“How good and pleasant
it is when brothers live together in unity.”- Psalm 133:1
Unity within the Body of Christ strengthens us and protects
us while making a powerful statement to our community. Jesus’ prayer recorded
in John 17 for himself, his disciples, and all believers shares a common
underlying theme of unity.
“I do not pray for
these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word: “that
they all may be one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they may be
one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” –John 17:20-21.
On the night before Jesus was betrayed the idea of a unified
body of believers was heavy on his heart and mind. Jesus understood that a
divided church would not be as effective in reaching the lost as would a united
body of believers that carried within them the glory of God:
“And the glory which
You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.”-John
17:22.
Together we carry God’s glory into a dark and broken world.
He deliberately made our walk of faith a shared experience. Together we have
been given the message of reconciliation to share; we are partakers together of
the Lord’s Table; and are mutually empowered by God’s Spirit. The Apostle Paul
described it this way:
“For we, though many,
are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.”-1
Corinthians 10:17.
That one bread that we all partake of is Jesus. When we
focus more on, who we are, as part of the body, rather than maintaining our
focus on Jesus; it isn’t long until divisions occur. Once divisions begin to
take place we begin to look less like Jesus and more like the world around us.
Unity was to be a trademark Christian quality that set us apart from the world;
a sign of God’s power and authenticity at work in the hearts of God’s people.
When functioning properly, unity among the Body, acts as a
beacon of light in a world that is filled with division, dissension, and
destruction. However, a divided body quickly loses its influence and witness in
a culture that is already immersed in divisiveness.
In Luke 11:17, Jesus taught his disciples that a kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation and a house divided against
itself falls. Backbiting, gossip and internal bickering will never lead to
lives being transformed!
However, Jesus declared if we will learn to function in
unity; God’s message of hope will be heard:
“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.”-John 17:23.
Unity within the Body of Christ proclaims hope and
demonstrates the love of God. Jesus’ prayer for unity among God’s people should
also become a core prayer among each of his followers.
Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
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