“That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21 NKJV)
Unity is a big word in the Bible. It speaks of how God and man come together. It speaks of how Christians live and work as one. It even speaks of unity between friends and in marriage. If a person wants to be united with God and with His people, three simple things must shape our lives. Without this unity, we cannot hope to spend eternity with God and His family.
We find unity with God through the gospel of Christ. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8 NKJV) Our unity is not optional. It is the very thing Jesus prayed would convince the world that He came from the Father. It is not just living peacefully side by side. It means we share one Lord, one mission, one way of worship, one kind of love, and so much more.
Unity begins with our character:
In the letter to the Corinthians, Paul listed problem after problem: fights over favorite preachers (1 Corinthians 1:10-15 NKJV), lawsuits between brothers (1 Corinthians 6:1 NKJV), marriage troubles (1 Corinthians 7 NKJV), hurting weaker Christians (1 Corinthians 8 NKJV), and misuse of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NKJV). Every problem came from a lack of Christian character.
The Corinthians had grown proud and boastful. They had stopped respecting each other as people made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27 NKJV). But love is not envious. Love does not brag.
The turning point of that whole letter is 1 Corinthians 13. Paul wrote, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV) He could have every gift and all knowledge and mountain-moving faith, yet without love he would be nothing.
God tells us exactly what this love looks like: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV)
Jesus said the world would know we belong to Him by this love: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 NKJV) John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.” (1 John 4:7 NKJV) And again, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NKJV) Peter urged, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” (1 Peter 3:8 NKJV) Paul said, “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” (Colossians 3:14 NKJV)
If we want the unity Jesus prayed for, we must wear this love every day.
Unity also depends on our priorities:
Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37 NKJV) We must choose to do what is right. “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16 NKJV) We must set the right goals in life. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36 NKJV)
The church has one main purpose: to make known the wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10-11 NKJV). Our number one mission is the salvation of lost souls. Jesus gave us that marching order: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)
When we fight over what the church should do, we show we have lost our focus. But when every member puts God’s priorities first, we answer Jesus’ prayer and show the world His mission.
Unity rests on the right authority:
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Colossians 3:17 NKJV) That means we do everything by the authority of Scripture. Peter said it plainly: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29 NKJV)
There is only “one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:4-5 NKJV) We cannot be united if we follow different rules. The Bible must be our only guide. We speak where the Bible speaks, stay silent where the Bible is silent, and call Bible things by Bible names.
Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23 NKJV; Colossians 1:18 NKJV). If we add our own ideas where God has not spoken, we become our own authority and division follows. How can we claim to be united with the Lord if we teach different things about His church?
What this means for us today:
Unity comes when we share the same character of love, the same priorities set by God, and the same authority of Scripture. Paul wrote, “Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2 NKJV)
This week, do one thing to show this unity. Support a work in the church you may not usually help. Make peace with a brother or sister in love. Let the world see we belong to Christ.
True unity begins when we obey the gospel. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) Faith comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17 NKJV). We must repent (Luke 13:3 NKJV), confess Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32 NKJV), and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16 NKJV). Then we must live faithfully until death (Revelation 2:10 NKJV).
Those who refuse the gospel will still stand before the Lord. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48 NKJV)
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