THEORY OR POWER? 082

In psychology and sociology, it is generally accepted that there are five major personality traits, agreeableness, openness to experience, neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness. These “big five” personality traits exist on a spectrum; this means that a person can fall anywhere along the lines of being highly agreeable to highly disagreeable. Take a second and think about what each of the big five personality traits mean, if you need help do a google search. For example, conscientiousness, my personal favourite, and what I aspire to totally embody, deals with diligence and order. After you work through what these traits mean I want you to ask yourself which trait, —and there isn’t any hard right or wrong answer, there is just your answer and that’s all I want— you think is most needed in your church or home right now.

It is the purpose of God that His children shall blend in unity. Do they not expect to live together in the same heaven? Is Christ divided against Himself? Will He give His people success before they sweep away the rubbish of evil surmising and discord, before the laborers, with unity of purpose, devote heart and mind and strength to the work so holy in God’s sight? Union brings strength, disunion, weakness. United with one another, working together in harmony for the salvation of men, we shall indeed be “laborers together with God.” Those who refuse to work in harmony greatly dishonor God. The enemy of souls delights to see them working at cross purposes with one another. Such ones need to cultivate brotherly love and tenderness of heart. If they could draw aside the curtain veiling the future and see the result of their disunion, they would surely be led to repent. {8T 240.1}

I think a major trait that is missing in the church today is agreeableness. Interestingly enough the scripture says in Amos 3:3

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

In Ephesians 6:15 the Bible speaks about having our feet prepared with the gospel of peace. In Romans 10:15 and Isaiah 52:7 the Bible elaborates on this idea and lets us know that it is associated with actively publishing and spreading the gospel.

Can we walk together -with our feet- -in agreement-, while spreading the gospel if we do not agree? Maybe in some homes or some churches the lack of agreeableness or unity, exists because of a lack of a collective, unified spreading of the gospel.

The world is looking with gratification at the disunion amongst Christians. Infidelity is well pleased. God calls for a change among His people. Union with Christ and with one another is our only safety in these last days. Let us not make it possible for Satan to point to our church members, saying: “Behold how these people, standing under the banner of Christ, hate one another. We have nothing to fear from them while they spend more strength fighting one another than in warfare with my forces.” {8T 240.2}

Please read that last paragraph again, my commentary would only detract from its potency.

The believers were ever to cherish the love that filled the hearts of the apostles after the descent of the Holy Spirit. They were to go forward in willing obedience to the new commandment: “As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34. So closely were they to be united to Christ that they would be enabled to fulfill His requirements. The power of a Saviour who could justify them by His righteousness was to be magnified. But the early Christians began to look for defects in one another. Dwelling upon mistakes, giving place to unkind criticism, they lost sight of the Saviour and of the great love He had revealed for sinners. They became more strict in regard to outward ceremonies, more particular about the theory of the faith, more severe in their criticisms. In their zeal to condemn others they forgot their own errors. They forgot the lesson of brotherly love that Christ had taught. And, saddest of all, they were unconscious of their loss. They did not realize that happiness and joy were going out of their lives, and that soon they would walk in darkness, having shut the love of God out of their hearts. {8T 241.3}

MERCY!

But the early Christians began to look for defects in one another. Dwelling upon mistakes, giving place to unkind criticism

Do we look for defects? If defects are all we see, defects were all we probably were looking for.

They became stricter in regard to outward ceremonies, more particular about the theory of the faith, more severe in their criticisms.

This one hits, sometimes as Christians we become so strict and particular as to just what another believes or does. We emphasize the theory of faith way more than we do the power of faith. All things are possible to them that believe, or have faith. Faith unlocks the impossible, yet I have found myself even falling victim to paying attention to the theory over the power.

In their zeal to condemn others they forgot their own errors.

Need we say more?

Father, so many things to pray for in this one, but I remember that Jesus prayed in that powerful prayer in John 17 that we may all be one. Please do this God, unify us, our homes and families and churches, unite us with You and whatever I have failed to pray for, here the prayer of our desperate necessity, please,

IJN,

amen

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