We should not allow anything to break our oneness—our passion for the object of our love. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 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. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:20–22)
Oneness is defined as “an unbroken bond of unity, harmony, or communion.” The current New Age philosophy promotes oneness with our environment. Also, Pentecostalism teaches a false view of the trinity that they describe as the “doctrine of oneness.” Modernism robs us of inner harmony and peace. None of these describe biblical oneness. God has given us clear direction in this matter of harmony and peace in our lives.
Oneness in Our Relationship with God
George Newton once said, “If Christ is in you, let me give you this caution. Let Him live quiet in your hearts. Do not molest Him or disturb Him, do not make Him vex or fret. Let it not be a penance to Him to continue in you, but labor in every way to please Him, and give Him satisfaction and content, so that the house He hath chosen may not be doleful and dark, but delightful to Him!” (See Psalm 27:4.)
The Bible speaks of ways that we can break our oneness with the Holy Spirit. It speaks of grieving Him, quenching Him, and resisting Him. We must guard this important relationship with our Saviour.
Oneness in Our Relationship with the Brethren
Instruction is given throughout Scripture on this bond of fellowship we have with other believers. God desires for His children to get along (see I Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 4:3, Romans 12:5).
This takes work on our part. We must block out things that destroy oneness and the bond of peace. We must find a way to be at peace with the brethren.
Oneness in Our Relationship with our Spouse
God places great importance on marriage. This is another relationship in which God desires unity and oneness (see Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:28). God wants us to love our spouse.
The homes of Christians should be places of peace and quietness. God wants our homes to be refuges from the world.
Enemies of Oneness Defined
Wrong Relationships
People can pull you away from God. We all have seen illustrations where wrong relationships destroyed a marriage. Wrong friends can easily influence you to miss church. We must be vigilant in this area. A relationship is not always wrong, but how you allow that relationship to influence you can be harmful. Please choose friends who encourage you in your walk with Christ (see Proverbs 13:20).
Vanity
This comes in all forms—self promotion, arrogance, self will, etc. But pride is simply thinking higher of yourself than what God thinks. What does God’s Word say about us when we are tempted to be puffed up? “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
Wrong Media
The old saying, “Garbage in, garbage out” is so true regarding our media. What are you soaking your heart and mind in all day? You cannot be immersed in the world’s philosophy and feel one with your Saviour (see Philippians 4:8). God wants us to meditate and think on things that are good and wholesome. We must train ourselves to turn off worldly media and glorify God in our music and television.
Career
Does your job interfere with your oneness with Christ? We must work to survive, but does your job keep you out of God’s house on a regular basis? Are there office circumstances that put your marriage in jeopardy? Evaluate the cost. Our jobs should help us bring honor and glory to Christ (see Colossians 3:22). We must never allow our job to pull us away from our oneness with Christ.
Attitudes
Never allow anger or bitterness to drive you away from oneness in the relationships God has given you. Deal with it and ask God to help you. “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” (Hebrews 12:15)
Hobbies/Leisure
Our society is entertainment crazy right now, and as Christians we can be pulled into this culture. Having a hobby and taking some time off is good, but we must find the balance in this. God wants us to have oneness with Him. Could your hobbies be taking away from the relationship God wants to have with you? “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” (1 Corinthians 9:25)
Biblical oneness—do we want it? God desires that relationship with us. Our spouses want to be at peace with us. The brethren want to have a Christ-honoring relationship with us. What can we do about it? We can recognize the enemies and determine which ones may have a foothold in our lives. What is interrupting that sweet relationship? Let us ask God to show us what He wants out of our lives to make the journey just a little more peaceful.
