With One Mind and One Mouth Glorify God
Pr Edi Giudetti
18-09-2021
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6
God, The Unity Within Himself
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our passage speaks of a prayer toward unity among the brethren, among the church that has its purpose in Glorifying God with one mind and one mouth, we are to be “likeminded” says the text, our minds and our hearts are to be knit at the soul and in every way we are to join ourselves together in the worship of God with one mouth.
It is a picture of God himself. That which he desires for us is that which he has already within himself, it is his nature, it is attributed to his very being, God is one and there is no division within him.
The first few words of the passages establishes the foundation.
Now the God of patience and consolation
Here we see that Paul begins this portion with his focus upon the characteristic of God that is a marker of his identification the God of patience and consolation.
Earlier we witnessed the patience and comfort of the scriptures, and now we see they stem from the God of patience and consolation. We have the one because they come from the nature of the other, so too it is for the unity of believers.
So this sets up for us that what comes after as a prayerful command having its foundation in the likeness of God himself. We are to be likeminded, we are to be united because God has Unity Within Himself.
We need only turn to one Gospel account to bring out this incredible unity.
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In the 14th verse the identity of who The Word is that was with God, and that was God
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Here God shows the Unity Within Himself, in his very being and identity.
In verse three of Johns introduction it says; All things were made by him; (by who? By God) and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Yet Ephesians 3:9 tells us that God, “created all things by Jesus Christ”.
And to ensure we don’t get mistaken here, we have Colossians 1:14 to 17, speaking specifically of Christ saying 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Here God shows the Unity Within Himself, as the creator of all things.
Turn forward to John 5:16
Jesus spoke of his work as that which God works; when he was persecuted by the Jews for healing on the sabbath day,
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
Notice there that the Jews understood exactly the claim that Jesus was making, that is, making himself equal with God.
And did Jesus shy away from that claim? On the contrary…
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.
Again, here God shows the Unity within Himself, as he who works in and through all things.
When Phillip asked Jesus to show him the father, how did Christ respond? Well that answer is given us in John 14:9
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
There are so many more passages to show you, but one more to suffice to see the very nature of UNITY in God
Turn to 1 John 5:6-8
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
APPLICATION
But then this is Christianity 101, “you are preaching to the converted Pastor, we know God is one, we know God is united as one, we understand the doctrine of the trinity”;
Well it stands that if God is one so too does it come to pass that those who have joined themselves to him are naturally one.
If God is united in himself, we who belong to him are also one by that same doctrine.
When Jesus prayed in the garden, he said to the Lord in Johns Gospel account, John 17:11
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
The likeness of the relationship in God as ONE, are all those saved by him through ONE, and that is Christ.
We are ONE because we cannot be otherwise.
The Church is ONE superorganism, it is ONE body, ONE entity, ONE Bride “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph 4:4-6)
Brethren, The Unity Between Ourselves
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I introduced to you the doctrine related to the unity of the Church, that it IS ONE and CANOT BE ANYTHING BUT ONE.
It is that by Salvation and by Baptism through and in Christ, therefore the Church, ALL THE CHURCH, that is, ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED BY HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN, all who are born again, are The Church and we can NEVER be divided in Christ.
BUT, clear we see the prayerful command in the text before us that indicates a sometime practical application while we are in the world;
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
It is therefore clear that there is a tendency in life to see division in the Church, this is not a work of God, someone is clearly in error to one degree or another, we are to strive to be “likeminded”, NOT “agreeing to disagree”, why would you or I desire to REMAIN in error? We are called to be “Likeminded one toward another”, to “be of the same mind one toward another” (Rom 12:16),
We just saw that Jesus prayed we would be “One” just as he and the father are “one”.
When Paul gave his salutation in Philippians 4 he wrote; I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
There is here no division, no alternative mindset just as acceptable to God as being united of mind. God is not ‘just as pleased with our disagreement of doctrine’ as he is with like-mindedness, Paul wrote that “we have the mind of Christ” 1 Cor 2:16.
But that there is practical division in the Church while we are in the world is no doubt, but lest we think this is acceptable with the Lord, let the scripture exhort you otherwise.
Turn to 1 Cor 1:10-13
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
EXPOUND!!!!
Notice how Paul defends his charge that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. …..Is Christ divided?
If there is NO DIVISION IN CHRIST, so too there ought to be NO DIVISION in his Bride.
APPLICATION
That is the doctrine that is laid out, but how do we attend to this? How do we perform it?
Firstly we accept that God expects us to be perfectly of one mind in matters objective.
The subjective will always remain subjective, that is, matters of preference, like ‘ice-cream’, or preference for Hot weather over mild or cold, or in the church, when we celebrate communion or the day and times we assemble etc; This doctrine does not apply to matters subjective, so be sure not to make subjectivity a matter of argument.
We attend to being “Likeminded” and perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment when we humble ourselves toward one another in love and determine not to fight over subjective matters, but submit to each other in love.
But when it comes to doctrinal contradiction, we must first agree that one of us are in error, and have great fear that it might be our self.
The only way this humility is developed is through the regular reading of our bibles and through prayer.
Beloved, hold no man as perfect in knowledge, least of all ourselves.
The Pastor has been corrected before, you need only regularly attend Wednesday night Verse By Verse Bible study to witness it occasionally (very rare), but so too have we all been in error.
Regular reading of the Bible corrects our faults, regular prayer brings the humility to identify those faults. (REPEAT)
Secondly we need to reject Commonality as the definition of Normality.
Simply because something is Common, does not mean that it is Normal. There is a great tendency in the world today to say that because many people feel a certain way that it is therefore normal, but this is not true. Simply because the world over, Churches disagree on so many matters, it is therefore ‘normal’.
No. That which is “Common” is Normal as much as that with is uncommon is “ab-normal.”
Christianity is NOT common, but its normality is the reality.
If there comes a time that Heterosexuality is uncommon, will it therefore be ab-normal?
We do not accept it!
So too should we not accept the common idea that because there is division in the Church or between congregations of other local churches, that this is normal, why? Because the moment we accept it then the only thing we become united in is division. “We agree to disagree” becomes our accepted mantra.
That is not being likeminded, that is NOT being of the “same mind”.
Paul wrote, 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; (Phil 2:5), we ought to be humble one toward another, not to look to our own things “but every man also on the things of others” (Phil 2:4)
It is reading this book, the Bible and it is submitting ourselves in prayer, that we can be like minded. We are already United in Christ, but not until regular devotion in the Bible and regular humility in prayer, can we ever be like minded.
Satan, Uniting in Error
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That passage tells of that which is the nature of God and should be the way of the people of God, but its opposite we will see is of the devil.
Satan and his demonic horde are UNITED ONLY IN ERROR
His error is seen in all its self delusion in Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isa 14:12-14)
It was this original sin of the Devil that transformed him from Lucifer to Satan. And that sin is PRIDE. Once he was the light bearer, now he is The Deceiver and his error he must continue until that time of judgement that will come upon him and upon all those who follow his “pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Pet 2:2)
Those who ignorantly follow the devil can be described in the very same way, they are united ONLY in error, they have a deceived heart.
Isaiah writes of those who choose to worship false gods in the place of God, those who fall down to worship at the stock of a tree rather than the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity;
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
It is of interest that we worship the one known to us as The Word of God. He is the way, the truth and the life, and it is his words through which the Gospel of our salvation was revealed to us. But Satan, through his desire to be like God, uses words ONLY to deceive.
Jesus rebukes the error of the Pharisees who follow the deeds of the devil, in John 8:44he says;
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Paul wrote to Timothy of the last days saying “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” 2 Tim 3:13
And we see that it is words in which Satan also employs to deceive the whole world and to unite them in error.
It was the famous commentator Matthew Henry who wrote some 350 years ago “Let Christ Jesus be the centre of your unity. Agree in the truth, not in any error.” It was a cursed concord and harmony of those who were of one mind to give their power and strength to the beast” Quoting Revelation 17:13 of the ten kings who, “These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”
They will be united in error.
Paul writes of deceivers who “are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Rom 16:18)
Notice, THEY USE WORDS! It is by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple
Peter wrote of them who are evident to many of Gods people today, turn to 2 Peter 2:17-19
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
Again, they employ “great swelling words of vanity” to deceive the world into error, promising liberty but bringing them into bondage. This is the world united in error and we see it playing out today more than ever before.
In his classic book Less Than Words Can Say, the man known as The Underground Grammarian, Richard Mitchel, laments the replacement of clear use of words with words that are used only to dull the mind and deceive the heart.
Richard Mitchell was probably the first to recognise the degradation of our education system through the misuse of words in the mid 1970’s, this degradation he concludes has set us up for rules of tyranny where people can no longer think;
He said
Where once a tyrant had to wish that his subjects had but one common neck that he might strangle them all at once, all he has to do now is to ‘educate the people’ so that they will have but one common mind to delude.
Mitchell laments the use of precise words and their replacement with Jargon, that is, people who might spend half an hour speaking and yet SAY NOTHING, or at least, nothing of any sense.
Mitchel notes something of interest writing that
“the Nazi bureaucracy generated thousands and thousands of pages of routine paperwork related to the business of killing Jews, but in all that paperwork the word “killing” appears nowhere. … It’s not impossible that thousands of Germans could have done what they did only because they spoke carefully of “transportation” and “resettlement” and “solution” rather than of “killing”[1]
Beloved consider and place your thoughts on that of today.
We had not ever considered phrases such as “two weeks to flatten the Curve” with ‘eight months of societal closure’, or “staying safe” with “home imprisonment”, or “Social Distancing” with “family segregation”, or “liberty” with “mandatory vaccinations” or “keeping others safe” with ‘losing my right to earn a living’.
Beloved, just like Satan and the horde of devils he convinced to follow him, the world has Unity ONLY in error. And their sin will find them out. Even today they live under the consequence of their rejection of the truth, while promising them liberty the deceivers of the “powers that be” are bringing them into bondage.
Even in this God is proven true, scripture commanding us; Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 1 Pet 2:13-14
With One Mind And One Mouth Glorify God
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It was in 1991 that a Spanish Opera singer named Placido Domingo, playing the role as the Moor of Venice in the Shakespearean tragedy play of Othello, received the longest voluntary standing ovation in history, lasting no less than 80 minutes, or 101 curtain calls.
It was with one mind and with one desire the audience had for the appreciation of him.
In them was a unity of expression, through a unified experience that they desired to show their gratitude.
Beloved, how much more does that stand for you and I in Christ?
We stand here and look at the world and wonder at the madness that is taking them. United in error and the lust of this world, they are wiling to destroy themselves, they are promised liberty through great swelling words and we stand their looking at them, Peter describes them;
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 2 Pet 2:14-16
But we are not deceived, we are likeminded and with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We “desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb 11:16).
We do not look back at the things we may lose in this life, “Remember Lots wife” said Jesus (Luke 17:32)
If this is true for us, and if indeed we are to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then we need to seek the things which are above and not have a love for the world.
John rebukes these misplaced desires
The Bible says simply “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17
You are here today for a reason and a purpose, do not waiver, do not faulter, do not have misplaced affections, your gain is infinitely greater than your loss in this world.
Do not be deceived by the promise of life at the point of a gun. That which is motivated by evil is evil.
The world is going to continue to press you to conform into its own image. It wants the righteous of the world to agree with the godless to SACTIFY THEIR ERROR.
TURN TO 2 COR 6:14-18
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
The world is united in error, it walks in darkness and desires, or will even force you to walk in like manner. But they who have been saved out of the world are united in the truth of God and therein we glorify God with ONE mouth and one voice.
You who see the evil in the world but yet to believe the Gospel. You see things are wrong, you see the madness and yet why wont you believe the Bible that speaks of all these things?
Your sin will find you out unless you turn to Christ.
You will not get out of life alive.
You may not agree with the world but you are yet to agree with God, you are in no-mans land and all who enter there will get caught in the cross fire.
Lose your stubborn pride, admit yourself a sinner before God, believe that Jesus died for your sins and call upon his name.
You despise this world? Then Be reconciled to God.
You who sit there thinking the world is falling apart, well I can tell you of a certainty that it is not falling apart, but everything is coming together.
There is a saying given regularly by a certain commentator that I modified a little for our purpose
Its Titled simply, “When The Time was Right.”
When the time was right, the sea parted, when the time was right the walls fell down, when the time was right the lions went hungry, the sun stood still, and the star appeared, when the time was right the waves were calmed, the Christ was Crucified, the stone was rolled away, the Lord ascended…And when the time is right, the King of Kings will return. God is never early and He’s never late—He’s always right on time and His plans for you are good. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Let us all be likeminded one toward another, so that with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Until He Comes
maranatha
[1] Richard Mitchel, Less Than Words Can Say. P92.
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