Colossians 1:18: [18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
"If you ever come to understand how much the Father loves His Son, how totally in love with God the Son God the Father is . . . If you could ever understand how every member of the godhead is so in love with each other. The way the godhead lives is every one of them lives for the glory, the benefit and the esteem of the other members. They all live with the other in mind.
"When the Holy Spirit wrote that Book, who does He say that Book is? It's the Word of the Father. He didn't say, 'You ever see my book?!' He says, 'That's God's Word.'
"By the way, the Father, when He sees that work product of God the Holy Spirit, that Book, you know what He says? He says, 'I've magnified my Word above my name.' Every member of the godhead lives for the benefit and betterment of the other. That's God's life.
"Philippians 2 starts, [1] If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
[2] Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.[3] Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
[4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
[5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
"When you take to heart that verse in Philippians about esteeming others better than yourself, that's just thinking the way God thinks. So there's one Lord, one faith, one baptism, which is the mechanics of our positional truth.
"The reason the issue of baptism is so contentious is because it is THE critical thing to know and understand about identification in Christ.
"You can be a mid-Acts, Pauline distinctive ministry Believer and not be a grace believer. I've met many who understand the dispensational chart but understand nothing about operating out of their identity in Christ.
"Listen, if you don't get Romans 6: ([3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?) and that identity truth about being crucified with Him, buried with Him and raised with Him.
Galatians 2: [20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
"For me to live is Christ. If you don't get that you're not going to be a grace believer. God is not writing His law into your heart today. II Corinthians 3 talks about how He's writing Christ into your heart. His life. That's why the one faith, the one doctrine, the one baptism and the mechanics of all that.
"That's the common ground we're on and if you want to see the unity, that's the doctrine. The unity is you and me saying, 'That truth right there is our oneness.'
Ephesians 4:7: [7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
"You see the first word is 'but'? All that unity is true, but to every one of us . . .
"He gives the unity talk and then he turns right around and talks about the diversity of the Body of Christ. He says, 'All that diversity that's out there, listen, it's all based on the platform of our unity, of our oneness.'
"The diversity is the reason he says in verse 3: [3] Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [4] There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
"Work hard to keep what God has already made one. Why would he say that? Because right here is where there's the potential for problems. Why? Because of the diversity. Why would there be diversity? Look at the world out there--it's diverse!
"How are you going to reach it? It's not going to be a one-size-fits-all. It's going to need a diversity of people to minister to a diverse creation. You follow that?"
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