Unite For Something And Someone

“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 15:5-6.

It was Charles de Gaulle who said that, “Only peril can bring the French together. One can’t impose unity out of the blue on a country that has 265 different kinds of cheese.” Unity is difficult when you have so many different types of people and viewpoints. But the Bible tells us to be likeminded with Christ and renew our minds to the endurance and encouragement the scripture offers us. We should make an effort to have unity between believers; there should be no divisions or arguments among us. We should live in mutual harmony out of love for each other. The Bible has a lot to say on this subject.

Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called…” (Ephesians 4:1-4 ). It is not easy to be united. But the simple truth is we that what we have in common is what sets us apart. The challenge is to recognize this and to live in harmony in Christ Jesus.

David said in the Psalms, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” ( Psalm 133:1 ) This is because there is power in unity. When we have unity then we can help the whole world find and follow Jesus. The opposite is also true, if there are fights and quarreling among us, then we reduce or eliminate our ministry’s effectiveness.

Look at what happened on the day of Pentecost. The Bible says that the disciples were all together in one accord, and suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came down from heaven and filled the house where they were staying. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues. The sound drew a large crowd from the town and they heard the disciples speaking to them, each in their own language. The crowd marveled as Peter addressed them with the good news of Christ. Three thousand people were added to their numbers that day (Acts 2). All of this happened because they were together in one accord or in unity among themselves and the power of God was present and able to work among them.

Discussion Questions:

What does unity mean? Why is it important to have unity in the home/family? In the church?
How do we stay unified as a church, considering all the differences? How does our common experience in an uncommon God unify us?
How do you go about the goal of unity in your home, marriage, family, church? What practical steps do we need to take?