How Do We Reach Unity?

“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.” John 17:21

We are all sinners and we are all in need of a Saviour. And the only way we can be saved is through Jesus.

“Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Ps 86:11

“I am the way the truth and the life: John 14:6. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Ps 133:1

If we walk in the truth, and if God unites my heart with His, then surely I can dwell with my brethren in unity. How can we come to the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God? As Paul writes, “Til we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:13.

We must have knowledge of the Son of God to become a perfect man, to become Christlike.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8.

“The Christian church began its existence by praying for the Holy Spirit. It was in its infancy, without the personal presence of Christ. Just before His ascension Christ had commissioned the disciples to preach the gospel to the world.” HP 333

“In obedience to the word of their Master the disciples returned to Jerusalem, and for ten days they prayed for the fulfilment of God’s promise.” RH 01-30-08

After Christ’s ascension, to the day of Pentecost was exactly ten days. It took the disciples 10 days to sort their differences out. Unfortunately it can sometimes take us years to do the same.

“These ten days were days of deep heart searching. The disciples put away all differences that had existed among them, and drew close together in Christian fellowship. At the end of the ten days the Lord fulfilled His promise in a wonderful outpouring of His Spirit. When they were ‘all with one accord in one place’ in prayer and supplication, the promised blessing came.” RH 04-30-08

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

If we want to have the same experience as the disciples of old, we need to read what Paul wrote to the Ephesians. “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted , forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:25-32

We don’t want to be tossed to and fro any more, because we are in the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. “That we henceforth be no more children,tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” Eph. 4:14,15

“Notice that it was after the discipleshad come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord. All differences had been put away. And the testimony borne of them after the Spirit had been given is the same. Mark the word: ‘The multitude of them that believed were of one heart
and one soul.’ The Spirit of Him who died that sinners might live, animated the entire congregation of believers.” Ev 698

“The disciples did not ask for a blessing for themselves. They were weighted with the burden of souls. The gospel was to be carried to the ends of the earth, and they claimed the endowment of power that Christ had promised. Then it was that the Holy Spirit was poured out, and thousands were converted in a day.” Ev 699

“When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not labourers together with God.” Ev 699

Unfortunately many believers are sitting idle and have not given their lives to Jesus yet. They have not given up the world and do not realize that Jesus died on the cross for them to pay for their sins. They do not understand the gospel commission given by Jesus. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19, 20

We have to make Jesus our number one thought. And then things will look more positive. “After the descent of the
Holy Spirit, when the disciples went forth to proclaim a living Saviour, their one desire was the salvation of souls.
They rejoiced in the sweetness of communion with saints. They were tender, thoughtful,self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth’s sake. In their daily association with one another, they revealed the love that Christ had enjoined upon them. By unselfish words and deeds they strove to kindle this love in other hearts.

“Such a love the believers were ever to cherish. They were to go forward in willing obedience to the new commandment. So closely were they to be united with Christ that they would be enabled to fulfil all His requirements. Their lives were to magnify the power of a Saviour who could justify them by His righteousness.” AA 547

But in the world, things don’t always go the way they should. Things are fading ?away. “But gradually a change came. The believers began to look for defects in others. Dwelling upon mistakes,giving place to unkind criticism, they lost sight of the Saviour and His love. They became more strict in regard to outward ceremonies, more particular about the theory than the practice of the faith. In their zeal to condemn others, they overlooked their own errors. They lost the brotherly love that Christ had enjoined, and, saddest of all, they were unconscious of their loss. They did not realize that happiness and joy were going out of their lives and that, having shut the love of God out of their hearts, they would soon walk in darkness.” AA 548

John, realising that brotherly love was waning in the church, urged upon the believers the constant need of this love. His letters to the church are full of this thought. “Beloved, let us love one another,” he writes: “For love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God, He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love.”

We really have to work out which side we are on. Do we preach Christ crucified or are we on the side of the enemy? “We are to put away our sins, by confession and repentance humbling our proud hearts before God. Floods of spiritual power are to be poured forth upon those prepared to receive it.” 8T 46

“Let there be no strife, no evil thinking or evil-speaking, lest we offend God. My brother, if you open your heart to envy and evil surmising, the Holy Spirit cannot abide with you. Seek for the fullness that is in Christ. Labour in His lines. Let every thought and word and deed reveal Him. You need a daily baptism of the love that in the days of the apostles made them all of one accord. This love will bring health to body, mind, and soul. Surround your soul with an atmosphere that will strengthen spiritual life. Cultivate faith, hope, courage, and love. Let the peace of God rule in your heart. Then you will be enabled to discharge your responsibilities. The Holy Spirit will impart a divine efficiency, a calm, subdued dignity, to all your efforts to relieve suffering. You will testify that you have been with Jesus.” 8T 191

The Bible says: peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. But ?that is for the world. If we have peace with Jesus then God can rule our heart. Now, we learn from the Bible that we will enter into one of the pearly gates. We have twelve tribes of Israel; we have twelve Apostles, twelve different characters.

“The apostles differed widely in habits and disposition. There were the publican, Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising hater of the authority of Rome; the generous, impulsive Peter, and the mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, truehearted, yet timid and fearful, Philip, slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons of Zebedee, with their brethren. These were brought together, with their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil; but in and through Christ they were to dwell ?in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. They would have their tests, their grievances, their differences of opinion; but while Christ was abiding in the heart, there could be no dissension. His love would lead to love for one another; the lessons of the Master would lead to the harmonizing of all differences, bringing the disciples into unity, till they would be of one mind and one judgment. Christ is the great centre, and they would approach one another just in proportion as they approached the centre.” DA 296

“There is order in heaven. There was order ?in the church when Christ was upon the earth, and after His departure order was strictly observed among His apostles.And now in these last days, while God is bringing His children into the unity of the faith, there is more real need of order than ever before; for, as God unites His children, Satan and his evil angels are very busy to prevent this unity and to destroy it.” EW97

If we are one with Christ, we also are one with the Father. And through this unity we do not give Satan an opportunity to destroy it.

“When we bring our hearts into unity with Christ, and our lives into harmony with His work, the Spirit that fell on the disciples on the Day of Pentecost will fall on us.” 8T 246

As the early rain was poured out upon the disciples of Jesus, so will the latter rain come very soon and will be poured out on us. I can feel the first drops already coming down.

“The grace of Christ is to control the temper and the voice. Its working will be seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind, encouraging words. An angelic presence is in the home. The life breathes a sweet perfume, which ascends to God as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering.
“The countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments. Truth is written there. The sweet peace of heaven is revealed. There is expressed a habitual gentleness, a more than human love.” COL 102

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Phil 2:2
My prayer is that we not only are united and like-minded with Jesus, but that we are united and like-minded as brothers and sisters, having the same love for each other and being of one accord.
Amen

Ebby Graf, Australia