Unity in the Body
Unity in the Person of Jesus
Oneness in the spirit is an accomplished fact (v.21)
When the Holy Spirit comes into the life of the believer-God is in us
Oneness in the practical act of living is a work in progress (v.23)
This is growth towards living out what is within
As it pertains to followers of Jesus, unity is the unreserved dedication to being the person God created us to be in Christ Jesus so that in turn the body will be the corporate manifestation of Jesus in the world that He desires us to be.
We have unity in our salvation in Christ (vs. 20-21)
We have unity in the glory of Christ (v.22)
Unity in the Reflection of Jesus (v.21)
The unity of the God-head (3 in 1) is reflected in the power of the unity of the body of Christ when we are more concerned with the glory of God in this world that our own, self-perceived glory of any given moment
Remember that Jesus washed Judas’ feet as well…
Humility may lower our heads for a moment but it can raise high the Gospel in the eyes of the world
When we can’t get along with one another- it sends the message to a watching world that our God is not able to bring reconciliation to broken people
Unity in the Mission of Jesus
Jesus’ mission is a mission of love
Jn 3:16, 1 Jn 3:1…how great a love-children of God)
We are called to this mission
Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8
Paul spoke to the church at Philippi telling them that all he had been through had resulted in the spread of the Gospel and encouraged them in Philippians 1:27- Only conduct yourselves (act like a citizen of Heaven) in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving (wrestling) together for the faith of the gospel
Did you catch that? Paul expected them to wrestle…but from a position of unity in the Spirit (wrestle – together, not against) FOR THE FAITH of the Gospel (NOT AGAINST for self-satisfaction… that the fight Satan brings to us which is why scripture says we wrestle AGAINST principalities in the heavenly places)
In the world we live in today, genuine unity is a rarity. For the people of God, born again through the blood of Jesus, reconciled to our heavenly Father… we ought to stand in stark contrast with the world…
Unified in the person of Jesus
Unified in our reflection of Jesus
Unified in the mission of Jesus
Then the world will know that there is a God Who still loves, still forgives, still saves and still enables people to live for His glory
Romans 5:10- For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life