Allen: recognizing unity

Sunday, February 5, 2017
    Commemoration of Martyrs of Japan, 1597
Meditation:
    Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
    —1 Corinthians 12:3 (NIV)
Quotation:
    It is not true that the assertion of spiritual principle is vain because we can not see at the moment how to express that principle in action. It would assuredly make a difference if Christians, in their approach one to another, realized that, in spite of appearances, they were in fact one. If, in their seeking after external reunion, they realized that they were seeking not to create a unity which does not yet exist, but to find an expression for a unity which does exist, which is indeed the one elemental reality, they would approach one another in a better frame of mind. The common recognition of the principle would in itself be a unifying force of great value, and would dispose those who shared it to approach questions of difference in a spirit of unity which would immensely assist their deliberations.
    ... Roland Allen (1869-1947), Pentecost and the World, London: Oxford University Press, 1917, included in The Ministry of the Spirit, David M. Paton, ed., London: World Dominion Press, 1960, p. 58 fn. (see the book)
    See also 1 Cor. 12:3-6; Matt. 16:16-17; John 13:13; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; 1 John 4:2-3
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, send the knowledge of Your Spirit into every part of the Body. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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