Unity
‘that they may be perfected in unity’ was Jesus’ prayer in John 17:23.
What a wonderful
desire, if not an elusive reality.
King David would
state it emphatically this way:
“Behold,
how good and how pleasant it is
For
brothers to dwell together in unity!"
(Psalm 133:1)
Why is unity such
a good and pleasant reality?
Like the life of
King David (you can read about his life in 1 Samuel 9 through 2 Samuel 24), our lives are often marked by
more conflict and discord than unity and harmony. The pain of conflict makes the joy of unity that
much more precious to us.
But where does
unity come from? I have observed the
deep irony that unity with each other does not come from focusing on
each other. That is counter-intuitive,
but as we will see today, certain.
Unity can only
come from something in common that unifies. More specifically from Someone: God Himself.
‘Just as We are
One’
""Sanctify
them in the truth; Your word is truth. "As You sent Me into the world, I
also have sent them into the world. "For their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. "I do not ask on
behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that
they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
"The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may
be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected
in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even
as You have loved Me." (Jesus
Christ, John 17:17-23)
There is no
conflict in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), rather, there is
perfection of love and unity. It is the
infinite generosity of God that He shares this with His people. Christ’s rule in the hearts of His people (‘I in them’) is the only thing that makes
unity possible.
The Adhesive of
the Spirit
"Therefore
I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one
Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all
and in all." (The
Apostle Paul, Ephesians 4:1-6)
"Beyond
all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." (Colossians 3:14)
Because the Holy
Spirit resides in each believer, He provides the resources of humility,
gentleness, patience, and love, all of which are necessary for unity.
Heavenly
Resources in Human Form
First and
foremost, we draw on the example of Christ:
"Therefore
if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make
my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in
spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the
interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ
Jesus," (Philippians 2:1-5)
Secondly, we draw
from the leaders Christ has given to the Church
"And
He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and
some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of
service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity
of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the
measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
A Perfect Head
and an Imperfect Body
"For
just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the
same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually
members one of another." (Romans
12:4-5)
"Now
there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of
ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God
who works all things in all persons." (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
"but
speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is
the head, even Christ," (Ephesians
4:15)
Does this mean we
ignore our differences? On the
contrary! We embrace our God-given
differences as gifts from God, for the blessing of one another, to
the Glory of God. This is a reality that
we are continually growing into as we individually take our direction from
Him. Like a great conductor, we trust Him
to put the parts together beautifully even if those parts by themselves don’t
make sense to us. We must follow Him for
unity to be possible.
Friend, how are
you in the area of unity?
If you are not in
Christ, then true and lasting unity is just not possible for you, because you
do not have the Great Unifier.
If you are in
Christ, are you submitting to His rule and reign in your heart? Are you drawing on the resources of the
Spirit, or are you striving in your own strength? I encourage you to spend some time in
Galatians 5:16-25 and James 3:13-18. A life
focused primarily on self and others has no end but painful discord (or at best
superficial ‘unity’), while a life submitted to God can bring unspeakable joy
and harmony.
You have now read
(or heard) all 5 verses in the Bible that use the word ‘unity’. Can you spot them?
Here’s to your
inexpressible joy and unity in Jesus.
Until next time,
In His Grip,
Mark D. Twombly
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