Unity Among Christians

Chuckle: More fun with the English language: "After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number."

Quote: "The whole Christian life is that we are totally one with each other in the church, that Christ has given himself totally to us in oneness." --Fr Peter Ball

"Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit , and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future" (Ephesians 4:3-4 NLT).

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream that our nation would truly come together around the concept that all people are created equal, and that this national unity would usher in a spirit of good will and understanding within our citizenry, regardless of race, ethnicity or social standing. This is a worthy goal for each of us and for our nation.

We know that Dr. King's dream will only come to fruition when we allow God to change each of our hearts. Such unity and understanding can never be legislated, mandated or dictated, but must grow from within our hearts. Unfortunately, we often see a lack of unity even among Christians, and until this situation is rectified, the full attainment of Dr. King's dream for our nation will remain distant and unrealized.

In our passage, Paul is pleading for unity within the body of Christ, the church. When believers live in unity, it is a beautiful thing to behold and an amazing testimony to the power of God's love and His Holy Spirit. Perhaps each of us should do some self-evaluation of our attitudes toward Christian unity. One of the Holy Spirit's most important roles is to build unity as He leads us and teaches us. But we must be willing to have our hearts and attitudes changed, toward both fellow believers and other people in general.

This can only happen when we keep our focus on God rather than ourselves and our likes and dislikes. Dissention within the church often occurs over the most petty and insignificant issues. When a disagreement is not dealt with, it will grow, fester and become a major source of conflict. When a brother or sister does something differently than the way you would do it, immediately stop, think, and pray about the disunity that will occur if you are unforgiving and make it a big issue.

We must all remember that we who belong to Christ are a part of one body (church) under one Head, Jesus Christ. None of us enjoys a higher standing with God than everyone else. We are all equal in God's sight and problems arise when our sight and God's sight are not the same. Jesus prayed to the Father that "they (we) may be one as we (He and the Father) are one: . . . May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me . ." (John 17:22b-23 NIV). As we unify in love around a common purpose, we can be a positive influence for unity in our world.

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1).

Love, Jerry & Dotse