My three cents worth...

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Is the reason there isn't a "Church of Unity in Christ" that only preaches from the word of God, by way of direction from the Holy Spirit because there is no Unity to be found among those who love money and those that love Christ?

Here's my three cents worth.

The church is the body of Christ. We are the church. Not the building, the building is only a place to fulfill the commandment to fellowship and break bread and fulfill the commandment to glorify God in his sanctuary.

I want unity with all denominations, but I can't have that. So, i'm a non-denominational.

Here's what I've learned. Some people love Christ truly, and some rather have money, or things of this world.

Some people like to trust God at his word, and do what God commands. And some people rather twist the word of God to fit their lifestyles.

Jesus was a friend to sinners, but never sinned himself. Some people are friends to Sinners and allowing them to spend time in which they "rub off" on them, and make the person in question want to do worldly things and fall into sin again.

I know because all of the things I wrote just now is part of my personal testimony.

So here's my advice. There's a War going on for your soul and your mind. Pick a side, and stick with it. Choose. Then reap the rewards of your actions, be it Good or Bad.
 
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If we all HAD TO agree on a singular theology, it would probably be the Roman Catholic Church. Is that what you want to do?

That is very informative. In many ways.

I'm surprised you didn't say, "If we all had to agree on a theology, it would be the WORD OF GOD."

Because Christ is the only way to Heaven, and Religion will bring you nothing in that regard. John 14:6 I do believe is the scripture.
 
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Sabertooth

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I'm surprised you didn't say, "If we all had to agree on a theology, it would be the WORD OF GOD."
That is what everyone claims to want, now. Since we don't agree to what that is, we have many denominations for the sake of freedom of conscience.

None of them have everything right. Choosing just one would be at the expense of freedom of conscience. And it would set the Reformation back by 500 years. (Did you know that Luther and other Reformers persecuted the Anabaptists [for Believer's Baptism vs. infant baptism]?)

I would rather live with the existing divisions until Jesus returns. Those who love Him are converging on His image, anyway (per 1 John 3:2).
 
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That is what everyone claims to want, now. Since we don't agree to what that is, we have many denominations for the sake of freedom of conscience.

None of them have everything right. Choosing just one would be at the expense of freedom of conscience. And it would set the Reformation back by 500 years. (Did you know that Luther and other Reformers persecuted the Anabaptists?)

I would rather live with the existing divisions until Jesus returns. Those who love Him are converging on His image, anyway (per 1 John 3:2).

You make some good points. But if all people could agree the definition of Christianity is "Having a True and Loving relationship with Christ" then there would be no division among the church. Except for the people who don't truly love him.
 
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Sabertooth

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Except for the people who don't truly love him.
But the Tares [Matthew 13] are going to remain in our midst until Jesus returns. Do you want to compromise with them to formulate a "unified" denomination? That is called ecumenism. (It is a bad idea.)
 
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But the Tares [Matthew 13] are going to remain in our midst until Jesus returns. Do you want to compromise with them to formulate a "unified" denomination? That is called ecumenism. (It is a bad idea.)

No compromise is needed. They won't be included. Simple as that. They can get on board or not. Not everyone will make it to heaven. Only those that truly repent and change their ways. That is all.
 
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That is what everyone claims to want, now. Since we don't agree to what that is, we have many denominations for the sake of freedom of conscience.

None of them have everything right. Choosing just one would be at the expense of freedom of conscience. And it would set the Reformation back by 500 years. (Did you know that Luther and other Reformers persecuted the Anabaptists [for Believer's Baptism vs. infant baptism]?)

I would rather live with the existing divisions until Jesus returns. Those who love Him are converging on His image, anyway (per 1 John 3:2).

The Word of God is God. "In the beginning the was the word and the word was with God and the word was God." With this logic we can assume that anything God says not to do is bad, and that we shouldn't do such things.

Anyone God sees doing such things therefore is not a True Christian. And must repent and change their ways.

And since God is Good, and Jesus is God, we can define Loving Jesus as Loving what is Good, and also loving God.

Catch my drift?
 
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Sabertooth

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They won't be included.
If you can positively identify them. Immature Christians look very similar. Some will resemble Cessationists, who are Saved, otherwise. (And best wishes getting them to buy into Continuationism, or vice versa.)

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV
 
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If you can positively identify them. Immature Christians look very similar. Some will resemble Cessationists, who are Saved, otherwise. (And best wishes getting them to buy into Continuationism, or vice versa.)

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV

Oh, here we go! This is going to be awesome!

Firstly, we can tell them apart from the rest by their "fruit" aka their actions.

No luck needed, plus God already knows who truly loves him, and if someone were to ask for discernment, they would know too, because the Holy Spirit would let them know.
 
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Sabertooth

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Firstly, we can tell them apart from the rest by...
"We" who?

The Christian on the street can vote with their feet, but we can't compel them to comply to a Biblical standard prior to the Thearchy.* They will just be cults. (Some of whom will be disguised as denominations.)

*And, even the Faithful won't have an exhaustive standard until 1 John 3:2.
 
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"We" who?

The Christian on the street can vote with their feet, but we can't compel them to comply to a Biblical standard prior to the Thearchy.* They will just be cults. (Some of whom will be disguised as denominations.)

*And, even the Faithful won't have an exhaustive standard until 1 John 3:2.

Oh, "we" as in the "Ones who truly Love Christ" and have a "True and Loving relationship with Christ" and "Peace with God through Christ." True Christians, who else?
 
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"We" who?

The Christian on the street can vote with their feet, but we can't compel them to comply to a Biblical standard prior to the Thearchy.* They will just be cults. (Some of whom will be disguised as denominations.)

*And, even the Faithful won't have an exhaustive standard until 1 John 3:2.

Exactly proving my point. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian lives like one.

The True Christians can stay or go where God sends them, and I'm not saying to "enforce" anything.

I'm saying it would be nice to have a little true unity in the body of Christ.
 
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Sabertooth

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True Christians, who else?
And we are going to just tell the others to stop being wrong...?

Here are just some of the issues "we" would have to agree on (after the Nicene Creed),
  1. Original Sin? y/n
  2. Infant or believer's Baptism?
  3. OSAS? y/n
  4. Charismata today? y/n
  5. ...
I can guarantee that no matter how you answer these questions, that church already exists. You are left with them being the only true church (and no need to establish a new one). We just have to [somehow] get everyone else to get on board. (This would be true even if our answers, ultimately, prove to be correct.)

Or we can let the Holy Spirit work in His Believers to bring them to 1 John 3:2 His way (another doctrine we would have to hammer out). And let Jesus be the Author and Finisher of our Faith [Hebrews 12:2].

I prefer the latter.
 
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And we are going to just tell the others to stop being wrong...?

Here are just some of the issues "we" would have to agree on (after the Nicene Creed),
  1. Original Sin? y/n
  2. Infant or believer's Baptism?
  3. OSAS? y/n
  4. Charismata today? y/n
  5. ...
I can guarantee that no matter how you answer these questions, that church already exists. You are left with that being the only true church (and no need to establish a new one). We just have to [somehow] get everyone else to get on board. (This would be true even if our answers, ultimately, prove to be correct.)

Or we can let the Holy Spirit work in His Believers to bring them to 1 John 3:2 His way (another doctrine we would have to hammer out). And let Jesus be the Author and Finisher of our Faith [Hebrews 12:2].

I prefer the latter.

You seem to want to make things more complicated than they have to be.

What is our job as Christians? To go out and share the Good News, of Christ and to preach repentance. Nowhere in that Job Description involves trying to convert them.

The answer simply is this. To those who are wrong, we preach the truth, if they don't accept it, it's their bad.

To those who do accept it, well, there's a heaven and they'll be on the path to getting there.
 
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Sabertooth

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You seem to want to make things more complicated than they have to be.
You are departing from the OP's theme of ecumenism/consolidating the denominations. It IS complicated. And only Jesus is qualified to do so.

As was pointed out earlier, you will just create another denomination (or a copy of an existing one). Until the Thearchy, it is a pipe dream.
 
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You are departing from the OP's theme of ecumenism/consolidating the denominations. It IS complicated. And only Jesus is qualified to do so.

As was pointed out, earlier, you will just create another denomination (or a copy of an existing one). Until the Thearchy, it is a pipe dream.

It is only complicated as you and the others make it. And if only Jesus is qualified to reach out to lost souls and save them what is the point of "Preach the Gospel to all nations" like Jesus himself commanded.

The Church, no matter what denomination they may be, is not the building. It is the people that go there. The church building is only for keeping God's commandments to "fellowship" "Break Bread" and to "Worship the Lord in his Sanctuary."

It is the peoples souls that God wants saved, not an inanimate building.
 
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