Christian Unity

Brother C. H. Dickerson

Lift Up the Standard

The world today is looking for something that they do not have. People of the world are dissatisfied. Many have turned to drugs and alcohol because they are in a miserable state. The answer is for the saints of God to make the way of salvation look attractive to them. There is only one answer to the world's problems, and that is Christ. However, the world is not going to see Christ as they should until they see the people of God come together in unity.

To get the world to believe, Jesus let us know that unity is the most important factor. Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 was, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Living so that we can be together, agree together, and walk together as God's people is important. We will walk together if we keep God's eternal Truth. Then we will see lost souls find what they so desperately need.

Unity is one of the most powerful things there is; without it there is no power. This is the reason the enemy is working so hard to destroy unity. God knows that the lack of unity will make His people powerless. Because of this powerless, religious generation, we are seeing people who submit to anything and lower the standard, and we are seeing loose, moral living. Never has there been a time when people have lived such a low standard. Many have let down on the dress standard. Too many people have lowered their standard of ethics (the way they work and the way they do things). Why? Simply because without unity, the power to live right is diminished. Church, we need to get down to business with God and fight the battle. Unity ought to be in the congregations so that we can lift up the standard.

In the Word of God we read, "Go through the gate, lift up the standard." It does not say some standard, but the standard. What standard? The standard that God gave to govern the church. When we lift up that standard and people of God have true unity, the Church of God will go forth conquering. Regarding the horses shown in the Revelation, the first horse was a white horse and the One who rode it had a bow in His hand. In other words, He had God's standard, and as a result people were saved by the hundreds and by the thousands. God has not changed His mind today. If we, as God's people, will get back to the same place, we will see more people praising God, we will see the standard lifted up, and the people of God will look and act as they should. False religion and the world are getting worse and worse. It is up to God's people to change this.

The great need of the day and the key for God to do a work is Christian unity. However, a spirit is working that causes people to be self-centered. When this spirit is working, people do not care who they hurt or how many people lose their souls, as long as they can have their own way. This is the picture that we are seeing today.

Paul addressed the Ephesian letter to the saints of God. There was trouble back then or Paul would not have written that letter as he did. He was endeavoring to bring them back into unity so they could have greater power with God. That is what the message is all about yet today. God wants His people to have power so that souls can be saved and healed and so that God can move in a special way. Thank God, He is doing that in the true Church of God, and I appreciate it.

My friend, if you will keep holding on, God will bless more, and then more souls will be saved and more bodies will be healed. More people will be delivered from habits of life, drugs, and every wicked place. However, it all depends upon the people of God getting together and turning away from what we think and doing what God says. As God's people, we need to act as God wants us to act. When God says to move, we need to move. When God does not put His approval on something, we need to sit down and wait for Him; then greater things will be accomplished. Today many people feel that the only ones who are right with God are those who see things exactly as they see them. In other words, people feel that only when others fit into their mold are they right. In too many cases, trying the spirits has become a thing of the past, yet the Bible says that we should try the spirits, to see what the Spirit says and to see how the Spirit works.

The Unity of the Godhead

In Ephesians 1:1 we read, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." As you consider this verse, look at what the unity of the Godhead is and how it works. Just as the Godhead has unity, God's people should likewise have unity. The Godhead is a trinity, or a threefold Being, yet They are one. The Trinity of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) had one thing in mind, and that was to produce a people who were above this world, who had power with God, who could get down on their knees and ring the prayer bells of Heaven, who could make contact with God and move Him on His throne.

God still has a people today, though they are few, who can move Him on His throne. I am glad that God still heals bodies, saves souls, and works out problems. He still delivers people from the bondage of sin and sets them free. We need to thank God for these things! He has never lost His power. People do not have to go to a rehabilitation center to be delivered from drugs and alcohol. All they have to do is get down on their knees and give their lives to God. He can change their lives completely and make them new creatures.

The Godhead had one thing in mind, and that was the salvation of mankind. John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God was so concerned about us that, before the very foundation of the world, He made a way that whosoever believes (or whosoever will adhere to, stay fast, be strict in, trust in, and rely upon Him) should not perish. What is the condition? One must adhere to what God said. You cannot deviate from what He said and take man's word.

Church, we have a Head far greater than any man's head. If you will get down to business and seek God's face, He will give you the direction you need. You might have been taught certain Scriptures throughout your life, but when you truly get hold of God, you will find out what the true meaning is. You may find out that you have been wrong and that you need to back up. You might have to change your thinking and even your preaching, if you are a preacher. You will see greater results when you measure up to the Truth of God's Word. God said if you will adhere to His Word, rely on it, and trust in it, you will not perish. However, if you do not, you are going to perish.

You may say, "I am sincere." How sincere you are does not mean anything. Baal worshipers were sincere, but that was not good enough. You must be sincere in the Truth and stand for it; then God will save your soul, and you will not perish.

"The Washing of Water by the Word"

The second person of the Godhead is Christ, and His mission was to help. We read in Ephesians 5:24-26: "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." In verse 26 we can see that God wants to sanctify and cleanse His church by the washing of the water by the Word. Friend, this is the reason you need to go to the house of God, and when you get to the house of God, you need to lay aside every care and allow God to wash you by His Word. If, under every Gospel message preached by a man anointed by the Holy Spirit, you will lay aside the cares of life, all your thoughts, and get centered on the things of God, you will become more spiritual. One reason that people run around and say, "The pastor is not feeding me," is that they do not have their minds on the service. Some run down the preacher and then say, "He's not feeding my soul anymore." The reason is that they do not have their hearts into it. Their minds are on other things. God wants you to lay aside other thoughts so that you can hear what the preacher says. Once you get the message on the inside and adhere to it, it will help you.

One of the most sickening things is when most of the people in a congregation are completely satisfied and say, "Our pastor is doing a good job!" but then some disgruntles sit around and pout and say, "We are not getting our souls fed." The reason they are not getting their souls fed is either because they have closed their ears to the Truth or they have walked back of light for so long that they no longer hear from God. It is one or the other, because God is still feeding the saints of God. People getting fed is what keeps the church moving forward.

I do not feel sorry for people who say, "You are not feeding my soul." Whenever someone says that to me, I have one message for them: "If you are dissatisfied, leave." You may say, "That is bold." Well, when people become dissatisfied, they are disgruntled, and they will sow discord among the saints of God. The best thing for them to do is to stay away. I would rather have fifty good people who love God and love the Truth than to have five hundred people who are always fussing, finding fault with the preacher, and causing a reproach against the Word of God. I have no patience for that.

Again, there is a need to go to the house of God and set aside every care and every thought so that you can be washed by God's Word. In other words, after you are out in this old, sinful world all week long, you need to be bathed by God's eternal Word. From the physical standpoint, you can take a shower and feel refreshed, but after you work and get dust on you and perspire, you will need to shower again. You take a shower because you need to keep your body clean. So it is in the spiritual. When you are out in the world all week long and hear cursing and see evil things going on, you need to get to the house of God. When the message goes forth, you need to say, "Preach it, brother, because I need it! I need cleaned up. I need a spiritual bath to get the smell of the world off me."

You should not sit back and criticize a man of God because he is preaching the Truth, friend. If you find fault with the preacher, that shows how ignorant you are. If you are going to grow spiritually, God wants you to admit that you need cleansed. When the washing process goes on, too many look across the aisle and say, "Boy, that really hit So-and-So." They fail to realize that it hit them too. When you acknowledge your need, there is help for you. David said, "I have sinned," the prodigal son said, "I have sinned," and one thief on the cross said, "We deserve what we are getting." He acknowledged his transgressions and received forgiveness. However, the one who blames others is never forgiven.

An example of blaming others rather than acknowledging one's own transgressions is when King Saul disobeyed Samuel's orders. He blamed the people. Did he receive forgiveness? No. From that time on, he was in trouble with God. If you are going to receive any help, you must acknowledge your need. This is the reason many people cannot get settled and grounded. Friend, if you will truly see yourself, quit the foolishness of saying "I made a mistake," and confess that you have sinned, God will be faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from every sin.

We read in Ephesians 5:2, "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." In other words, you are to show the world that you have been set apart for God. Galatians 1:4 states, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Titus 2:14 tells us, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Christ had one thing in mind, and that was to save people from their sins.

Attributes of Unity

The Holy Ghost is the third part of the Godhead, and the Scripture says that He came as a guide; He came to reprove, comfort, and set up His Kingdom within us so that He could guide our lives. Concerning our salvation, God put something into it, Christ put something into it, and the Holy Spirit put something into it. Now God is telling you to put something into it. Why? So that more souls can be saved. People are not going to get saved unless the saints put something into it. It is more than going to the house of God to sell something or to visit with friends. We go to the house of God to do a work so that we can see people helped.

There are several attributes of unity. The Holy Spirit is a comforter, and when you have the Comforter, you do not have to cry on someone else's shoulder. Too often people do not receive help because instead of going to God, they try to find someone who will sympathize with them. God does not feel sorry for you, but He will do business with you when you meet His conditions. When you need help, only One can truly help you, and that is God. People may feel sorry for you, but all that does is build up the devil. When you get in trouble, you need to get down on your knees, seek God's face, and tell God about your trouble. Do not try to say that it is someone else's fault, but tell God, "It is my fault," and then God will help you. He will not help you unless you acknowledge your need.

There are characteristics of unity. You see, you can cry out against short hair on women, against dressing immodestly, against television, and against worldliness; but if you do not have the spirit of unity in your heart, it will be to no avail. Certainly, we need to cry out against these things, but we also need the spirit of unity in our hearts so that when we cry out against these things, it is going to cause people to change.

God is real, and He is still able to get hold of souls and talk to hearts. When the Truth is preached, God will show people what they ought to wear and what they should not wear. God will still do that if men will dare to stand and preach His eternal Truth. If you are a preacher and you do not preach God's eternal Truth, you should sit down, because you are damning your soul. God has called men of God for one reason, and that is to preach the Word. Although it is not going to please everyone, we still need to preach the Word. The Word is all that will save you.

Jesus called those who do not have the spirit of unity in their hearts "white washed sepulchers." He said in Matthew 23:28, "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Too often we judge people by what we see, but in Jeremiah 17:10 God said, "I the Lord search the heart [He gets right down in the very recesses of the heart and searches it out], I try the reins [in other words, God tries the spirit that things are done in], even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

Characteristics of Goats

The reason many people are in the condition they are today is that they do not truly want to serve God. The Book of Romans tells of people who did not want to retain God in their knowledge and did not want to glorify God. Jeremiah 17:10 states, " . . . to give every man according to his ways." Do you know why people today are in such a terrible spiritual condition? That is what they want. God has always given people what they want even if it was against His will. When the children of Israel wanted a king, God spoke to Samuel and said to give them a king.

Protestantism did not want Holy Ghost leadership. We read in Revelation 11:9-10 that the two witnesses (the Word and the Spirit) tormented them. What happened? They went into spiritual darkness. Are they yet in darkness today? If you take the Word and the Spirit into one of those places, if they let you preach, they will never let you preach again. Why? Because they do not want Truth. Once I was invited to another church to preach on the Revelation. I went and preached only two nights. By then the preacher was in a hurry to get it over with because he did not want to hear anymore. However, five people followed us out to the Church of God, and they are still walking in Truth yet today. When Babylon calls in a man who will preach the Truth, the saints will get out of that place.

The primary characteristic of a goat is butting. When I was growing up, we had an old billy goat at our place. He would not butt you when you were looking at him. My oldest brother was always getting into some kind of mischief, and when someone came to the house, he would get them to turn their backs on that old goat, and then he would get it to butt them. Now, I do not like to have to watch people. I like to trust people. I like for them to work for the Truth. If they will work with the Truth, they will work with me as a pastor. I love the Truth, and I am Church of God through and through! Anything that is run by man is Babylon. (It does not matter what name they have posted over the door.)

God still runs His church, He is still on the throne, and He still puts out and enforces the orders. I am against anything that man is the head of. Anything that God, through the Holy Spirit, is not leading, I am against. God will give people what they want. Many people today are on the road to hell because they have become blinded and do not realize it, but that is the way they want to travel. They want to travel on the broad road. God has given us a dress standard, which is modest; yet people want to wear immodest apparel, such as shorts, capris, short skirts, low-necked dresses, and so on. Others want their children to be popular and to have prestige, so Wednesday nights, at prayer meeting time, they let their children practice in the band. Then, on Sunday night they let their children miss church if there is a ball game. Why is that? Because they want their children to be popular. Friend, when you get in that condition, you are guiding your children down the wrong road. The Bible says to train up a child in the way he should go. One should start training a child when it is a babe in arms and right on up through to when that child becomes an adult and gets married; then you are not responsible for him or her any longer. Unless they ask for advice, it is time to back off after they get married.

Showing Forth the Spirit of Unity

The attributes of unity are humility, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance (which means the practice of self-control), patience, and tolerance. Today some who claim to be God's people do not want to tolerate anything. If someone does not do things as they think that person ought to, they do not want to tolerate it in any way, shape, or form. People will do things a little differently. Now, I am not talking about sinning. If you have been walking with God for many years, you cannot expect a new convert to be measured up to everything that God has shown you when it took you fifteen years to get to where you are spiritually.

Church, you need to tolerate a few things and not sit around and say, "Well, the pastor is allowing some things in the congregation." If you do that, you are showing people that you do not have the spirit of unity or long-suffering. You need to be long-suffering with people. If they start to show a bad spirit, then that is the time to set them down. However, as long as they are walking with God, you need to encourage them. You should not discourage them, knock them out of the race, or allow someone who is sitting on the sideline to fill your ear with accusations against them. I learned a long time ago while listening to ball games on the radio that team members defend one another. Why? Because they are part of a team. It is the fans sitting on the sidelines who say, "That crazy fool! Had he caught the ball, we would have won that game" or "Had he hit a home run, we would have won that game!"

Who finds fault with the saints? Those who sit on the sidelines, not those who are working. Do you know who finds fault with the pastor? Again, those who sit on the sidelines. They never do anything except sit back and pout. However, the saints lift up the pastor's hands and pray for him. They will say, "Go on, brother; we are backing you and holding you up." They sometimes send cards, little gifts, or speak words to encourage him.

What Is Unity?

There is a commandment for unity and a need to see people saved and to stay saved. If people are not careful, they will sit around in their own little groups, two or three here, a half dozen there, one little family here, and another family over there. When the service is over, they only visit with their friends and miss the strangers in the back who are waiting for someone to speak to them and welcome them back. If they are not welcomed, they walk out and say, "Those people were not very friendly."

Church, we need to do away with cliques. We need to look around and see if there is a visitor among us. If there is, when that last amen has been spoken, we need to find that individual and let them know that we are glad to have them. We need to make them feel welcome and invite them back. Sometimes the pastor cannot get away in time to greet new people, and by the time he finally gets loose, they might have already left and formed an opinion. When people do not feel welcome, it is doubtful that they will ever return.

As I have already said, the unity of the Godhead is to win souls for God. What is our unity today? It is to make people feel welcome when they come in the services and sit under the Gospel. You should not say, "You ought to do this and that." They may not understand what you are talking about. Because you told them to, they may measure up, but it would not always be in their hearts. However, if God shows them something, they will take it off and do away with it. You ought to let God do the work. Let us have unity and let God do a work. When people interfere, that does nothing but drive people away.

A young man came to me a few years ago who had been out in deep sin. He did not know anything about the things of God, and he inquired about different things. I instructed him just to walk in the light. God wants us to walk in the light. If you have the right spirit, when a man of God preaches the Word of God, the Spirit of God will show you what he is talking about.

Unity is not trying to get everyone to fit into your mold or having everyone think as you think they should; but it is living peaceably with all men and women without sacrificing the Truth. You should not sacrifice the Truth for anything or anyone. Truth is too precious to sacrifice any part of it. In Samuel's day Truth was precious, and the Word of God is still precious in the day and age in which we live. Friend, you cannot get fed the Word of God in every place that calls itself the church. The places where you can hear Truth are getting fewer and fewer. Church of God, we need to stand against anything or anyone who tries to cause discord.

When I was fighting in World War II, one night we were called to get rid of a group of German sharpshooters. My outfit was told, "Get rid of them. Don't capture them; kill them." What was the purpose of our mission? They commanded us to do away with the opposition so the army could move on. Likewise, in the spiritual, God has called patrols to uphold the Truth, to get rid of the enemies so the Truth can go on. Church, when we get in unity, we will see a work done. We will see more children, companions, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors saved. However, we are never going to see them won until they can see that God's people are not divided.

One sickening thing today is when people go to the house of God, see something that they do not put their approval on, and then get on the telephone to call someone who is unsaved and run down the church. A saint of God would not do a thing like that! If saints of God do not understand something, they will ponder it in their hearts. They will go home, pray about it, and keep their mouths shut. They will not tell an unsaved person about it.

Examine Yourself

To live peaceably with all men is to do as the Hebrew writer admonished: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). If you do not live holy, you are not going to see the Lord and you are not going to show the Lord to anyone else. This has a twofold meaning: not only should you live holy to see the Lord for yourself, but also to show the Lord to others. Why? Because God is holy. You cannot find God in a worldly atmosphere. Child of God, you have to lift Him up by living holy, by showing people something higher than this old world, by showing them something greater. God expects us to live holy lives so the world can see that there is something to living for God.

Paul wrote, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). Second Corinthians 13:1 says, "This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Verse 5 instructs, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Verses 8-9 tell us: "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection."

Then, Paul said in verse 11, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." Ecclesiastes 10:4 says, "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences." Rulers will try to rise against you and get you to go with the crowd in your decisions. However, if you do go that way, you will wish that you had not done so. Going with the crowd may relieve the flesh. How many times have you heard people say, "I told them off, and I feel better now. I feel relieved"? It will take the pressure off when you are with the majority, but it is about like giving a pacifier to a hungry baby. It will only calm him for a little while. Now, a pacifier will never give a baby one ounce of nutrition; it just pacifies him. However, if you give a baby the real stuff, he will be satisfied.

You need to have a clean heart before God. When the pressure is on, you need to get down on your knees and say, "God, I want You to lead me." Saint, when God puts it in your heart what you should do, but you do what the crowd tells you to do, it may make you feel better, but it will prove to be a catastrophe for you. God's people cannot go with the crowd. I decided a long time ago to go God's way. I have never changed it, and with God's help, I never will. If God gives me breath to preach another ten years, I will continue to preach Truth. I am going to stand on what God has shown me.

James 3:13-14 states: "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation [or conduct] his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth." If you are bitter against someone or if you envy what someone else can do and, as a result, you have strife in your heart, do not glory in it, because that wisdom is not from above; it is earthly and devilish.

Verses 15-17 state: "This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish [it is carnal]. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable [it will bring you to peace], gentle, and easy to be entreated, [When you get wisdom from above, the pastor will not have any trouble from you. When he says, 'This is what the Word of God says,' you will walk in it. The saints are easily entreated. However, when you say, 'I have to go home and think about this,' you should check to see where your wisdom is from. The saint who has wisdom from above is easily entreated and easily corrected.] full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

Humbleness of Mind

In this Christian walk you must take off some things and put on some things. In Colossians 3:8-9 we read: "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, [malice is active ill will; it is having a get-even attitude.] blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds." After all these things are put off, then the new man is put on. Verses 10-15 tell us: "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him [not after some man's image, but after God's image] that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, [Why did he say humbleness of mind? Because everything that gets in the heart comes through the mind first. If you do not have a humble mind, you will not have a humble heart. If you have in your mind to do something wrong, it will get in your heart and you will do it. People are doing wrong today because they have let some things get in their minds and these things have worked into their hearts. We must have humbleness in our minds so that we are not proud. Are you humble before God and living as God wants you to live?] meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel [or a complaint] against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1

We read in 1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." He said to be of one mind, and that is to win souls, to turn people from darkness to light. He said to have love one for another. How much love should you have for others? As much love as you have for yourself. You would not hurt yourself intentionally. If you have love for the brethren, you will not hurt them intentionally, not if you have what God wants you to have. My friend, you need to have the same love for your brother as you have for yourself. People do not hit themselves with a hammer to see if it hurts or deliberately walk in front of a car because they would like to experience a broken leg. Likewise, I have never seen a true saint of God who wants to hurt someone else. The saints have compassion and love for one another. Peter said to "be pitiful," and the Greek says to "be tenderhearted." You need to have a heart that is tender, a heart that can be touched. If you see someone do something wrong, do not cast them off, but work with them and try to help them. That person has a soul, and a soul is worth more than this entire world. Saint, I pray that God will help us all to be in unity so that we can work with one another. When we work together, others will see something that they want. They will see the great Church of God in action. Friend, if you have gotten away from unity, if you are not working with the saints of God as you ought to, if you are not backing your pastor as you ought to, or if you are not letting bygones be bygones and working for one common cause, it is disobedience, and God said it needs to be confessed. Do not override it, but confess it. Your attitude should be, "I want to win souls. I want to lay up treasures in Heaven." People work to lay up something in literal banks so they can have something to draw on later. Well, everything we do, every prayer we send up for a soul, every word of encouragement, every time we lift up one another, we are laying up treasures in Heaven.

The Hebrew writer said to exhort and encourage one another daily. It will draw interest in the bank of Heaven. I pray that God will help us.

(Cassette C-3918M)

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