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January 15
ONE SPIRIT IN CHRIST
by Ray Prinzing
"Only let your conversation (manner of behaviour) be as it
becometh the gospel of Christ - that ye stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27).
Paul proceeds to give
some valuable instruction for our daily living, with the words,
"STAND FAST IN ONE SPIRIT." While this can be taken to refer to
our relationship with other believers, the emphasis must not just be
on our oneness with each other, because this will never be
accomplished until we are first one with Christ. "He that is
joined to the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:17).
Only in the measure that we are ONE SPIRIT IN CHRIST can we, also,
become one spirit with each other. HE is the Head, we are to
be joined to Him, and it is self-evident that if the whole body is
joined unto the Head, they cannot be very far from each other.
Joined unto the LORD.
This necessitates our yielding up of all our own rights, will,
self-hood, to acknowledge that HE ALONE IS LORD IN OUR LIFE. When we
are "one spirit" with Him, there are no more two spirits, His, and
ours, in some form of contra-distinction to each other, for this
union of oneness in Him precludes it. True, there is a losing
of our own carnal-self identity, to become identified in Him, but
what blessing awaits those who can pray, and mean it, "not my will,
but Thine, be done."
Surely the more we have
surrendered all of our "rights" to the Lord, the less we will seek
to maintain such "rights" with our brethren, for these "rights" are
no longer ours, and whatever God wills for us, that is what we
desire. This surrender takes all the "fight" out of us, and we cease
to be enemies with ourselves, and therefore, find it much easier to
be joined in peace with our brethren, that in one spirit we
might together follow on to know the Lord ever more.
For of this world thou hast no part
When He doth dwell within thy heart,
Not of this world, He said of those
Whom He hath called, whom He hath chose.
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