The God of Unity and Diversity.
Our father and God is ONE
However he loves unity and diversity in all his creative works
He also allows diversities of opinion in religious matters.
The early Christians follow Jesus and God examples in unity and diversity in their letters to the congregations during their Apostolic missionary works
For example in Ephesians 2: 8-9, Holy Spirit direct Paul to emphasize
FAITH alone in Jesus Ransom Sacrifice gives us the Free Gift of life.
Not due to You or Your Work, so that no one could boast.
On the other hand,
Apostle James approach was based on Works of Faith. He said Faith without Work is dead. James 2:17
These two Missionaries have diversity of opinions on the subject of Faith and yet both of them have God spirit directing their work.
Another example was how each person view sin and those who commit sins.
Apostle Paul being a lawyer based his view on judgement and view sins as a wicked acts and the sinners should be ex-communicated. 1 Corinthian 6:9-10
However,
Apostle James think differently about sins. He links sins to spiritual sickness that requires prayer and forgiveness. He said in James 5:14-16
14 Is there anyone sick among YOU? Let him call the older men of the congregation to [him], and let them pray over him, greasing [him] with oil in the name of Jehovah.
15 And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah will raise him up.
Also, if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.
16 Therefore openly confess YOUR sins to one another and pray for one another, that YOU may get healed. A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.
Diversity and Unity of purpose in Religion.
Thirdly, another areas of diversity is in method of worship or religion. For example, when One of Jesus Disciple , John want to silence another godly person using Jesus Name to expelled demons, because he was not among the disciples of Jesus. Jesus immediately corrected him.
Mark 9:38-39
38 John said to him: “Teacher, we saw a certain man expelling demons by the use of your name and we tried to prevent him, because he was not accompanying us.”
39 But Jesus said: “Do not try to prevent him, for there is no one that will do a powerful work on the basis of my name that will quickly be able to revile me
1 Corinthian 12: 1-12
Now concerning the spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want YOU to be ignorant.
3 Therefore I would have YOU know that nobody when speaking by God’s spirit says: “Jesus is accursed!”
and nobody(churches) can say: “Jesus is Lord!” except by holy spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but there is the same spirit; 5 and there are varieties of ministries,(churches) and yet there is the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of operations, and yet it is the same God who performs all the operations in all persons. 7 But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for a beneficial purpose.
8 For example, to one there is given through the spirit speech of wisdom, to another speech of knowledge according to the same spirit, 9 to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healings by that one spirit,
10 to yet another operations of powerful works, to another prophesying, to another discernment of inspired utterances, to another different tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.
11 But all these operations the one and the same spirit performs, making a distribution to each one respectively just as it wills.
12 For just as the body is one but has many members, and all the members of that body, although being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. 13 For truly by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit.
KJV
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2-Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
3-Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 3-12 KJV)
Diversity about food and Special Days.
Roman 14: 1-10, 22-23
Welcome the [man] having weaknesses in [his] faith, but not to make decisions on inward questionings.
2 One [man] has faith to eat everything, but the [man] who is weak eats vegetables.
. 3 Let the one eating not look down on the one not eating, and let the one not eating not judge the one eating, for God has welcomed that one
. 4 Who are you to judge the house servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Jehovah can make him stand.
5 One [man] judges one day as above another; another [man] judges one day as all others; let each [man] be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day observes (Birthday) it to Jehovah. Also, he who eats, eats to Jehovah, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat does not eat to Jehovah, and yet gives thanks to God
. 7 None of us, in fact, lives with regard to himself only, and no one dies with regard to himself only; 8 for both if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. Therefore both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah. 9 For to this end Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
11 for it is written: “‘As I live,’ says Jehovah, ‘to me every knee will bend down, and every tongue will make open acknowledgment to God.’” 12 So, then, each of us will
Mentality of Only Me, Only us, ONLY my religion is serving the true
God is supported by God and Jesus. That was why God corrected Prophet Elijah who thinks that he was the only person serving God in Israel and he was replaced with Elisha.
1 king 19:9-10, 14-18
9 There he finally entered into a cave, that he might spend the night there; and, look! there was Jehovah’s word for him, and it went on to say to him: “What is your business here, E·li´jah?”
10 To this he said: “I have been absolutely jealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have left your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, so that I ONLY am left; and they begin looking for my soul to take it away.”
14 To this he said: “I have been absolutely jealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have left your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, so that I ONLY am left; and they begin looking for my soul to take it away.”
15 Jehovah now said to him: “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and you must come in and anoint Haz´a·el as king over Syria.
16 And Je´hu the grandson of Nim´shi you should anoint as king over Israel; and E·li´sha the son of Sha´phat from A´bel-me·ho´lah you should anoint as prophet in place of you.
17 And it must occur that the one escaping from Haz´a·el’s sword, Je´hu will put to death; and the one escaping from Je´hu’s sword, E·li´sha will put to death.
18 And I have let seven thousand remain in Israel, all the knees that have not bent down to Ba´al, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elijah think is the ONLY one serving God. But Jehovah says, I Have 7,000 worshiper who have not worship Baal. What a humiliation. God replaced Elijah with Elisha as a prophet. No man or organization is indispensable to God. Jesus
Said he can command the stones to rise up and praise the living God. Jesus said, “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40 NIV)
The point is there is no religion ministry or organization that have the monopoly of True worship. You can’t own God. He is the father of all creations.
Also Moses was replaced by Joshua
Deuteronomy 32:48 -52
And Jehovah proceeded to speak to Moses on this same day, saying:
49 “Go up into this mountain of Ab´a·rim, Mount Ne´bo, which is in the land of Mo´ab, which fronts toward Jer´i·cho, and see the land of Ca´naan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel as a possession.
50 Then die on the mountain into which you are going up, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and got to be gathered to his people;
51 for the reason that YOU men acted undutifully toward me in the middle of the sons of Israel at the waters of Mer´i·bah of Ka´desh in the wilderness of Zin; for the reason that YOU men did not sanctify me in the middle of the sons of Israel.
52 For from a distance you will see the land, but you will not go there into the land that I am giving to the sons of Israel.”
From the above information, one can see that God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit enjoys diversity of worship and their dealings with people of faith. Therefore Any man or Corporation who fail to honor Jehovah but want to draw men after themselves by introducing, WE verses THEM and ONLY US doctrines Jehovah will humble them and replace them, Just as he replaces Prophet Elijah with Elisha, he also replaces Moses with Joshua. What a lesson for all Christians particularly the Church leaders and elders.
For example
John 4:23says God is a spirit
I john 4: 8 says God is Love
