LIVING AND SERVING TOGETHER IN BIBLICAL UNITY

INTRODUCTION

LIVING AND SERVING TOGETHER IN BIBLICAL UNITY

INTRODUCTION

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Unity, peace and love are absolutely essential in the Church because the church is the “body of Christ” (), and a body cannot be in disunity or disharmony with itself. If disunity occurs, it essentially ceases to be a body and becomes a disjointed group of individuals. The secret to unity begins with how we view ourselves within the body and how we view others. The key verse that addresses this is : “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” All disunity in a church can be traced back to the simple truth that too often we act selfishly and consider ourselves better than others. If you are not saved, you will not be able to live in unity with the boy of Christ, because you are not part of it (). But you can be saved today and become part of that body (; ; ; ).

1. THE URGENT PLEA FOR UNITY AND LOVE AMONG BELIEVERS

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14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

This is a great example of how we should behave towards one another in the Church of the living God. In lowliness considering the others better than yourself ()! Jesus laid down this example in this surprising move. Only servants washed their masters’ feet and the feet of his guests; but the Lord of all the earth took the place of a servant, being the blessed Servant of God.

Though He was God, He allowed himself to be born as Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God! He took upon Himself the form of a servant. He endured the contradiction of sinners. He accepted the death on the cross. Why did he have to do this? To show us what it cost Him to purchase our pardon and our salvation! To show us how we should treat anyone who has become part of His body, the Church. He gave that demonstration of foot washing to show us how we should stoop to serve our brethren! When you serve Christ’s body selflessly like this, they will love you. When they love you like this, they are not going quarrel with you, break apart from you, gossip against you, backbite you or hate you! Let us get ready to wash one another’s feet. Not the physical washing but serving one another as Jesus did for us. It was the job of a servant to wash the feet of the master, but Jesus did it for us to lay down an example for us! (). We must serve one another, united by one Lord, Jesus Christ!

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Jesus spoke to the Father about His disciples’ unity. He spoke directly to His disciples and continues to speak till today through the Holy Spirit to believers about unity love and peace. Having been given the word of God; and having been sanctified by the truth; and having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Jesus prays that all His disciples, and we who believed later, should be one.

Why is this oneness of believers so important?

(i) It portrays the relationship and the unity between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(ii) It will convince the world that God the Father has sent Jesus the Son to be their Redeemer.

(iii) It underscores the fact that though we are in the world, we are not of the world.

(iv) It will show the world that we belong to a different Kingdom which operates with different principles.

(v) It reflects the unequivocal, unambiguous, indisputable, unmistakable and clear declaration of Scriptures that God, according to His own purpose, has joined us together in one body of Christ, the Church. We have no choice but to be one; it is our privilege, for that is the will of God concerning every member of the Church ().

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestine according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

God predestined us to become one with Christ, and one with one another according to His eternal purpose. If oppose this, you oppose not man but God!

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We must walk worthy or live worthy of our calling. In the book of , we see many of the qualities that promote unity among us.

(i) Walking in lowliness

(ii) Walking in holiness

(iii) Walking in meekness

(iv) Walking with longsuffering

(v) Walking with forbearance

(vi) Walking in love

(vii) Speaking the truth in love

(viii) Walking in forgiveness

If we wholeheartedly commit ourselves to live by these qualities, we will definitely live together in unity, in love, in forgiveness and in peace, to the glory of God. This is called walking worthy of our calling!

Pride is not our calling.

If you are proud, and see yourself as better than your brethren, then you are not walking worthy of your calling (). Feeling superior can come as a result of your achievements, your learning, your qualifications, your knowledge, spiritual gifts, spiritual growth and spiritual depth. If you allow these to remain, they will influence how you view yourself and how you view others. This will bring division in the body!

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

If you are impatient and cannot bear and forbear the mistakes of others, then you are not walking worthy of your calling. If you are selective in your love - you only love those who are tribally or ethnically related to you, or only those who love you back, you are walking just like other human beings walk. You are not walking worthy of your calling (; ).

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

There see that you walk circumspectly, redeeming the time for the days are evil! Walk in love.

2. THE UNBREAKABLE UNITY AMONG TRUE BELIEVERS

Believers are one!

(i) We are Planted together in the likeness of His death” ().

(ii) We are Quickened…and raised up together” ().

(iii) We Are Raised up to life together ()

(iv) We are Made us Sit together in heavenly places” ().

(v) We shall be . . . . Glorified together” ().

(vi) We are Builded together.….a habitation of God” ().

(vii) We are Fitly framed together” ().

(viii) We will Live together” ();

(ix) We are heirs together” ();

(x) We shall be caught up together to meet Christ in the air ().

(xi) “How can two walk together except they are agreed ()?”

(xii) We are Perfectly joined together in the same mind” ().

(xiii) We are Knit together in love” ().

(xiv) We should be Striving together for the faith of the Gospel” ().

(xv) We must Comfort ourselves together” ().

(xvi) We Glorify God together ().

Believers are one! We belong to ONE Body, ONE Spirit. We have ONE Hope, ONE Lord, ONE Faith, ONE Baptism, ONE God! (). It is difficult not to see the strong bonds that bind us together in Christ! What else is there to be said?

3. THE UNBOUNDED BLESSINGS OF A UNITED, TRUSTING BODY

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KJV 1900

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

KJV 1900

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.

Unity of the body of Christ is described as good and pleasant. It is like the anointing oil that was used to anoint Aaron as the hereditary high priest. of Israel. Unity of believers attracts the blessings of God. God brings life on the Church that dwells together in unity. The holy Spirit comes down upon the Church that dwells together in unity ().

KJV 1900

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When the Church/a congregation of believers is united:

(i) Christ is glorified

(ii) Divine blessings are received

(iii) Believers are strengthened spiritually

(iv) The Church becomes lively

(v) The testimony of the Church becomes powerful and effective

(vi) Miracles and signs and wonders are multiplied.

(vii) More souls are saved and added to the Church, for they will hear the voice of the Spirit and the testimony of living saints in that congregation.

(viii) The peace of God which passes all understanding will guard the Church.

(ix) The gifts of the Holy Spirit will manifest for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edification of the body of Christ.

(x) The Great Commission will be fulfilled!

📷 Let us work together so that this noble goal of Christ for the Church must be achieved.

📷 Let us strive for the success of the Great Commission;

📷 Let us reach out together for the people who are outside the Church.

📷 Let us drive the preaching of the gospel together.

📷 Let us strive together to bring the people in and the clean-up operation will begin.