When I first touched the church life, I was invited to a conference on the recovery of the oneness among God's people. I was very stirred by those messages because I had come from a background where believers who loved the Lord and were trying to be faithful to Him often argued about doctrines and practices. There had been over 100 official splits in the history of that denomination. The sharing about oneness was a great light to me. My spirit strongly witnessed that this was the missing element of my Christian life that I had been looking for.
One aspect of the sharing that was new to me was that the scattering of the Jews in captivity was a picture of the believers' being scattered in division. No matter how faithfully the scriptures were taught in the synagogues that the Jews built in their dispersion, the Lord's purpose could only be fulfilled through the ones who came back to Jerusalem, that is, by the ones who came out of all the divisions to come back to the place God had chosen. The ones that came back were not that wonderful in their condition but eventually the Lord could come the first time through their descendants. Similarly, the Lord will not come again until He has gained a remnant of His people who pay the price to keep the oneness.
On the one hand, I certainly admit that according to the talent that the Lord has given me and the many years I have been in the church life, I have grown neither in life nor in function as I should have. I fully realize that others have surpassed me in many ways and I thank the Lord for their operations in the building up of the Body. On the other hand, I also have to thank the Lord for what He has been able to do in me. Being in the practical church life and endeavoring to keep the oneness with all the saints have been the greatest blessings of my Christian life.
So, do the believers that I am with have shortcomings? Of course. I do too. Do our shortcomings spoil the sweetness of our meeting and serving together? Only if we are not willing to take the cross. The cross of Christ, though at times it cuts very deeply and severely, makes living and serving with others a matter of joy.