A saint once wrote: "The continuous thread woven into the fabric of the divine purpose and plan of God for the salvation and restoration of man emphasises the great importance that unity holds in the Christian faith and life."
Unity is God’s Divine Purpose
Unity of the Church of Jesus Christ has been God’s concern and divine purpose throughout biblical history. Since Genesis days, His purpose has been slowly unravelling in man’s harmony with himself, with nature and with God, and it will culminate in the vision of nations together worshipping the Lamb in the Holy city as depicted in Revelation 5:12–13.
God’s concern for unity is confirmed by Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17 "… that all of them may be one … in Us" (vs 21) and that the world would know that the God who loved them sent Jesus to love them too (vs 23).
The work of the Triune God – where the Father elects, the Son redeems and the Holy Spirit regenerates and indwells, anoints and sanctifies us (Jn 17:19) – is our example of unity that works out spiritual perfection and preservation of His people.
Visible unity – as seen in cohesion, cooperation and ‘organic union’ between Christians in local, regional and global movements – alone cannot bring about "being one". Professor Thomas C. Oden (in one Christianity Today issue) opines: "The only unity desirable for serious evangelicals is based on the truth of the gospel, not on denominational diplomacy."
For the Church to grow in unity, it is therefore essential to understand and adhere to the fundamental doctrines of Christ and the Apostles, and to a passion for holiness.
Challenges Facing the Church
It is vital for church leaders, as shepherds of the flock entrusted into our hands, to be watchful and wary of the divisive work of the devil who seeks to bring confusion by giving false interpretations of the gifts and manifestations and blinds our eyes to the wonderful uniting work of the Holy Spirit. We must be united to be effective salt and light and be witnesses for His glory.
The embodiment of the Lord’s High Priestly Prayer that we may be one must be evident in us. With wheat and tares growing alongside each other, shepherds need to ensure that trends which divide are promptly weeded.
As we enter 2003, let us do His will by giving pre-eminence to the counsel of the Holy Spirit, so that this diversity of gifts, manifestations and operations work in us the perfect oneness and unity that God desires from us. Believing that the Holy Spirit forms the transmission line along which the enabling power of God flows, let us pray for the work of God’s Spirit until the strengthening of the unity in the body of Christ is brought to fruition. |
