It will be an anointing poured out by the Holy Spirit, not the work of men. In reality, some of the church will not come in to true unity. The Lord's true disciples (His bride), will come into the unity of the faith. This is the Lamb's remnant who loves truth more than themselves. We must wait for the Lord's unity, for it will surely come. 

- Ty Unruh (2016)