I am not the first person to see that we, as the body of Christ are not very unified. We have the propensity to want to create our own things and have our own followers even though we believe in the same Jesus. Because we don’t like how they do it over there or how they say it across the street. We say things like, “Man I cannot believe they would let people come into their house like that.” So with these thoughts and dislikes we create a “body” with likes that cater to us. Therefore from the onset we dis-unify ourselves from the others operating as the body of Christ.
Sometime in 2004 John 17 really began to hit my spirit.
John 17:20-23 (NIV)
“20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
After reading this my heart began to change about the way I viewed the body. It also changed my heart towards what others brought to the body. There was then a strong desire to see unity brought to the body. If we could operate in complete unity then we could truly bring the Kingdom of God to earth. And in this process I think I missed the starting point. To unify outside of yourself you must first be unified.
Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)
“12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The word of God pierces the division within our own body and bringing unity to the soul and spirit. When this takes place within us then we can bring about unity to the rest of the body of Christ. I do not claim to have a how-to to make this happen. However, I know we must posture ourselves to allow the word to pierce us in such a way that brings about unity in our soul and spirit. So that we can love one another as he has loved us. Setting aside our own agenda and picking up an agenda of Christ, which is unity amongst those who have chosen to follow him.
1 John 3:23 says, “3 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
