How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:20-23
Unity. David wrote about it; Jesus prayed for it to be manifested in His church. Paul wrote on it in many of his letters to various individual churches. Why is it important? In John 17:23, Jesus says if we Christians have unity, then the world will know that God sent Jesus and that God loves us. Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God,” (Romans 5:5-7 NIV).
Perhaps we need to take a step back. The Bible talks of believers as being a part of one church, one body. We often think of the church as a building, or as a denomination. But in fact, it is all believers, everywhere – all over the world – not a building, not just the local church, and not just a denomination.
Paul wrote to several churches about how each believer needs to view himself now that he or she is in Christ. First a believer needs to set his mind on eternal things. Then Paul described how to put off the old self, put on the new self, and most importantly, we are to put on love. Two good places to see this described in detail are Romans 6:1-13, and Colossians 3:1-17. But the section in Ephesians gives us a key reason behind all of this.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one hope when you were called–one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-13 NIV
One reason for the instructions Paul gave to the church is so that it may be built up, strengthened, matured, so that each of us can do kingdom work wherever God takes us or wherever we find ourselves. The work of the worldwide church is to spread the gospel and to build up believers – help each one to become more mature in his or her faith. When this occurs, we have unity. We are bringing glory to God, and we are witnesses of God’s love for us through His sacrifice of Jesus. Look at one of these sections of scripture and listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you about how to be involved in kingdom work and be unified with other Christians throughout the world.
by Grace Hunter
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