F.E. Marsh :: 289. Oneness of Believers

Believers are members of Christ’s body, hence members one of another. As illustrating this, we will take the word “together” as showing our oneness with Christ and one another.

1. Oneness in death. “Planted together in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5).
2. Oneness in resurrection. “Quickened…and raised up together” (Eph. 2:5-6).
3. Oneness in position. “Made us sit together in heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6).
4. Oneness in suffering and glory. “If we suffer with Him . . . . glorified together” (Rom. 8:17).
5. Oneness by possession. “Builded together.….habitation of God” (Eph. 2:22). Not only purchased and pardoned, but possessed by the Holy Spirit, who will fill us, as God of old filled the tabernacle and Temple with His presence.
6. Oneness in fitness. “Fitly framed together” (Eph. 2:21). As the coverings of the tabernacle were coupled together, as the stones in Solomon’s Temple (each one was put in its own place), so each believer is first made fit, then fitly framed, then fitly framed together-thus fit to live and serve in the place he occupies.
7. Oneness in place at the coming of Christ. “Live together” (1 Thess. 5:10); “heirs together” (1 Peter 3:7); caught up together to meet Christ in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). Different positions in glory, but all with Him.
8. Oneness in fellowship. We read of the disciples who were on the way to Emmaus, that they “talked together;” and “how can two walk together except they are agreed?” These two were talking of the Lord, and He of whom they were conversing drew near and spoke to them; the secret of true fellowship one with another is communion with the Lord Himself.
9. Oneness in sympathy. “Comfort yourselves together” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
10. Oneness in prayer. “Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer” (Acts 3:1). The secret of Judah’s victory over Ammon and Moab was, “that they gathered themselves together” to ask help of the Lord (2 Chron. 20:4).
11. Oneness in work. Sower and reaper working and receiving the joy of service now, and at the great harvest together (John 4:36).
12. Oneness in worship. “They sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord” (Ezra 3:11).
13. Oneness in thought. “Perfectly joined together in the same mind” (1 Cor. 1:10).
14. Oneness in conflict. “Children of Israel went out…gathered together as one man” (Judges 20:1).
15. Oneness in love. “Knit together in love” (Col. 2:2).
16. Oneness in labour. “Striving together for the faith of the Gospel” (Phil. 1:27). In all the above Scriptures we see the union there is from God’s standpoint amongst all those who are His; and if we would have manifest unity among the Church of God, there must be-and it will only come in this way-the recognition of our oneness in Christ, hence our oneness one with the other.

Christians, remember there are many children in the family. They may call themselves by different names, but there is only one family-one Father; many members in the body, but only one body-one Head; many stones in the building, but only one house-one Foundation; many branches in the Vine, but only one Vine; many sheep in the flock, but only one flock-one Shepherd; many priests, but only one order-one High Priest; many crumbs, but only one Loaf; many citizens, but only one city.