Unity Within The Body
Intro:
• The word unity is found in only three verses in the Bible.
• Each one of these passages explains where our focus of unity needs to be.
I. Unity of the Brethren
Psalm 133:1 (KJV)
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
II. Unity In The Spirit
Ephesians 4:3 (KJV)
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
III. Unity of the Faith
Ephesians 4:13 (KJV)
13 Till 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 fulness of Christ:
• In its simplest form Unity means oneness.
• In the time allotted to us we want to take a closer look at these passages.
• The first passage it is found in is Psalm 133:1
I. Unity of the Brethren
Psalm 133:1 (KJV)
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
• V:1 of this passage is often referred to when discussing unity.
• This passage has been widely accepted as the unity cry of the church.
• We miss the supernatural impact of unity when we don’t consider nor understand the meaning behind the latter two verses of this chapter.
Psalm 133:2-3
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
• According to these passages unity has two metaphors.
First, The Anointing of Unity
• Unity has a sweet perfume about it, comparable to that precious ointment with which the first High Priest was anointed at his ordination.
• It is a...
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...very significant.
• Christ takes every joint or believer and the believer... o is fitly joined together with all the other believers. o has their work compacted with that supplied by other believers. o has an effective and productive work along with that measured by other believers. o helps to increase the body. o helps to edify the body in love.
• What more could be said about the contribution made by every believer?
• What greater challenge could be given to a believer?
• We must give all we are and have to get the job done.
• Much is at stake for each of us. An eternal weight of responsibility rests upon every single believer, for each one is responsible for reaching people and building them up.
• Some people will never be reached and ministered to if a single one of us comes up short.
• For this reason, every one of us is gifted by Christ Jesus our Lord.
...ave a unity under their great love for God. They persevere, and they press toward the kingdom of God through their writings and teachings.
...an inspire us to overcome in every situation; to pursue our callings relentlessly, knowing that he that hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of our Lord Christ Jesus!
For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.
There are many references to our union with Christ in the Scriptures. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Paul also says in Ephesians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” He later states that we are His workmanship created in Jesus Christ to do good works (Eph. 2:10). Those who are dead are called “the dead in Christ” (1 Thess. 4:16), and our resurrection will be in Christ (1 Cor. 15:22).
...is simple truth we learn that man must acknowledge when his work is complete and then chose to focus on that which is better and cannot be taken away from us – time spent in communion with the Lord, memories shared with loved ones, and rest. But, most importantly, from this passage we learn that man must not put his faith in anyone or anything else but the Lord, for he is sufficient to provide for our needs and desires. He knows each person before their birth, he gives each of them a purpose in life, salvation from their sins, a place to dwell God’s presence after death, and selfless love. Man’s only true need is salvation from the sins that have condemned him. The only way to receive that salvation is through faith in God. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has allowed man to do that, anything more is futile for he alone is sufficient and his work is complete.
—. The Unity of the Bible: Exploring the Beauty and Structure of the Bible. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2003.
...ing my fellow human beings with love I am in turn helping myself with love.
"When you open the door which you shut in order to pray to God, the first person you meet as you go out is your neighbour whom you shall love. Wonderful!" [Kierkegaard, p.64]
In Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, Unity is a reflecting theme of this novel and in life. Unity is "the state of being one or a unit; harmony, agreement in feelings or ideas or aims, etc." Unity is first introduced by means of the river and by the mystical word "Om." Direct commentary from Siddhartha and the narrator also introduces the theme.
“First, there is the call to be a Christian. Second, for each individual there is a specific call—a defining purpose or mission, a reason for being. Every individual is called of God to respond through service in the world. Third, there is the call that we face each day in response to the multiple demands on our lives—our immediate duties and responsibilities” (Smith, ...
Father Redmon explained in our interview that each person is to join his or her voice in united faith. My observation was of people outwardly participating e.g., kneeling, crossing themselves but vocal participation was minimal or left to the choir. During my interview with Father Redmon, I mentioned my observation regarding the various responses and he emphasized the centrality of the Eucharist, saying “Worship of the Holy Trinity through the Eucharist is the purpose of the church” and it is through this that they grow both individually and as the Church.
Class notes. Man’s Desperate Need of Righteousness and God’s Glorious Provision of Righteousness. Faith Christian University. Orlando, Florida. August 2011.
... of justice and kindness and devotion; pray and fast without fainting, and spend all of our time in some form of religious worship; if the things that we do were such to get us a name throughout the world, and make us famous to all future generations, it would all be in vain without sincere love to God in the heart. Furthermore, we understand that it is not the external work done, or the suffering endured, that is worth anything but yet it is the extent of love that is displayed that means something in the sight of God.
The repetition of the phrase “Let us come together”, though it has a positive connotation, creates the feeling that there
The ideal of unity seems to be of great importance in the religious world, but rarely is it ever achieved among professed Christians. However, it is vitally important to comprehend unity in its Biblical light. Jesus prayed in John 17:21, “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.” By definition, unity is the state of being one. In order to have a unified church every member must be one one with the Father and the Son. Subsequently, to achieve such an oneness, each member must be perfectly holy, because God is holy. Unfortunately, this is where a clear contrast is made between the saints and mere religious professors.