Unity is a vital manifestation of a church empowered by the Holy Spirit.
That is why Paul told the Christians in Ephesus that they should strive to “preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3).
That is why he wrote to the Corinthians: “I beseech you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree (speak the same thing), and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be entirely united in the same feeling (of the same mind) and in the same opinion” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
In unity there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4-6). The challenges we face, the spiritual battles we fight, demand that we accept the truth that true believers “are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
Paul asks that believers in the church have the same thoughts, have the same love, be one in spirit and purpose (Philippians 2:2). He essentially called them to live in unity, to be one.
Unity must lead us in the love of Christ, to listen and bear with one another. Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
We must understand that God made each believer unique with different functions, and these differences make the body of Christ beautiful – Romans 12:4. Unity therefore does not mean that everyone is the same, but rather that we honor our differences and work together despite them – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.
Although we have different gifts and different callings, our purpose is to glorify God in everything we think, say and do (1 Corinthians 10:31). We glorify him by living in obedience to his commandments and bearing much fruit (John 15:8, 10). We also glorify Him as we become more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18) and by being holy because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16).
Christian unity is expressed by the common mission of believers which is to fulfill the Great Commission, and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), and rejoice that Christ is being proclaimed (Philippians 1:15-18).
To unify, Christians must develop the right attitudes, and believers must be united in spirit. In Philippians 2:5, Paul says that every person must have the same “attitude” or “mind” as Christ. Being united in spirit means caring for one another as if we were caring for ourselves. This means following the golden rule, to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). So, when Christians develop the mind of Christ, it will be easy to have a united church.
Christian unity is expressed by the common belief of believers; believing in the inspiration and authority of Scripture; the Trinity; the full divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ; His substitutionary death for him on the cross; His bodily resurrection; His second bodily coming; and salvation by grace through faith alone apart from works.
If the believers want to be unified, they must have the right spirit. They must give up selfish ambition and vain glory. They must practice holiness and have the humility of a servant.
Christian unity is based on redemption. It is based on the fellowship we enjoy with all true believers who, like us, have experienced God’s forgiveness and been given eternal life. And Christian unity can only be experienced by true believers, those who have come to know the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit.
When a church does its work in a harmonious and unified way, and does it year after year while making Christ-like decisions and carrying out important ministries, the world takes notice. The outside world watches and sees, and people are drawn to Jesus.
This is what Jesus fervently prayed for, that his followers might be one: “Father, I pray that they may all be one…that the world may believe that you sent me…that they may be one, just as we are one…” (John 17:20-23). This means that our unity must be rooted in Christ’s own unity with the Father.
A consistently unified church is one of the strongest evidences of the truth of the gospel. And through Him the whole body, “being well adjusted and united by the cohesion that the joints provide, according to the proper functioning of each member, produces the growth of the body for its own edification in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
Unity is the foundation of holiness, and holiness brings harmony to the church, resulting in a healthy church filled with love, joy, peace, and unity in the body of believers.
God bless you,
Rafa
Adapted and translated from mvmspanish.wordpress.com in Spanish.