Final Restoration of Unity

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Final Restoration of Unity

Bible Study Guide for

December 29, 2018

Coordinator for Class Discussion

Larry R Evans

Introduction

"As a sailor locates his position on the sea by 'shooting' the sun, so we may get our moral bearings by looking at God. We must begin with God. We are right when, and only when, we stand in a right position relative to God, and we are wrong so far and so long as we stand in any other position." -- A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God, p.95

If I were to ask what has been the theme of this quarter’s study, I suspect most would say,“Unity.” Is that really the intention of this quarter’s focus?  Should it be?

If we look at the title on the study guide's cover, we would see that the preferred overall title is not “Unity” but rather “Oneness in Christ.”  I sometimes wonder if we are too quick to move from Jesus to our perceived need and don’t spend enough time on just understanding Him. Of course, unity is important! Biblical “unity” is a result of being one in Christ.  If this is really true, then perhaps we ought to pause long enough to realize that true unity is an outcome that originates from Christ and being like Him.

Does it really make a difference, if we say that our objective is “unity” or “oneness in Christ?” I think so. There are good kinds and bad kinds of unity so we do need to be specific.

Francis Schaeffer in, How Should We Then Live? traces the rise and decline of western thought and culture.  It is a fascinating study.  In the beginning and in the end of this classic he identifies an important discovery: “People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought world determines how they act.  . . . The inner thought world determines the outward action.” (p.19,20).

If he is correct, and I believe he is, then our personal values and how we think about unity will determine how we will go about finding unity. It cannot be forced but neither can it be ignored.   

Paul described the kind of unity found in Jesus (Philip 2:1) by identifying 4 characteristics:

Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

1.   Encouragement that comes from being united in Christ

2.   Comforted from His love

3.   Common sharing in His Spirit

4.   Tenderness and compassion towards others.

This kind of unity is realized in the body of Christ in four ways described in verse 2,

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

1.   Being like-minded

2.   Having the same love

3.   Being one in spirit

4.   Being one of mind

Paul then gives two guiding values to help this unity thrive in the Christian Church seen in verses 3-4.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

As shown in the humility shown by Christ (described later in verses 6-8):

1.   Value others above yourself.

2.   Look to the interest of others.

In Romans 12 Paul describes what a life of faith is like and speaks of caution that we must always bear in mind:

“Rom. 12:1   ² Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. {Message} 

Restoring God’s Original Plan

So far this quarter we’ve studied a wide-range of important topics including “Creation and the Fall”, “The Key to Unity”, “Unity and Broken Relationships”, and even “Church Organization and Unity.”  Today we close our quarter’s study by reflecting on “Final Restoration of Unity.”

One of my favorite statements by Ellen White is found in the last paragraph of the book called the Great Controversy (Between Christ and Satan).  Speaking of the final restoration, she wrote:

The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love. { GC 678.3}

If this ultimate outcome that leads to “one pulse of harmony” throughout the universe is the declaration that “God is love”, then perhaps our study today should keep that as the backdrop or the ultimate realization of Christian unity.

Questions to Consider

I have four questions to guide us in today’s reflections: (Don’t feel bound by them they are starting points.)

1. Unity and the certainty of Christ’s return are related.  True or False? (Why or why not?)

2. Floating on pink clouds and playing golden harps is God’s way of describing restoration. True or False? (If not, what is?)

3. “Reunion” is a major theme of the Second Coming of Christ. True or False? (If true, a reunion of whom?)

4. There is no need to be concerned with global church organization or even unity.  A new earth and a new Leader is coming anyway. True or False? (Why worry about unity when it will ultimately be provided in time anyway?)

For further discussion:

5. The Bible does say we will be known by one another in the new earth. Why would we want to be known in heaven after all that we’ve done wrong on this earth? Will there be people we don’t want to meet in heaven? What does this say about the kind of unity that will be experienced in the new earth?  What and who is the center of attention?  Does that make a difference then?  Could it make a difference now?

Reflecting on the Questions

1. Unity and the certainty of Christ’s return are related.  True or False? (Why or why not?)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”   (Jn 14:1-3)

2. Floating on pink clouds and playing golden harps is God’s way of describing restoration. True or False? (If not, what is?)

[Experience by someone who had given up on God and the church.  “No one will answer my questions.”]

         What there will not be (Rev. 21:4)

1.   No tears.

2.   No death, No mourning

3.   No crying or pain.

But God’s plan is much more than the elimination of the bad!

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Rev. 21:5)

1.   God’s dwelling place is among His people. (Rev. 21:3)

2.   Restoration of beauty—Description of the Holy City (Rev. 21:11-12, 18-21)

3.   Eden restored – a place, an identity, a work, a purpose, opportunities. (Rev. 22:1-5)

4.   Recognition/fellowship

a.   After the resurrection. Mary recognized the voice of JC (Jn 20:11-16)

b.   Thomas recognized the physical form of JC (Jn 20: 27,28)

c.    The mannerism of JC recognized at dinner table after the resurrection. (Lk 24:30,31,35)

5.   Build houses, plant vineyards and eat from them. Enjoy the work of their hands. (Isa. 65:21-23)

6.   Wolf and lamb feed together (Isa 65:25)

“As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase.  The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character.” EGW in The Story of Redemption, pp. 432-433.

3. Reunion is a major theme of the Second Coming of Christ. True or False? (If true, a reunion of whom?)

1.   God and the redeemed. (1 Thess 4:16; Jn 14:1-3)

2.   With our loved ones. 

4. No need to be concerned with global church organization now, a new earth and a new Leader is coming anyway. True or False? (Why worry about unity when it will ultimately be provided in time anyway?)

“This vision of unity between Jew and Gentile drove Paul in his evangelistic activity, his theological reflection, and his practical action. Unity between Jew and Gentile was so vital that Paul was willing to travel close to 2000 miles out of his way for it. He was willing to stand up and refuse to allow Titus to be circumcised for it (Galatians 2:3-5). He was willing to rebuke no less than the apostle Peter face-to-face to preserve it (Galatians 2:11-14). He was willing to endure the hardships of beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and prisons for it (2 Corinthians 11). He was even willing to accept James’ and the elders’ suggestion that he go to the temple and sponsor a vow when he went to Jerusalem, even though he knew the danger, and ended up being arrested and spending the next five years as a prisoner (Acts 21:24). (John Brunt, “Toward a Theology of Unity”, Sept. 21, 2017)

For further discussion:

5. The Bible does say we will be known by one another in the new earth. Why would we want to be known in heaven after all that we’ve done wrong on this earth? Will there be people we don’t want to meet in heaven? What does this say about the kind of unity that will be experienced in the new earth?  What and who is the center of attention?  Does that make a difference then?  Could it make a difference now?

Closing Thoughts

If it is unity that we desire, then the place to begin is not with our ambitious goals for the world, the society or even the church.  We must begin with the admission that we are, each one of us, broken.  We each sufferer to some degree with a broken relationship with God.  Charles Stanley put it this way:

“Brokeness is God’s process of bringing us to the point where we not only don’t have the final say, we have nothing to say except to ask, ‘Lord Jesus, what would you have me to do?’” (Charles Stanley in The Blessings of Brokeness, p. 103).

Unity begins with asking that one central question: Lord, what would you have me to do? It suggests that lasting unity is “Oneness in Christ.” And we must all learn ask that question together. Becoming and doing are interrelated. It is then that we know we are on the same journey. 

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