READ: 2 Cor. 13:11
Believers are able to AGREE with one another by being of
ONE MIND! Jesus made it clear when He departed from the
earth that He wanted believers to be unified.
John 17:23
says that the desire of Jesus Christ was that we be, “perfectly
one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you
loved me.” When Christians are
individually willing to “lose their minds” we have the ability to have sameness
is thinking. When we are led by ONE
voice, the thoughts and ideas that exist inside our mind will become similar if
not identical. Why
is it important for believers to have unity? How do we get and
maintain unity?
Unity results in AGREEMENT and not DIVISION (1 Cor. 1:10 )
– Have you ever been to a meeting and tried to decide something very
simple? It can take forever because
everyone has a different opinion. But as
soon as someone with authority intervenes and makes a decision everyone can be
on the same page. God is our authority
concerning all issues in life. By
listening to His voice as individuals we can avoid disagreement as a
whole. We do not need to come to
conclusions together but simply obey His direction. Divisions can only occur among Christians
when individuals disagree with God. It
is extremely important that we individually be seeking God’s will so we can be
in agreement and united together.
Unity compels people to meet one another’s NEEDS (Acts 4:32-35) – In the U.S. we are not so
much in material need as emotional and social need. We may not be around people lacking in
material wealth, but we are surrounded by people who are poor in meaningful
relationships. What an opportunity to
meet the needs of those we come in contact with . . . especially other
believers. When we identify a need that
someone has we must offer whatever resources we have (money, time, a listening
ear) to help meet that need. To withhold
ourselves from someone in need is to break the bond of unity that exists
between us as believers.
God GIFTS everyone in order to progress one another
toward unity (Eph. 4:11 -13) – One of our goals in this life is
maturity of faith. We are each uniquely
gifted so that we can mature each other to the same amount of faith. We must
use our giftedness to mature others in their faith. As we each mature together we become more and
more united in our thinking and our purposes as a group. It is much easier to accomplish something as
a united whole than a small group of independent individuals.
Perfect unity is bound together by LOVE (Col. 3:14) – The one common thought that
unites all believers is LOVE! There will
always be differences in opinion, conflicts are destined to arise, and
opposition may never disappear. The only
thing that allows us to remain united and fills in the gaps of disagreement is
love. 1 Cor.
3:8 says that, “love never fails”.
What a gracious character quality God has displayed for us so we can
remain united.
Conclusion:
Psalm 133:1 says, “how
good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” It is evident that God loves to see His
people live in harmony in accordance with His law. The only way to gain the unity that is
described in the Bible is if we as individuals are willing to “lose our
disagreeable mind” and let God lead us individually and corporately. Are you listening
to God’s voice? If not, you are
probably experiencing conflict and division.
But, if you are, you are probably experiencing unity, harmony, and
agreement with other believers!
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