Can There Be One Church?
(Kent E. Heaton Sr.)

As the shadow of the cross hung heavy upon Christ, He prayed fervently for
the work He had accomplished and the work He was about to do.  The
conclusion of His prayer is recorded in John 17 where Jesus prays for
Himself, His disciples and for all believers.  In the final words of His
prayer, Christ prayed for the unity of all those who would believe on Him.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me
through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and
I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that
You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they
may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be
made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and
have loved them as You have loved Me."  (John 17:20-23)

The ones whom Jesus refers to as "those who will believe in Me through their
word" are all those who today seek to be united with Christ.  For all who
read the word of God and seek to follow the plan of redemption laid down by
God - Jesus prayed "that they all my be one."  The manner the world will be
able to know that Jesus is the Christ is for the world to see that the
believers of Jesus Christ are one.  Christ prayed for the unity of all
believers.

The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and implored them to "keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  (Ephesians 4:3)  As a
disciple of Jesus in the First Century, Paul understood the importance of
unity in all those who seek to follow Christ.  The importance of unity was
paramount to the fulfillment of God's plan.  Paul wrote:  "There is one body
and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one
Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in you all."  (Ephesians 4:4-6)  The word ONE appears
seven times in this passage.  The unity of the Spirit is based upon the
number ONE.

In the religious world today, few would argue about the one Spirit, the one
hope, our one Lord, the one faith and the one God.  Some would argue about
the one baptism.  All would disagree about the one body.  The "body" Paul is
speaking about is the "church."  Ephesians 1:22-23 says, "And He put all
things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the
CHURCH, which is His BODY, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
(Emphasis mine)

Can there be ONE church?  Unity is based upon speaking the same thing.  "Now
I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that
you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
(1 Corinthians 1:10)  Jesus prayed for all believers to be one!  We should
endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.  There is one body or one church.
The one church must speak the same thing, be joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment.  Is this the way the religious world is made
up?  Sadly, no!

Jesus Christ prayed and died for one church.  He said He would build His
church - singular.  He did not die for religious division as we have it
today.  Can man worship God as he chooses?  "There is a way that seems right
to a man, but its end is the way of death."  (Proverbs 14:12)  Man says to
worship the church of your choice - God says to worship the church His Son
died for - the ONE church found in the pages of the New Testament.  Can
there be ONE church?  The one church is one body made up with one head.  The
one body is not many churches but one church and only one church.