Unity is Essential

Unity is essential for any long-lasting success in all venues of life. And it is viewed in Scripture without option. As our Lord said, in Luke 11:17, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.”


However, I believe that we have adopted, in much of the American church, a philosophy of the world that says, “unity at any cost”. When unity becomes our goal, compromise is on the horizon. This is because when we purpose to be united in and of ourselves, we often must lay aside who we are, our hopes and dreams, and sometimes our convictions, because those to whom we wish to be united with may have a different set of their own.

Our view of becoming united must begin, not with unity, but with Jesus. We must all purpose in our hearts to have Jesus Christ and the knowledge of and obedience to Him as our foundation. When this happens, He can take a group of people, totally different, with differing viewpoints, likes and dislikes, similar and opposite tastes, and make them unified, becoming one. This can only happen through Jesus.

Just look through Scripture. Was everyone that worked together in the Bible united on the “hows”? No, but the beauty of it is that when they were committed to the WHO, Jesus Christ, the result was always unity. Not sameness, but unity.

Look how the Word describes it. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves” (but it doesn’t stop there-the key to unity comes)….”as you follow Christ Jesus”, (and still the goal is not unity in and of itself. It is…) “so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (And what does true unity look like”) “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:5-7 additions mine).

Unity

“In a mighty auditorium are four men. They really desire to come together, but neither will come to another’s corner. In the center of the room is a beautiful fountain. Finally someone proposes that they all meet at the fountain. They start for the common center. They come on – forty – fifty – one hundred feet. The nearer they come to the fountain, the nearer they come to each other, each making concessions of location and space. At last they reach their destination, and clasp hands around the sparkling waters of the fountain. Jesus Christ, the great fountain of life, liberty and love is set up in the center of the world. The nearer God’s children come to Christ, the nearer they will come to each other. Let us help hasten the day when we can all clasp hands and sing, “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.” Let the Christian world strike hands in the spirit of those of old who said, “We are brethren” “– Hall

"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.”
(John 17:20-21 NIV)