The Ohio Independent Baptist, February 1965

UNITY AMONG By Earl D. Umbaugh There are three kind of pos ible 1nity among profe ing Chri tians. )ne of the e i organizational unity. ,Vherever you go people who do 1ot really know much about the Bible peak of the unnecessar y divisions n Christendom. They feel that the ;hurches ought to unite and pre ent l common front to the world. The Bible never advocate thi kind of Jnity. In Amos 3 : 3 the quest ion is 1sked. '~How can two walk together, !Xcept they be agreed?" There i no Jossibility of true unity among tho c Nho believe that J esu Christ wa God nanifest in the flesh and those who :,elieve that He was only a man · be- ween tho e who believe that H e died 1 the sinner's Substitute and tho e who believe that H e died as a martyr ~o a good cause; between those who ~eli eve that the Bible is the Word of God and those who believe that it is simply the collection of man s highest thoughts. Such organizational unity is forbidden for we are told in Roman's 16: 17 to mark them which cause divi ion by bringing in false doctr1ne and to avoid them. Spiritual Unity The second kind of unity is 5piritu– al unity. Jesus prayed for thi in John 17: 20, 21 in Hi \ hi gh-prie tly prayer when H e asked that all be– Jiever might be one even as H e and the Father are one. Thi s kind of unity is an accon1plished fact . All believers have a comn1on 11te, the life of 1od within the soul. All arc 111e111 l1ers of the f an1 il }' of C1 od. All are indwelt by tl1 e Holy ~pirit. All "'' ill l1e rai ed ar1d rapturtd wl1e11 J u co111e . 1 here is a wo11derfttl spiritual unity a1nong all wl10 have been redeen1ed. l1e tl1ird ki11d of L1nil)' n1igl1t l)l,; call d a JJractical LJnit}' · Thi J a f eJir11g f u11iL}' a11d har,11011)' a1nor1g a given group of belie,,ers a11(l i de- er I b d j 11 Jl l 1 e i a 11 4 : 3 a k c,e [) i 11 g ··111e unit)' of 1t1e ~ J)irit in tl1e 11011 I f peace." In tl1 JJroc e,ti11g , r , ~ e di co, 1 er tl1at it t",l e tl1ree tl1i11g to J)roduc tl1at u111it). ne i , \\'Orlll)' '" aik or a lif tl1at ._ i11 l1on r tl1 THE OHIO INDEPENDEN I BAPTIST Rev. Earl D. Umbaugh name that we bear as Chri tians. Another i a humble spirit that cau e u to walk in lowline and meekne . The third i a forbearing spirit or learning to put up with one- another as another tran lation put it. We h ave p er onality tr aits th at make u different. Some are loud and bold while others are quiet and elf-effac- ing but we mu t not allow the e things to di rupt Ol1r fe'llow hip. There are ome very good rea on for striving to maintain thi kind of unity set forth in P alm 133 : 1-3. One i th at it i a lot n1ore fun bei ng in a happy family. It i de cr ibed a be– ing "good and plea ant", a being ''like preciou oin tn1ent ' and a bei ng "'like the dew fron1 Mt. Herman". Another rca on for maintain ing ltch unity is that it make Ll n1orc ef– f cctivc in our ser vice for hri t. H e ~a1c1 1n John 13:35, ' 'By thi shall al l 111e11 know that ye are 111y di ci1Jlc , if ye l1avc love one to a11othcr.' ' Or– g an I za ti ona l LI n i t 1 i 5 1 or L11 t i d cn. p 1 r- itL1al t1r1ity 1~ a11 accor11 r) l1 11etl tact. t>ractical t1n1t} ottght to l.,c '-IOL1gl1 t ,ti tcr by evc1 y ( ' hir1sti ar1. Sue Eckert resigns 1 iss u • 1: ckcrt, circt1latil1t1 111an- ag r >f tl1e l ll for n ·a1 I~ 011 year, l1a rt:: ig11 <I Lit1e t<) J)I1l:s~111g college ,vc,rk. W c t:rl a i11 I)' l1a \ ' C c 11 j )' t=~f \V r k i 11 g \\' it }1 '1 is l~ k er t 11 t 11 111agdzi11 a11LI a1111r iatcLI h~r i11- ter st i11 tl1 ~ \\'Ork. HOW LONG? By Ben and Nina Kendrick The headline in recent week , dear friend have brought nothing but grief, orro,w, concern and hear·t– ache . The cry ' White Man, Go Home,' ha been ringing in our ears for many years now but in the pre ent crisis, ,the well known cry has been replaced by action which ha brought death to many including several mi - ionarie . The increa ed Rebel attack 1 have turned the Congo into being a pot of hatred and murder. In view oif all this unrest , we find our elve wondering concerning the work which God has called us to do? How long wi ll ·the door remain open? We look at ,the fie ld in general and the work yet to be don e overwhelm us. The African church is compara– tively in it infancy and need the advice coun el and he~p of the mi - ionary for ome ,time to come. The printing mini try, medical work, Bible Si: hool and Seminary endeavor ar e work which mu ,t be carried on by the mi s ionary at thi pre ent time. Ye , the need i great and we all need to pray more and e pecia11y for tho e working in dangerou places. A for u we look forward ito returning to the field for our four th term. This ,time, there will be beavv hear,t a we leave our Pam here in the Sta,te to complete her ,chooling. It may be four year before we ee her again o we a k your prayer for her. She believe ,that God has called her to be a mi ionary nur e. Plea e reme,mber 1 to pray for her. Then too, there are many need facing u as we prepare to r eturn to the field and we covet prayer for the e. Thi ,pa t year ha been a year filled wi-th H i blc ing . We thank Hin1 for bringing u afel)' back to th U. .A. Our heart are filled \: ith prai e a we think of y u llf 111an) friend , ~ ho have been o f ai thft1l to ll in ·o n1any --w nderft1l \-\'a), . We thank H1n1 n1 t f al l for 011r avi tir anu f r th pr1vil ge that we l1a\ c in serving H 1111 onl here at l10111c bt1 t ) ondcr in a f reign land ~1a}' each of ll~ dctlicatc ttr elvl'. · anc\.\ to H 1111 1 n 't1111 plctt: st1rre11tlcr. l1L~ 'irct1lat1011 Lle1)art111c11t \\r.ill l1c l1a11c.lletl in thl! l ·dtt i's ott1 c ir1 t ctla1 \ tile \\ 1th ,\ C etl,tr\ 1llt.: ( ' t)llcg stt1dl~r1t !1el1>1ng ,, 1tl1 t\ 11111g. lrOt11- 111un1 'alJl)tl. anLI )tl1cr nl'ce ')ar ' tle– tai]s. .t\ Lf c.lres l a11agcr, ll o. 1... , all lcttc1 \ to ' ir Lila ti 11 C l11t) 111 t 'l)et1Llc11t Bai ti l , Clfcll \ 1 if lt.:, htt) . FEBRUARY, 1965 PAGE 5