Unify the Church Family of Believers
Psalm 133:1
“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.”
“It is what it is,” a statement of defeat, seems to have become the motto of the church. But it doesn’t have to be. There is much we can do, and one of those things is to unify relationships within the true Body of Christ.
Unity within the church is clearly a priority in the Bible. For example, Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 shows us the importance of unity. Three times Jesus prayed, “that they may be one” and once He prayed, “that they may be perfected in unity.” Acts 4:32 tells us of the importance of unity in the early church, “and the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul.” The Apostle Paul prioritized unity in Ephesians 4:3, “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Just a quick Bible search tells us that unity is a value we must embrace.
Unfortunately, it is becoming a rare trait among followers of Christ. The cultural changes of our world have brought division among believers in Christ. But this is actually nothing new to the church. Unity among believers has always been a challenge because the nature of the enemy is to divide. Acts describes the early church’s efforts to preserve unity in Acts 6. And today, it seems as though the enemy has ramped up his attacks, and the church is the target.
What can we do? We can follow Ephesians 4:3 and work diligently to “preserve the unity of the Spirit.” We are not called to PRODUCE unity, but to PRESERVE unity. We must guard it, protect it and prioritize it as a non-negotiable value. Can you imagine the difference it would make if we, as true believers, reclaimed a passion for spiritual unity? Actually, John 17:21 answers that question: “that they may be one… so that the world may believe.” Lostness is prevailing around us and perhaps, partly, because we are at conflict with one another.
This is not a call to uniformity around lies, however. Pastor Adrian Rogers said, “It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills.” Clearly we are at war for truth, and for that, we should never retreat. Compromising truth is not the answer. Christians must find unity in the foundational truths of God’s Word.
So what can we do? We can work to unify believers in Christ. Let me be clear, our differences are real and challenging. This is not a call to surrender our different views. In fact, there is a healthy tension in facing opposing views. And I genuinely believe that sometimes those differences send us in separate directions. This is a call however to reclaim unity in the foundation of the Word of God.
How? A good beginning can be found in Ephesians 4:2, “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Let’s start with these things. Release our fighting fist with other believers and embrace one another in the unity we have through the Holy Spirit. I invite you to join me in asking some questions of myself.
Am I humbling myself before the Lord and others? (James 4:10, Phil. 2:3-5)
Are my words spoken in gentleness or in arrogance and pride? (Col. 4:6)
Am I bearing with others, patiently giving others space for how God is at work in their lives? (Eph. 4:2-3)
Do I make allowance for others' faults knowing that my own are equally glaring? (Matt. 7:3-5)
Does Christ’s love manifest itself in and through me to others, even those with whom I disagree? (Col. 3:12-14)
Believers in Christ face serious challenges today: cultural, political, relational and more. There are so many differing opinions among us. But there is also something we share in common: our love for Jesus! That should be our driving passion - the Christ-life.
So let’s get started reclaiming the scripture to preserve unity. Let’s commit ourselves to “dwell together in unity.”