A.W. Tozer on Oneness in Christ

An old joke goes something like this:

A Lutheran dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter welcomes him at the gates and offers to give him a tour of heaven. The man says sure and off they go.

First he takes the man to the part of heaven where all the Catholics are and they see all of the Catholics doing the things they love to do - playing Bingo with Mary calling out the numbers.

Then just across the way they go to see where all of the Mennonites are. They are working on their family trees, and figuring out how they are related to each other.

Then Peter takes him a long way away from the Catholics and the Mennonites to the Baptist part of heaven. The man asks Peter why the Baptists are so far away and Peter says "shhh they think they are the only ones here".

(sorry Baptists - this joke can be re-worded a number of ways - I had to pick on somebody)

I don't think it will be this way. I appreciate these words from A.W. Tozer:

Oneness in Christ

Allow me one more point. I want to say something about the body of Christian believers and this universal unity that one day will be established in the person of Jesus Christ. If I could ask, "Do you believe in the communion of saints?" what would be your reply? Would the question make you uncomfortable?

I suspect many Protestants would chide me right here, feeling I was getting too close to doctrinal beliefs held by ecumenists or perhaps by Catholics. I am not referring to ecumenicity and dreams of organizational church union. I am gazing ahead in faith to God's great day of victory, harmony and unity, when sin is no longer present in the creation. In that great coming day of consummation, the children of God—the believing family of God—will experience a blessed harmony and communion of the Spirit. I surely agree with the foresight of the English poet, John Brighton, who caught a glimpse of a coming day of fellowship among the people of God. He wrote: In one eternal bond of love, One fellowship of mind, The saints below and saints above Their bliss and glory find.

I believe that is scriptural. I do not think anyone should throw out the great doctrine of the communion of saints just because the ecumenists embrace it.

Prayer

Father, thank You for my brothers and sisters around the world. May we be one just as You are in Christ and Christ in You. In Jesus' name.

Scripture

'My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.'
—John 17:20–21

Thought

Jesus prayed for the unity of believers. Church labels may differ; faith expression vary; biblical interpretation be less than harmonious. But those born of God's Spirit are one in Christ and that oneness we are to recognize.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer/tozer.jsp?id=1061

Amen! May it be so!