UNITY AND ONENESS
UNITY AND ONENESS
The endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit is the right principle, but the unity of the Spirit exists, and therefore the many members are but one body. The unity of the body could never be seen by the world, for it is by and in the Spirit. The oneness — being of one accord and of one mind — ought to be seen, and was seen before the truth of the unity of the body was revealed. The unity, being by the Holy Ghost, always exists independently of us. The [p. 180] oneness which would be the practical working of it has failed, because of the unfaithfulness of man. The unity of the Spirit, if maintained in power, would necessarily lead to oneness, which is spoken of in John 17, where it is not union but oneness of mind, as with the Father and Son. The saints baptised by the Holy Ghost are one body, and this fact, the unity of the body, I endeavour to adhere to, and as it is owned in faith as already existing, the oneness follows. But there was oneness (Acts 2) before the unity of the body was revealed. The unity of the body was never visible save as there was oneness — “the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4: 2) The unity exists in and because of the Holy Ghost. The house is the visible thing on earth. The real thing in it is the body of Christ. This was revealed after the church was set up, and consequent too on the rejection of Christ from the earth. Then it came out that when He is personally rejected from the earth, His body, formed by the Holy Ghost, is on the earth to represent Him. The body is the mystery, invisible; but the church, which is His body, was to be visible. It was constructively set here on earth, and it was spoiled in man’s hands. The body cannot be spoiled, for it never was in man’s hands. The church was not always spoiled, it began well. It was and is still God’s habitation on earth, but it grew into large unnatural proportions. It became on earth, though God’s house, a great house. The body remained intact, though the visible oneness was indeed soon lost. But there never was a thought of ‘manifesting’ the corporate unity of the body of Christ — it could not be done. The oneness was once seen for a moment, and the world will see it hereafter.