( EPHESIANS 4:3 )

ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE.

( 2 PETER 1:4 )

WHEREBY ARE GIVEN UNTO US EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES: THAT BY THESE YE MIGHT BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, HAVING ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST.

As I consider teaching this; I, first and foremost realize that my responsibility is to keep myself where the Spirit of God directs me to be. Although I am a teacher; it’s not my responsibility to draw conviction on any person but to teach truth. The responsibility of the Spirit of God is to take the truth I teach and to convict hearts and, help all believers to have or, seek to have ( that divine nature ). The greatest question is; do you truly desire to have that nature?

I ( endeavour ) to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. That is a union between the very Spirit of God and my flesh. I often use the example here of a husband and his wife. The husband has done something that was wrong and, against his wife. He is convicted of his wrong therefore, he humbly apoligizes to his wife; she readily excepts his apoligy. However, when they go to bed that night, she falls right to sleep but, he cannot get settled within himself. Although she except the apology and moves on, he can’t get beyond himself. When he reaches the place that he understands what he is suppose to do and yields to that responibility, he can sleep just as she does.

That’s somewhat like being in unity with the spirit of God. Do you think God the Father is unsettled with anything he has done? Let’s look at two other verses of scripture. ( Romans 5:1 ) Therefore being justified by faith, we have ( peace with God ) through our Lord Jesus Christ: ( Philippians 4:7 ) And the ( peace of God, ) which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Can you see that husband and wife in those two verses? When we, by yielding to God’s Spirit asked Jesus to be our Savior, at that moment, we are at ( peace with God ). He’s not upset with our sin any longer, it’s under the blood of Christ. However, that doesn’t mean you have the ( peace of God ) does it? Although God is at peace with you, does not mean you are at peace with him or yourself.

I’ll agree.it takes time to grow to that place in your spiritual walk. However, we must seek those attributes if we are to ever reach that place. Often we get content with who we are but, God, through his spirit is not. The reason for that is because we refuse to line up with God’s word, yielding to his spirit and we create a will of our own; and that, apart from God the Father.

Walking in the ( unity of the Spirit ) and the ( bond of peace ) is not that complicated but, you must know who you are and, how God chooses to use you, lining up with scripture, that being Jesus Christ. When it comes to scripture, you can’t make it say what you desire for it to say, not and be pleasing to God in the unity of the Spirit.

Today in the country where I live, it’s hard to speak truth. It’s become the enemy of the people. If you seek to speak truth then you are ( evil spoken of ). Do you have any idea where that originated? It originated in the local Church. When Churches stood for truth, called sin, sin and denounced those that lived ungodly, you could basically speak truth anywhere you desired to. As a matter of fact; it would draw conviction on all that heard it. The world knew what truth was. However, when Churches caved to the will of men and women, God’s voice was silienced and look where we are now!

I paused here for a few minutes to allow God’s Spirit to speak to me on how to move foward here. So, let’s look at this verse of scripture. ( 1 Corinthians 1:11 ) For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

In the Church you attend, are there any contentions among you? If not; why? Everything in ( the unity of the Spirit ) and ( in the bond of Peace )? Maybe the reason there is no contention is because there is no one there of the house of Chloe to call out sin and cause contention.

So, let’s see if I can become ( Chloe ). I content that in the average Church today the children are in charge. You don’t believe me? If you happen to be a ( male ) pastor then, this coming Sunday morning, you announce that children’s Church is ending. You say, you expect the parents to keep their children in Church, well disciplined and, you will preach to them as well.

In that case, the children are going to complain to the mother, the mother is going to complain to the father and, it’s going all the way back to the pulpit. What are you going to do? let the Children have their way? Do I feel some contention here?

This Sunday morning, you preach ( modest apparel ), you preach ( wives submit yourselves unto you own husband. Again, do I feel some contention building?

If you happen to go to a Church that has a woman pastor, you stand up and call her out, asking her to give you chapter and verse for where see stands.

The same with a man that’s been married twice, call him out. In either case, see if there is any contention. We see the answer to both of these in ( 1 Timothy 3 ) read it!

One other point, this Sunday morning you boldly stand behind your pulpit and make a point to queation the salvation of many on various lifestyles, see if that cause contention. The Apostle said, ( I stand in doubt of you ). He was speaking of their salvation, according to the life they were living.

You see, we are in unity with one another but, God is not there? If you feel contention toward me because of what I said; who are you contending with? The unity of the Spirit is what is contending with you, not me! I’m simply pointing out truth!

In most cases, the men of our Churches ( husbands ) do not submit unto God and, their wives do not submit unto them. Where does that leave the Children?

Most Churches say the ( hired a pastor ). if that’s the case in your Church; maybe you should read ( John 10 ). And if that’s the case, he actually doesn’t care about where you spend eternity, it more than likely shows.

Shall I go on? And I could. Sunday School has become a joke in the average Church. Full grown men and women study Sunday School quarterlies instead of seeking God’s face from the word of God. People are starving to death spiritually and, most teachers, pastores could care less.

I am living in the ( unity of the Spirit ) in ( the bond of Peace ). That between my Lord and I. However, my heart is burdened for our Churches, our people and our children. Most are in the ( unity of the Spirit ) with one another. They are at peace with one another. The divine nature of God is nowhere to be found. In reality, when God speaks, there is no unity or peace to be found.

You, pastor can walk out of your pulpit, look straight into the eyes of any member and say, ( you’re going to hell when you die ) and all peace would flee from them, Why? Because they do not know ( the unity of God’s Spirit ) or ( the bond of God’s peace ). They are not seeking to ( divine nature of God.)

God needs to speake n. We need to allow him to do so; yield, to his will and word!

Marahall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7