by Mr. Titus Menezes
Unity as a topic is in discussion in every area of our living – whether in marriage, organizations, government or spiritual communities. Though I will speak more keeping in view the church and prayer groups it can be extended to any areas of our lives when two people come together.
Unity has affected mankind since the beginning of creation. Take a look at the Book of Genesis and we read about Adam and Eve breaking away from God
Jesus spoke on unity during this ministry. Paul wrote letters to the various communities on unity –
• To the Corinthians: our key verse today.
• To the Ephesians 4:4.
• To the Philippians 2:2.
First the negative component:
- very easy, unity means no division;
- unity is the absence of division.
- There can be absence of division when there is complete indifference, no one cares attitude.
- There can be absence of division when the congregation is dead – spiritually. There is no life.
The positive component:
- Unity is oneness and exists where there is life, where there is a living relationship
- In oneness, the congregation shares a mutual purpose, mutual activity, mutual involvement. All are benefited.
- Where there is order, there is unity. The Catholic Church is a beautiful example.
- Where there is unity there is activity
And finally the component of mutual responsibility
- Where there is unity, there is the mutual responsibility of forbearing, patience, forgiving so on and so forth.
Christian Unity is not uniformity: Ignorantly most people in the church think unity means uniformity, in other words all are identical, all are called to be spiritual clones / duplicates. Each person has gained wisdom, knowledge, understanding through various experiences and he/she is called to sacrifice it or gain it so that all beome uniform. This is not true and should not be the case Uniformity does not allow individuality. If you and I do not face the same challenges in our lives how can we then have uniformity in our spiritual lives?
Consider the Holy Trinity, God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit – three distinct yet equal but not uniform. They are one but not identical.
Christian Unity is not a human achievement: Unity is a gift. While writing to the Galatians 3:26-28, Paul says those who are baptized in Christ as a result of their faith have no spiritual distinctions – between a Jew or a non-Jew , between a slave and a free person, between man and a woman. All are made one in Christ Jesus. Who then are we to bring about these distinctions?
What are the causes of disunity?
Paul give us three great causes for disunity in Phil 2:3 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
- Selfish ambition – when man tries to advance his kingdom, his motive is not divine, instead he creates. Jas 3:16 - For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.
- Conceit – self importance, feelings of excessive pride. The desire for personal prestige, holding positions, to be admired and respected, to have one’s opinion sought.
- Concentration on self – when one focuses on self. Self is compared either favourably or unfavourably than the others. Superiority complex or inferiority complex.
Lack of knowledge of the Word – in Hosea 4:6
Belief in the spectacular – miracles, deliverances even if it means giving up the doctrines of the Church i.e. the unity of faith, worship and governing body. We run from one prayer meeting to another and pull along others. And then we say as long as we follow the same Lord it is ok.
Another cause is spreading of rumours, gossip against members, spoiling names, accusation and the like which is enough to keep us apart. On pretty nonsensical non-spiritual matters we walk out.
Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
How then can we have Christian unity?
Even if we are to agree and put everything in its place of what has just been spoken, we could still not have Christian unity. Christian unity is far above unity of faith, unity of worship, unity of government, brotherhood, coming on a common platform for a purpose
Christian unity is nothing less and is nothing else than divine unity itself – the unity of the Spirit – John 14
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
This is Christian unity – the unity of the individual Christian with and in the Father and the Son. This unity is brought about by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
In John 17:21-23, Jesus spoke three times of this unity - That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they (man) also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 13:34-35 - I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Jesus tells that his followers will be known by the love that they have for each other. The measure of following Jesus is love - a love that will manifest itself as unity:
Unity is essential to the followers of Jesus. It is not just friendliness or togetherness but oneness – that they (His followers) may be one as we are one. In other words we have to have the oneness of God.
We are called to give ourselves completely to each other just as the persons of the Holy Trinity. This then is the unity we are to look for.
This brings us to our key verse for this evening 1 Corinthians 12:12 - For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
As the church is the body of Christ, she should reveal the love and unity of God. If our focus is to shift by even a degree from the divine, the church stands in danger of falling apart.
Paul compares the church to a physical body – a body of flesh. Each part of our body has a distinct position and role to play. The absence/ non-functioning of any one part is detrimental to the whole body.
In Ephesians 4:23 Paul while advising husbands and wives compares Christ as the head and the church as the body.
Why was Paul writing about this comparison to the Corinthians? The church at Corinth was faced with a problem because of the spiritual gifts its members had received. The spiritual gifts were the cause of dissension among that church. It was but natural as it was a growing church – newly formed, they did not have detailed teachings of Christ and His Spirit, as we have today.
This is where Paul advises them by comparing the Church to a physical body – for their understanding.
Verses 4-6 state - there are a varieties of gift, but the same Spirit, there are a varieties of services (administration) but the same Lord, varieties of activities (operations) but the same God.
In 1 Corinthians 12:27 ff we read of administrative gifts.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.
How then can we strive for unity?
God is faithful. We need not worry on the vertical front. He said when two or three are gathered in my name, I will be there. That leaves us with the horizontal aspect – our relationship between us. Because of our human nature there will be times when this aspect will be tested.
When two people come together there is bound to be friction, agreement and disagreements. Each of us has our own intellectual levels, talents, wisdom knowledge, mindsets, etc. How than can we have agreements on all matters, be it natural or spiritual?
But yes by the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, we can come to a common ground for the good of self, fellowmen and God. Read this in Ephesians 4: 2-6 - I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
God has made each one of us unique and not clones. We are not coming out of a factory. Within this diversity He expects unity.
In Proverbs 27:17 we read – Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. When iron hits iron sparks fly but see the end result: the face of the iron is shaped and made beautiful. If iron were to hit clay, the imprints of the iron would be on clay. One overpowering, the other subdued.
Eve was separated from Adam when she was tempted and she fell. If the two were together they would have survived the temptation. The plans are clear: separate and destroy the plan of God – the words and thoughts to separate a member are as sweet as told to Eve.
Remember the parable of the lost sheep Matthew 18:12-14 –
Our good Shepherd trusts the ninety-nine others to remain united while He goes in search of that lost one.
Again see for yourselves if the fruit of the Spirit is tested at home, it is love and patience that is greatly challenged. Just as Christ is central to the church so should He be in our homes, in our marriage, in our relationships and in our lives. The Christian church exists because of the domestic church. Each cannot do without the other. In Ephesians 4, Paul gives us instructions on Christian household.
Lets accept this Law of Nature – the tree that bears the sweetest fruit gets the maximum number of stones.
I close this talk with the verse from Phil 2:1-3 which summarizes all that I have said: If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
Though we are many, we are one body in Christ.
I’d like to put this acronym:
U n I Together with Yahweh
U n I Trusting Yahweh – lets build His Living Church. Amen!