IS IT UNITY...OR COMPROMISE?? 🤔
Just some things I want to make clear... 👇⚔
Sorry guys..this is a long one, but I felt it must be said! Again, I know it may cost me some friends or "likes", but so be it. I cannot remain silent. 🤐🚫🗣
1. There are some things and people we, as true believers, can never be fully "united" with. In order for us to do so, we would have to compromise what we believe and stand for. Jesus asked the Father, and He sent us the "Spirit of Truth", which is the Holy Spirit. When He comes, and when He reveals truth, it automatically separates. Why? Because those not aligned with His truth cannot hear or understand it. They will be automatically opposed to that truth. Those living in lies and deceit will automatically be in direct opposition to the Spirit of Truth, and if you walk in Him, they will be opposed to you and what you stand for. It is the truth that separates and divides.
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ ~ Matthew 10:34-36
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." ~ John 14:16-17
2. Jesus does want us to be in unity together with other TRUE believers as much as possible...BUT that does not mean we are to attempt to be in unity with the world, or even with truly compromised believers. We can pray for them, and show them the love of God to the extent they will let us, but we can not "unify" with them. At times, He even calls us to break fellowship with them, and pray for them from afar.
Below are just a few verses (there are others) about having nothing to with certain people, even some who are in the body of "believers". It is clear, if you are to have nothing to do with some, you cannot be in "unity" with them.
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
~ II Corinthians 6:14
"Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
~ James 4:4
"Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.
~ Titus 3:10-11
"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."
~ 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 8-9
"For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them."
~ Ephesians 5:5-7
👉 There is a false unity that some are speaking of lately, even if they don't realize they are. This is not the unity that Christ discussed, or what was mirrored in the early church. There are some things that we can not compromise on, and because of that it will cause dis-unity, even with other so called believers.
Just to be clear...
I WILL NOT, nor should I be expected to, rally around a cause, unify with a person, or follow a "leader" of any sort, that is evil, compromised, unholy, and standing for everything that is against godliness and righteousness. Also, if there is a leader that is clearly untruthful, deceitful, and standing wholly against what is right and just, I cannot in good faith be aligned with or support that person in any fashion, even if that means disunity.
In order for me to do so, I would need to compromise who I am and what I stand for.
As the old saying goes ~ "You've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything!"
So many are "falling" for anything, because they no longer know how to stand for something!
I believe much of the "political correctness" that has crept into the church has tried to make us do things that Christ never intended us to do. We are to love what He loves, and hate what He hates. We are to stand against that which He stands against, and stand for what He stands for. We are to be that righteous plumbline!
Contrary to popular belief, there are actually many things that the Father and the Son are very much against...and quite a few things that actually grieve His Holy Spirit.
I believe we have gotten to the place we are in the church, in this nation, and in the world, by watering down and compromising for the sake of what is considered "unity", to have some spiritual form of unity, or to be accepted by others, and not rock the boat, as it were. We have been told we must "tolerate" and even accept those things He hates.
In this hour, more than any other time in history, I believe we must be found standing for (and who) He is standing for, and standing against that (and who) He is against.
I am only concerned with being on the side of what He considers right, holy, and just. I cannot have unity at the cost of what I believe. I will not be hateful, rude, malicious, or unkind...but I am convicted and compelled to stand against that which is trying to annihilate our very existence, and cause us to go quietly into the night!
I'm afraid many simply don't realize exactly what time we are in. 🤷♀️🕐
In case you didn't realize it...we are in a war! ⚔ And in wartime, it is not the time to discuss unity...it is time to stand firm and fight for what we believe to be true, right, and just!
Standing,
Amanda Shiflett - Prophetic Reformer