In Ephesians 4:3-6 we see that we as believers in Christ already have the oneness – we just need to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace! Oneness is in our spirit and oneness actually is the mingling of the divine Spirit with our human spirit, the mingling of the processed and consummated Triune God with the tripartite man.
There are seven aspects of this oneness: one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. Mysteriously, the Triune God is being mingled with the Body of Christ and this mingling is the oneness of the believers. The more we enjoy the Lord in our mingled spirit, the more we are one!
The mysterious mingling is the oneness
First of all, we all know that in ourselves and by ourselves, no matter how good our intention is, we cannot be one. We need another element that will make us one! In 1 Cor. 12:13 we see that the Body of Christ came into existence through the baptism of the Spirit and we are one by drinking the Spirit continually!
We have been baptized in the Spirit and we were given to drink ONE Spirit – this makes us one! As we drink of the Spirit in which we were baptized, we not only exist and live in Christ but we also have our inward being mingled with the Spirit. Whatever we drink is being mingled with us and even becomes us. We drink the Spirit – we are mingled with the Spirit, and we are one organically!
Being anointed with and supplied by the Spirit
As we see in Psalm 133, oneness is the precious ointment upon Christ as the Head (spreading and coming down upon the whole Body) and the refreshing dew that descends upon the mountains of Zion. We need to remain in this oneness – remain in the Body, remain in the church life where the oneness is! In the church life on the ground of oneness the Triune God is mingling Himself with His chosen people and this mingling is the oneness.
As we remain in this oneness, the all-inclusive compounded Spirit “paints us” day by day, adding the element of God in us (the anointing), and God is our life-supply for our refreshing enjoyment daily (the refreshing dew). Just keep the oneness!
Just submit to the Head and live in the Body
How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in oneness! The dwelling in unity is corporate with no barrier and no separation – here in the corporate living of the saints we cast aside any division, any jealousy, any gossip, any hatred, and any sinful thing. In this condition we receive the anointing that is poured upon the Head, Christ, and comes down upon the whole Body of Christ.
All we have to do is to hold Christ as the Head and live in the Body. Oneness is here, in the Body, so just hold the Head and live in the Body by meeting with the saints and being built up together in the church life!
For us to receive the anointing and the Lord’s present leading, we need to be in the right place. We need to be under Christ as the Head, giving Him the preeminence in us and holding to Him as the Head, and we need to live in the Body of Christ, being built up in Christ and with one another!
Our fellowship with the other believers is based on Christ Himself – because we have Christ as the life in the Body and the Head of the Body, we can fellowship with the brothers and the sisters in oneness! The ground of our oneness is just God in Christ as the flowing Spirit – if I am in God and you are in God, we can fellowship and we can be one!
Our oneness is God Himself
What can make us one? No matter how good we think we are, when we come together with other people sometimes it’s like two hedgehogs coming together to get out of the cold – we have spikes, we hurt one another, there are offenses, wounds… But as long as we come together and take Christ as the Head, enjoy Him, and focus only on Him, standing on the ground of oneness in God, we are being painted and filled with the Triune God!
We may think someone hurt us or offended us, and we are RIGHT while he is WRONG – but as long as we open and stay here, all the ingredients of the processed and consummated Triune God found in the compound Spirit are being applied to us!
What causes us to be one has NOTHING to do with me and you – our oneness is God Himself being mingled with us. We agree not because of our disposition but because of continually receiving God’s dispensing into us. We do not have a doctrinal or mental oneness but a oneness that is in the divine dispensing!
In the church life on the ground of the oneness the thorns and spikes are being blended away as we enjoy the Spirit together, and we become Zion together! All we have to do is to give Christ the preeminence (hold Him as the Head and submit to Him) and live in the Body (stay in the church life and enjoy Christ with the saints). Hallelujah!
Lord, thank You for the oneness of the Spirit which is ours. We want to be diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. You are our Head, Lord, and we submit ourselves to You. We give You the preeminence in us – have the first place in all things. Lord, keep us in the Body, living in the Body and for the Body. We love the church life where we eat, drink, and breathe Jesus with all the saints!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from, The Genuine Ground of Oneness (Witness Lee), and, The Mystery of Christ (Watchman Nee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on the Crystallization-Study of Psalms (2), week 22.
- Hymns on this topic:
# Oneness is not unity, outward agreement, but a life with – the Triune God included us in His divine oneness!
# Behold how good and how pleasant it is, / For brethren to dwell together in unity!
# The unity of Church is but / The saints in oneness living; / The Spirit which indwelleth them / This oneness ever giving.
# How may we express such oneness, / be divine and shining too? / Hallelujah, eating Jesus is the way! - Picture source: Eph. 4:4-6 online.
About aGodMan
