Understanding the Importance of Unity
The most important result of our unity is as Jesus said in John 17:21-23 which says
“that they all may be one; as You Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may
be one in Us that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory
which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one.
I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world
may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me”.
The devil does not want the world to know this, so he works overtime to break up
any kind of unity, he uses offenses to get people in strife, and un-forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14-15 shows us a key principal of God “for if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”.
As you read what Jesus says in Mark 11:23-26 “for verily I say to you. That
whosoever shall say to this mountain, be you removed, and be you cast into the
sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he
says shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore I say to you,
what things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and
you shall have them. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven
forgive your trespasses”. People are standing on verses 23-24 but without our
unity with God, showing grace and mercy, as He does, verses 23-24 won’t come to
pass.
Jesus wanted His followers to be unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s
love. You can help to unify the body of Christ, the church. You can pray for other
Christians, avoid gossip, build others up, work together I humility, exalt Christ, and
refuse to get sidetracked arguing over divisive matters. Christian unity is based on
each person’s connection with Christ. Jesus prayed for unity among the believers
based on the believers’ unity with Him and the Father. Christians can know unity
among themselves if they are living in union with God. For example, each branch
living in union with the vine is united with all other branches doing the same (John
15:1-15).
In Christ, unity has been made possible (Ephesians 2:13-16) “but now in Christ
Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For
He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of two one new
man, so making peace. And that He might reconcile both to God in one body by the
cross, having slain the enmity thereby”. Acts 17:28a says “for in Him, we live, and
move, and have our being”.
Paul had a vision, of a church where all Jews and Gentiles would be united in their
love of God and in obedience to Christ. A person’s ethnic background and social
status should be irrelevant (Galatians 3:26-29) “for you are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ’
s; then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”. What really
matters should be faith in Christ. The covenant brings us into unity with God.
Paul prayed “I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and
that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding” (Philippians 1:
9). Unity ought to be a distinctive mark among Christians. Paul therefore stressed
spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in the spirit
and purpose (Ephesians 3:14-19). In order to have unity, we have to walk in the
love of God. Remembering that “the love of God has been shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us” (Romans 5:5). Because God has
shed His love in our hearts, we know that it is His desire for us to be in unity. We
achieve unity by renewing our mind to the word of God.
The love commanded by Christ should create deep unity among Christians. All
Christians are part of God’s family and thus share equally in the transforming power
of His love. Let Christ’s love motivate you to love other Christians and to express
that love in your actions toward them (Philippians 2:1-2) “if there be therefore any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
bowels of mercies. Fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same
love, being of one accord, of one mind”. The church is a unity in diversity, a
fellowship of faith, hope and love that binds believers together (Ephesians 4:3-4)
“endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one
body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling”. In verses
11-13 we see that Jesus “gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. Unity ought to be a distinctive
mark among Christians, when we work together, caring for the problems of others
as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ’s example of putting others
first, and we experience unity.
In Hebrews 12:28-13:1 “wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue”. This should
give us encouragement.
In the book of Acts we see unity in motion. Acts 1:13-14 says “and when they were
come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James,
and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the
son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the bother of James. These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and with His brethren”. Acts 2:1-4 “and when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began
to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”. Even when they
were threatened, Peter and John returned to their company and told them all that
had happened. And they prayed “and now Lord, behold their threatenings and
grant to Your servants, that with all boldness they may speak Your word. By
stretching forth Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the
name of Your holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken
where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
they spoke the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed
were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of them that ought of the things
which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And with great
power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great
grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:29-33). The early church turned their world
upside down because of their unity. Let us set our hearts to do the same.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 27, 2008
The most important result of our unity is as Jesus said in John 17:21-23 which says
“that they all may be one; as You Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may
be one in Us that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory
which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one.
I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world
may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me”.
The devil does not want the world to know this, so he works overtime to break up
any kind of unity, he uses offenses to get people in strife, and un-forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14-15 shows us a key principal of God “for if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”.
As you read what Jesus says in Mark 11:23-26 “for verily I say to you. That
whosoever shall say to this mountain, be you removed, and be you cast into the
sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he
says shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore I say to you,
what things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and
you shall have them. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven
forgive your trespasses”. People are standing on verses 23-24 but without our
unity with God, showing grace and mercy, as He does, verses 23-24 won’t come to
pass.
Jesus wanted His followers to be unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s
love. You can help to unify the body of Christ, the church. You can pray for other
Christians, avoid gossip, build others up, work together I humility, exalt Christ, and
refuse to get sidetracked arguing over divisive matters. Christian unity is based on
each person’s connection with Christ. Jesus prayed for unity among the believers
based on the believers’ unity with Him and the Father. Christians can know unity
among themselves if they are living in union with God. For example, each branch
living in union with the vine is united with all other branches doing the same (John
15:1-15).
In Christ, unity has been made possible (Ephesians 2:13-16) “but now in Christ
Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For
He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of two one new
man, so making peace. And that He might reconcile both to God in one body by the
cross, having slain the enmity thereby”. Acts 17:28a says “for in Him, we live, and
move, and have our being”.
Paul had a vision, of a church where all Jews and Gentiles would be united in their
love of God and in obedience to Christ. A person’s ethnic background and social
status should be irrelevant (Galatians 3:26-29) “for you are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ’
s; then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”. What really
matters should be faith in Christ. The covenant brings us into unity with God.
Paul prayed “I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and
that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding” (Philippians 1:
9). Unity ought to be a distinctive mark among Christians. Paul therefore stressed
spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in the spirit
and purpose (Ephesians 3:14-19). In order to have unity, we have to walk in the
love of God. Remembering that “the love of God has been shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us” (Romans 5:5). Because God has
shed His love in our hearts, we know that it is His desire for us to be in unity. We
achieve unity by renewing our mind to the word of God.
The love commanded by Christ should create deep unity among Christians. All
Christians are part of God’s family and thus share equally in the transforming power
of His love. Let Christ’s love motivate you to love other Christians and to express
that love in your actions toward them (Philippians 2:1-2) “if there be therefore any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
bowels of mercies. Fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same
love, being of one accord, of one mind”. The church is a unity in diversity, a
fellowship of faith, hope and love that binds believers together (Ephesians 4:3-4)
“endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one
body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling”. In verses
11-13 we see that Jesus “gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. Unity ought to be a distinctive
mark among Christians, when we work together, caring for the problems of others
as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ’s example of putting others
first, and we experience unity.
In Hebrews 12:28-13:1 “wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue”. This should
give us encouragement.
In the book of Acts we see unity in motion. Acts 1:13-14 says “and when they were
come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James,
and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the
son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the bother of James. These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and with His brethren”. Acts 2:1-4 “and when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began
to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”. Even when they
were threatened, Peter and John returned to their company and told them all that
had happened. And they prayed “and now Lord, behold their threatenings and
grant to Your servants, that with all boldness they may speak Your word. By
stretching forth Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the
name of Your holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken
where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
they spoke the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed
were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of them that ought of the things
which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And with great
power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great
grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:29-33). The early church turned their world
upside down because of their unity. Let us set our hearts to do the same.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 27, 2008
