Is there a difference between the ground of oneness and the ground of locality? The ground of oneness and the ground of locality are not separate. They refer to two aspects of the same thing. The ground of oneness means that we should have no other basis for meeting than that we all have received the redemption of the Lord Jesus and belong to Him. The ones who are in the church (strictly speaking, who are the church) are the redeemed ones; the ones who are outside the church are all who have not received the Lords redemption. The ground of locality relates to the practicality of the oneness. If I can be in oneness with all the believers in my own locality, then my standing on the ground of oneness is real and practical. If I cannot be one with some of the brothers in my locality, then my standing on the ground of oneness is merely doctrinal, not real. Practical oneness is not easy to keep. Oneness of the Spirit is one of the blessings of our salvation that is ours if we keep it (Eph. 4:3), but oneness of the faith is something that we need to arrive at (Eph. 4:13). Thus, if we are only one with those with whom we agree on every point of the faith, then our oneness is the oneness of a division, not of the Body of Christ. There are a few basic items of the faith, especially concerning the person (that He is the Son of God who became a man) and work (that He died for our redemption and rose from the dead) of the Lord Jesus, that separate between believers and unbelievers. We can never compromise those things (1 John 2:22; 4:2-3). But to make issues over other items, especially concerning outward practices, is to be divisive and sectarian. Many Christians are part of groups that use other criteria than simply those whom the Lord has received to determine who belongs and who does not belong to their church. Even though the improper receiving makes the group a division rather than a genuine expression of the one Body of Christ, the believers are still members of the Body. They may make distinctions between themselves and us but we should not. We dont agree with any division but any believers in them are part of the church. We should be able to receive and fellowship with them just as joyfully as if they were exactly the same as us in faith and practice. We would not agree with any promoting of divisive teachings but to try to make other believers the same as us is to be divisive ourselves. Real oneness must be both in spirit and in practicality. It must be something of the Spirit and yet it must also be so practical that the world can see it and believe (John 17:21, 23). I have stressed the practical side of oneness because it is too easy to be divisive in practice even while proclaiming and teaching about oneness.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:09:50 +0000
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