As the church begins to enter its Promised Land, it will demonstrate to the world the distinction between the citizens of the kingdom of God and those of this world. Presently, there is very little distinction in anything, including the morals, basic integrity, and therefore not surprisingly, the things which afflict Christians and non-Christians. This will not continue. There will be a pruning of those branches which are not bearing fruit, so that those who are bearing fruit will bear more.
As true apostolic and prophetic authority grows in the church, the benefits of being a citizen of the kingdom will become increasingly apparent, as will the accountability for disobedience. Just as the account of Ananias and Sapphira sent shock waves of the fear of the Lord through the church in Jerusalem, as the anointing of the Holy Spirit increases, the price of disobedience will grow with it, and the pruning of those who compromise by trying to live in both realms will take place.
For those who are going to cross over, there will be an increasing identification with the kingdom of God and a decreasing one with this world. For those who will enter into their identity as citizens of the kingdom, it will become greater than any other identity they have—as a citizen of any other nation or member of any other entity. For the church to accomplish its purpose, it must become the community it is called to be—a holy nation, a set apart people who stand out so brightly from anything else on this earth that they are like a city set on a hill.
There is an increasing movement in Christianity toward much more casual church relationships. There is also another movement toward a greater bonding and deeper commitment to church fellowship. If you want to fulfill your purpose, and want to be numbered with those who will cross over and begin to possess the kingdom, choose the latter.
The reason we examined the need to apply the cross again and get healed of our bitterness in last week's study was because many have been wounded and disappointed by previous church relationships. Therefore, they are much more prone to gravitate toward casual relationships. This may give us temporary relief, but in the long run it will prove disastrous. The move toward casual church will lead to an increasingly casual faith. It will rob many of their purpose on this earth and many of their faith altogether. It is the easier way at first, but it is the broad path that will lead to destruction. The narrow way, which will be more difficult for a time, will be much easier in the end.
Presently, more Christians have drifted from a committed church relationship than are in one. Many of these are just waiting for the church to get its act together before returning, but when the church does, it will have been through a process in which those who are on the outside waiting to get in will no longer fit. Those will be like the foolish virgins in the parable, who tried to find oil at the last minute, and got to the door and found it locked (see Matthew 25:1-13).
Church life is not meant to be easy. All relationships are hard. When there were just two brothers on the whole earth, they could not get along, and one of them basically said, "This world isn't big enough for the both of us!" All relationships will be under increasing pressure as time unfolds, including marriages, business partnerships, even racial and national identities. Ultimately, only the true church and the true Christians who have learned and walked the way of the cross will hold together.
As fear and selfishness rises and increasingly divides, those who have chosen the way of the cross will grow in love and self-sacrifice, and will be bonded together in a fellowship which all of the pressures of this world cannot break. This unity will stand out as the greatest witness, even above all miracles, in the last days. This is explained in the Lord's prayer to His Father during His last night as a man on this earth, as recorded in John 17:22-23:
I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me (NKJV).
If there was ever a prayer prayed that we can expect to be answered, I think it would be the Lord's own prayer to His Father. Also, if you knew you only had but a few hours left in this life, your prayers would certainly become focused on the most important things to you. We can assume that this was likewise true of Jesus, when He knew He only had a few hours left as a man on this earth. Therefore, this prayer recorded in John 17 is probably the most concise articulation of the most important things on the Lord's heart. Should they not likewise be the most important issues of our hearts as well?
Probably the main theme of the Lord's prayer recorded here is the unity of His people. He did not just ask for unity of doctrine, or even unity of purpose, but He asked that we would be one just as He and the Father were one! As incomprehensible as this may be, I think we can certainly expect the prayer of the Son of God to be answered. In my thirty-five plus year search of church history, I have not found a time when this could have even been remotely accomplished, especially considering the proof had been accomplished would be that the whole world would know that Jesus had been sent by the Father.
So, it is obvious that His people coming into this same great unity, which He has with the Father, is yet in the future—but it will be accomplished. Of course, we know this must happen before the end of this age because at the end of it, the world will already know that He was sent by the Father because He will have returned in great power and glory. Before this happens, we can expect His people to have been "made perfect in unity." This will be a miracle so great that the whole world will have to acknowledge it, and Him.
One of the greatest of all signs that we truly are coming to the end of this age, will be an increasing unity of the church. This is not a political unity, or a doctrinal one, but a true unity much greater than just politics or doctrine, though we can expect it to include these.
The mention of politics here is in relation to human alliances of any kind, not just those in relation to civil governments. The true unity of the Spirit that we can expect will trump any kind of human alliances, spiritual or otherwise. The ultimate unity we can expect is not going to be just because leaders of denominations got together and worked things out so that they could unite these different organizations. One of the things we can expect by the end of this age is that mere human alliances will not have endured the pressure of the times—only those built on the kingdom, which cannot be shaken will endure.
Because it is basically and profoundly important to the Lord for His people to come into unity, this should be a basic devotion of all of His followers. For this reason, I rejoice at any efforts of the different denominations or movements to at least attempt to build bridges of trust and interchange. These will almost always bear some good fruit and are therefore a worthy cause. However, the ultimate unity, which His people will come into at the end, will be because they have all been truly joined to the Head, Jesus. He alone is the only Source of ultimate and true unity. One of the greatest texts in the entire Bible which sums this up is Colossians 1:9-20:
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Our highest purpose as human beings is found in loving God, and by this being joined to Him. Except we abide in Him, we can accomplish nothing of true eternal value. To abide in Him is to be "strengthened with all power..." Nothing is impossible for God or for those who abide in Him. The greatest unity of all is to be in unity with Him. However, just as the Apostle John explained that it is not possible to truly love God without also loving one another, it is not possible to be in true unity with Him without also being in unity His body also.
Those who are growing in the true love of God will also be growing in their love for one another. Those who are growing in a true unity with God will also be growing in unity with one another. This cannot be accomplished through a casual Christianity, or a casual church relationship. Before the end, the world will witness true Christianity, and it will be demonstrated by true church life, the most remarkable culture the world has ever seen. Those who are in true pursuit of God, will not have to settle for anything less than Him and the full benefits of citizenship in His kingdom, which His church will be a revelation of at the end.