The genuine oneness is an all-inclusive, comprehensive oneness that includes all the positive things; what a privilege it is to know, experience, and enjoy the genuine oneness in the Lord’s recovery today! Amen!
It is the Lord’s mercy and grace that He brought us here, on the genuine ground of oneness, to enjoy the Lord with the saints in oneness, keeping the oneness of Spirit in the Body.
Many of our brothers and sisters, however, are still in the system of Christianity today.
We were there, and by the Lord’s mercy He opened our eyes and we saw something of the genuine ground of oneness, we returned, and now we build up the church as the organic Body of Christ.
Many of our brothers and sisters, however, are in the system in Christianity; they are genuine believers in Christ, but they are in a certain system that holds them there.
We do not judge or condemn anyone; we simply want to come back to the Word of God and abide in the Word, respect and keep the divine revelation, and allow the Lord to make us His genuine testimony on earth today.
May we all as believers in Christ take the clear revelation in the Scripture for our benefit, for our protection, and especially for the protection of the Lord’s testimony.
May we allow the Lord to shine on the high places that we may still have in our life and in our church life.
May we be one with the Lord to destroy anything that would rise up or is exalted above the Lord, so that only the Lord would be the One exalted and elevated.
When we come back to the word of God and remain in the ministry that properly interprets the word to bring us into the proper church life, we will have food to feed everyone.
The food in God’s word becomes our riches and cargo, and we can feed others with the divine riches in the word of God that became our constitution.
When we meet others, we do not look at what distinguishes them from us, that is, what kind of practice is different in their case from ours, what doctrine is different, or what they uphold and we don’t.
We simply want to receive all believers in Christ even as Christ did.
Rom. 14 says that if someone eats, he eats to the Lord, and he who does not eat, he does it to the Lord. He who observes a certain day, does it to the Lord, and he does not observe a certain day, he does it to the Lord.
The Lord receives all believers, and we receive them all.
On one hand, we have been shown mercy by the Lord to come back to the genuine ground of oneness, and here we have the Lord’s blessing, His speaking, and all the positive things.
On the other hand, we are not “exclusive”; we are open to fellowship and enjoy the Lord with all the believers that the Lord brings our way, for we are just brothers and sisters in the Lord.
However, we will not join them in their practices or “church”; we do want to enjoy the Lord and be built together, but we will not go back to the system in Christianity.
May the Lord have mercy on so many of His people to bring them back to His divine revelation in the word that they may return to the proper and genuine ground of oneness to build up the church as the Body of Christ!
The Genuine Oneness is an All-inclusive, Comprehensive Oneness that includes All Positive Things!
When the genuine oneness is recovered among us, all the spiritual riches and all the positive things are recovered.
Psa. 133 speaks of this matter of the genuine oneness and the Lord’s blessing being abundant.
How good and how pleasant it is for the saints to dwell together in oneness!
It is like the dew of Hermon that came down upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commands the blessing – life forever (Psa. 133:1, 3).
When the people of Israel returned to the good land from their captivity, they were under God’s blessing in full.
When the genuine oneness is recovered, the oneness that has been lost by Christianity, we will have all the positive things.
The genuine oneness is all-inclusive and comprehensive; this oneness, which is the oneness according to the nature of God, includes all the positive things. Division, on the other hand, includes all the negative things.
When we come back to the oneness, we have all the godly, heavenly, and spiritual things that the Bible speaks of.
But when we admit even a thought concerning anything divisive, we lose the oneness and many negative things come in.
When we dwell in the house of Jehovah in oneness with all the saints, surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow us all the days of our life (Psa. 23:6).
Here, in the genuine oneness, we are saturated with the fatness of His house, and we are made to drink of the river of His pleasures (Psa. 36:8), for with Him is the fountain of life, and in His light, we see light (v. 9).
May we be those who ask the Lord to send forth His light and His truth, and they will lead us and bring us to His holy mountain and to His tabernacles (Psa. 43:3).
Then we will go to the altar of God, to God our exceeding joy, and we will praise Him (v. 4).
May we remain in the genuine oneness, dwelling in the Lord’s lovely tabernacles and crying out to the living God, finding our home here and even making our nest here, that we may lay our young at the two altars in God’s house (Psa. 84:1-3).
If we dwell in the house of God, in the genuine oneness with the saints, we are blessed; we will praise God, our strength will be in Him, and in our heart are the highways to Zion (vv. 4-5).
All the godly things and all the spiritual riches are ours when we remain on the genuine ground of oneness (Deut. 8:7-9; 12:12, 26-28).
Here the Lord pours out His blessing, for this oneness is comprehensive and all-inclusive.
The genuine oneness is not a partial oneness; it is a great, complete, comprehensive oneness, a oneness in entirety (Psa. 133:1).
This oneness, as revealed in Eph. 4:3-6, includes God the Father, Christ the Lord, and the Spirit as the Giver of life.
The all-inclusive oneness gives us access to all positive virtues and attributes.
The reason for enjoying all of the blessings of God, His attributes and virtues when we remain in the genuine oneness, is that God Himself is one.
Oneness is His nature; in all that He does, He is one.
In His creation, we see one God and one corporate man.
When He selected, we see one God and one man, which became one people to express and represent God.
In the church, we have one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one salvation, and one new man.
Eventually, we see the one New Jerusalem where we have the unique Triune God in the one city, and there is one throne, one street, one river, and one tree.
This oneness is not partial – it is great, complete, and comprehensive; it is a oneness in entirety.
If we see the vision of such oneness, all the germs of division will be killed and we will be delivered from every kind of division.
Lord, we praise You for the genuine oneness, the all-inclusive, comprehensive oneness. We want to keep this oneness and practice this oneness as we live, meet, serve, and have our being on the genuine ground of oneness in the church life today. Hallelujah, oneness is the nature of God! We are saved to be one with God and one with one another for God to have one corporate expression! Praise the Lord, the church is the one new man and we are becoming the one New Jerusalem with one throne, one street, one river, and one tree! Unveil us, dear Lord, to see the genuine oneness and enter into this all-inclusive oneness in our practice of the church life today!
What a Privilege it is to Know, Experience, and Enjoy the Genuine Oneness in the Lord’s Recovery Today!
We are full of thanks and praise to the Lord for the vision He has shown us. He showed us the vision concerning the destruction of the high places and concerning the recovery and preservation of the genuine, all-inclusive oneness (Psa. 133:1, 3b; John 17:21-23; Eph. 4:3-6).
It is our privilege today to know the genuine oneness, experience it, and enjoy it in the Lord’s recovery as we practice the church life.
After coming into the church life, we may have desired to be more godly, more holy, and more spiritual; all these became a reality to us as we remained on the genuine ground of oneness.
Because we’re on the proper ground, the Word of God is open to us in a transparent way.
The Lord’s blessing is on those who remain on the ground of oneness.
Those who remain in the genuine oneness have the Lord’s testimony today.
It is similar to what happened in the Old Testament with those who returned from captivity in Babylon to the city of Jerusalem.
Their condition, in the beginning, was not that positive, for the temple was destroyed, the walls were torn down and burned, and there were no houses or places to live.
But they cooperated with the Lord to build the house of God, build the wall of the city, and build their own houses, and the Lord’s blessing was with them.
When the people of God in the Old Testament returned, all the things pertaining to God’s testimony returned with them: the altar, the offerings, the temple, the feasts, and the rich enjoyment.
There may have been some rich Jews in Babylon, but they could not partake of the temple and the feasts unless they returned to Jerusalem.
Similarly today, no matter how many “rich” and “mature” brothers and sisters are out there in the denominations unless they returned to the genuine ground of oneness, they cannot properly enjoy the feasts of God, they cannot build up the church, and they cannot be built as the temple of God.
Yes, those who were in Jerusalem did not have that much and they were quite weak and inadequate in many respects, but the Lord’s testimony was with them, not with those in Babylon.
Similarly today, as long as we remain on the genuine ground of oneness, we have the privilege of having all of God’s blessings, and holiness, victory, and spirituality are ours simply by being in the genuine oneness.
Because we are right with the Lord, we meet according to His ordination, and we remain on the genuine ground of oneness, we don’t even need to try to be holy, victorious, or spiritual – we simply are these things, for all that God is, is now ours.
When we are in the genuine oneness, we enjoy every positive virtue and attribute.
Furthermore, our spiritual condition – which today may not be that great – will gradually improve.
As we live in the genuine oneness, exalting only Christ and giving only Him the first place in our life, we enjoy His blessing.
May we exalt only Christ, love Him and give Him the first place in our life, our heart, our service, our family, and in everything that we do.
And may we allow Him to deal with any replacements or elevated thing that rises up in us and among us.
How good it is to dwell here with all the saints on the genuine ground of oneness, living in unity, and enjoying the Lord’s blessing!
Lord, we praise and thank You for the vision concerning the destruction of the high places and concerning the recovery and preservation of the oneness. Thank You for bringing us back to the genuine ground of oneness today. We want to preserve this genuine, all-inclusive oneness. Oh, what a privilege it is to know, experience, and enjoy the genuine oneness in the Lord’s recovery today! How wonderful it is to dwell with the saints in oneness and be the Lord’s testimony on earth today. Amen, Lord, we want to remain here, in the church life, where we dwell in oneness with the saints and we enjoy all the riches of God, all the positive virtues and attributes of God, and the testimony of God! Save us from accepting any divisive thought. Save us from allowing anything to be exalted above Christ. Save us from anything of apostasy or the high places. Lord, we give You the first place in all things. You are our Head, our Lord, and our Master and King. Jesus Christ is Lord!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ricky Acosta in the message, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1979, vol. 2, “The Genuine Ground of Oneness,” pp. 243, 260-262, 330-331, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Kings (2022 summer training), week 11, entitled, Apostasy, the High Places, and the Recovery of the Genuine Ground of Oneness.
- Hymns on this topic:
– Behold how good and how pleasant it is, / For brethren to dwell together in unity! / It is like the precious ointment upon the head, / That ran down upon the beard, / Even Aaron’s beard: / That went down to the skirts of his garments. (Hymns #1339 stanza 2)
– Lord, help us ever strive to keep / This unity by taking / The Church’s ground of unity, / The Body-life partaking, / That all Thy heart’s profound desire / May fully be effected, / And God’s eternal purpose may / Completely be perfected. (Hymns #831 stanza 5)
– Do you see them in the cities, / Meeting on the local ground? / They’re the local, golden lampstands, / Where the Lord His home has found. / ’Tis the local church, the church God has chosen, / Where all the saints dwell as one! / ’Tis the local church, the church God has chosen, / Where all the saints dwell as one! (Hymns #1257 stanza 1 and chorus)
The reason for this oneness is that God Himself is one. Oneness is His nature. In all God’s acts we see one origin, one element, and one essence. In God’s creation we see one God and one corporate man. In His selection we also have the one God and one man. Moreover, in the church we have the one Spirit and one new man. Eventually, in the New Jerusalem we have the unique Triune God in the one city characterized by the one throne, the one street, the one river, and the one tree. Therefore, the oneness about which we are speaking is not a partial oneness; it is a great, complete, comprehensive oneness, a oneness in entirety. May we all be impressed with the vision of such a oneness If we see the vision of the oneness of entirety, all the germs of division will be killed, and we will be delivered from every kind of division. Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1979, vol. 2, “The Genuine Ground of Oneness,” p. 243
I’m so happy that the Lord brought us back to the genuine ground of oneness where we enjoy His blessing and life forever as we dwell in unity.
We may not be that strong or spiritual, but we are on the proper ground for Him to pour out His blessing and for us to build up the church.
Dear brother, when we come back to the ground of oneness – the oneness of the Triune God – being right with Christ and the church – we have all the divine attributes and spiritual blessings.
In Babylon (Christianity) there is no oneness, only divison but today in the Lord’s recovery we can enjoy what is good and pleasant by being on the ground of oneness.
We all need to see the vision of the complete & comprehensive oneness of Christ and the church. All the godly things and all the spiritual riches are on the ground of oneness.
We don’t have to try to be holy, victorious & spiritual.
These attributes & virtues are spontaneous when we are on the ground of oneness, for there is the commanded blessing of the Lord.
When we are right with Christ and the church, we gain all the positive virtues & attributes.
May the Lord preserve us and protect us from all negative thoughts so that we would not be robbed of the blessing of oneness.
Wow brother its amazing that God commands the blessing as we take His way, follow Him according to His heart and desire.
Ephesians is written from tbe standpoint of God’s heart and desire and begins with being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ for the building up of the church!
The unity spoken of here is a picture of the genuine oneness in the New Testament. This oneness is the processed and consummated Triune God mingled with the believers in Christ (John 17:21-23). Since the Body of Christ is such a mingling (Eph. 4:4-6), the Body itself is the oneness. According to the picture in this psalm, the genuine oneness is constituted of the spreading ointment and the descending dew for the gradual building up of the Body of Christ in the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity. Psa. 133:1, footnote 1, Recovery Version Bible
Ameeeeen brother!
Ps 133:1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is / For brothers to dwell in unity!
Ps 133:2It is like the fine oil upon the head / That ran down upon the beard, / Upon Aaron’s beard, / That ran down upon the hem of his garments;
Ps 133:3Like the dew of Hermon / That came down upon the mountains of Zion. / For there Jehovah *commanded the blessing: life forever.*
Hallelujah!😀
Amen, When we dwell in the house of Jehovah in oneness with all the saints, surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow us all the days of our life (Psa. 23:6).
Here, in the genuine oneness, we are saturated with the fatness of His house, and we are made to drink of the river of His pleasures (Psa. 36:8), for with Him is the fountain of life, and in His light, we see light (v. 9).
Psa. 133:1-3 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell in unity!
RR:
“How we thank the Lord for recovering the genuine oneness, …This oneness is all-inclusive; it includes all positive things… The unique ground of oneness is here, and all the spiritual riches are included with this ground. All the godly things and all the spiritual riches are ours on the ground of oneness. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “The Genuine Ground of Oneness,” p. 330)
“… Because we are on the proper ground, the ground of oneness, the Word of God is transparently open to us. This is wholly due to the Lord’s blessing on the ground of oneness. Where the recovery of the ground of oneness is, there the testimony of the Lord is also”.
“… If we would be holy, spiritual, and victorious, we must be right with Christ and the church…We must remain in the proper oneness. It is the oneness that gives us access to all positive virtues and attributes”.
“When we are in the oneness, we are in life,… However, simply by accepting a divisive thought, the way is opened for evil to enter in once again”.
“… Therefore, the oneness about which we are speaking is not a partial oneness; it is a great, complete, comprehensive oneness, a oneness in entirety. May we all be impressed with the vision of such a oneness. If we see the vision of the oneness of entirety, all the germs of division will be killed, and we will be delivered from every kind of division. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “The Genuine Ground of Oneness,” pp. 330-331, 260, 262, 243)
Oh lord Jesus! We want to be diligent seeking for the oneness of Your Body, of Your Church; we must destroy all that rise up above You.
We are not in the recovery to shine our own self BUT to exalt Christ above everything and everyone, because we love Him.
We recognize we still very short and we have a very long way to go before all godly, heavenly and spiritual things return to our hearts completely. But, every time we come in unity, we reach the oneness of the Spirit and things are easy and we fit well and quietly in the oneness of the Body of Christ, Aleluya for that!
We love you Lord!