John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
This passage of scripture clearly states that God has people in all denominations and in all religions, although some of them have not yet come to a knowledge of the truth, but may be serving The Lord to the best of their ability. This is one of those sacred truths that we are sometimes slow to recognize as we interact with those of other faiths, who might not see or understand spiritual things in the same exact way as we do. Hence the reason why God gives us a gentle reminder that those of us who have been baptized into Christ are not the only ones who with whom God is now working, but there are many others who will one day hear the voice of the True Shepherd, and will take their stand to follow where He leads the way. Let's read:
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
However it's important for us to note that the other sheep are not deemed by God as being exactly safe where they now are, for as Christ says, He must bring them into His one fold, so that there can be one fold and one Shepherd. This statement made by Christ teaches us that God has an organized church body upon the earth, that is to present to the world a united front in spreading the good news of salvation with one united voice, both in principle and in practice. The apostle Paul warns us of schisms in the body of Christ that occur from time to time to disrupt the general cohesiveness of true believers, and these divisions we are to guard against by keeping our focus on Christ and the principles of brotherly love, his kingdom should always be representative of.
After Paul was met by Christ on the road to Damascus, where he was carrying on his relentless attacks against the newly formed Christian church, he was then instructed to go to a member of Christ's "One fold" to be instructed as to what he should do from this time forth. It's worthy of note that Jesus could right there and then have told him what must be done, and given him his marching orders personally, but Christ did not see fit to do this, for it would certainly have caused much undue agitation within the body of new believers. Let's read:
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
This example set by Christ Himself is pregnant with instruction for us living in the 21st century, where many Christians now feel that they are free to go out on a limb and start ministries and churches without the unified consent of the true body of Christ. As a matter of fact, this is the very reason why we now have so much confusion, and so many different denominations within Christendom, together with so many variant strains of doctrine and interpretation, that the genuine seeker for truth is now confused, bewildered, and at a loss to determine which is true and which is false.
Whatever may be our disagreements, it is imperative that we stay united as a body and try to reconcile our differences within the domain of the one fold and one Shepherd. And if our differences cannot be resolved, we are still not at liberty to disconnect ourselves from God's established body of believers, but should rather wait for Him to find a workable solution, for God always has the answers to our most perplexing difficulties. We therefore end with a passage that calls us to unity with Christ and with each other, and may we be humble and patient enough to follow where God leads the way. Let's read:
1st Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!