Hold the unity of the church It is of the utmost importance, since the church is the body of Christ, and like every body, it must be united. This analogy is used because if one member of the body hurts, all hurt, and if one member is happy, all are happy.
The church is the Body of Christ
The church is the body of Christ and there is no schism in the body (cf. 1 Cor. 12:25). As in the human body, there is diversity in unity and unity in diversity (cf. 1 Cor. 12). The highlight, however, is unity. If there is unity, it follows that this unity must be expressed in all the functions that belong to the church.
Since government in the church is an institution of Christ (Romans 12:8; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Tim. 5:17; Hebrews 13:7, 1 Peter 5:1, 2), this unity must be expressed in leadership.
Christ is the head of the church. He alone is the king. Any infringement of this sovereignty that belongs to Christ is a violation of what is basic and central to church leadership. It follows that everything done in the church must adhere to the pattern of a cone that has its apex in Christ.
What is the bond of unity in the Church?
The answer can be given in one word: “true religion.” Religion, as communicated by God to men in the Bible, is their great integral bond. The Holy Scriptures not only exhibit the model from which the Church will be built; they also provide what gives it substance, stability, order, proportion, and unity.
It is “built on the foundations of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the main pillar, in which the whole building, properly framed, becomes a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:20-21). . What is this unit about:
1. This unity consists in her having a head and a body
The head is Jesus Christ, whom the “only God and Father of all” has appointed over his house (Eph. 4: 6). “Supporting the head, of which the whole body by the joints and bands that feed and unite with the grace of God” (Col. 2:19).
All true believers are inwardly united with the Lord and derive their spiritual life and growth from him; and likewise, Christians, in his associated capacity, are to be in professed subjection to him, in his divine mediating authority, as the only Universal Shepherd, and the only Head of government.
2. The unity of faith
“There is one body,” because there is “one faith” (Eph. 4:4-5). A system of faith or revealed truth, as well as of duties, has in every age formed an essential and important part of true religion. By embracing this, the Church distinguishes itself from other societies.
3. A baptism
Baptism is a solemn insignia of the Christian profession, as well as a sign of the grace and privileges of the New Covenant. In accordance with the proper and original design of this ordinance, and the profession accompanying it, all the baptized are made one, and a basis is established for their mutual communion in all acts of worship.
4. Unity regarding discipline
Christ, the head of the Church, “provided aid to pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry, for the gathering of the saints, for the edifying of the body, until all came in the unity of faith, and knowledge of the Son of God, for a perfect man” (cf. Eph. 4:11-13; 1 Cor. 12:28).
5. The bond of mutual charity and peace
This is the silken cord that must be thrown over all the others, and that completes the Christian union. Thus, an apostle calls charity or love a perfect bond: “Above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection” (Col. 3:14).
Love must cement the union that faith has formed; and it is by the joint influence of both that Christians are “joined to the Lord,” and to one another in him, “with purpose of heart” (Acts 11:23).
How can the church walk in unity?
For be unifiedChristians need to focus on the right resources. If you have any encouragement to be united with Christ, if there is any consolation from his love, if you have communion with the Spirit, if you have tenderness and compassion (Philippians 2: 1)
Some might be tempted to think that it is impossible to have unity. They might declare: “We are too different! We come from different backgrounds, different styles of worship, and enjoy different things. We also express ourselves differently. How can we unite in the world?
It seems that Paul is answering this question while reminding the church of the resources they have for unity. He describes four resources that are commonalities of every Christian and empowerments for unity. He says: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if there is any comfort from his love, if you have communion with the Spirit, tenderness and compassion” (Philippians 2: 1).
The grace to be unified has been given by God, and we must appropriate and access it. Since God has given us all these resources, all these supernatural powers, we should be a unified church.
What are the resources that God has given the church for unity?
The resources that God has left us to be able to maintain the unity of the church are the following:
1. He has provided us with encouragement in Christ
One of the commonalities we have as believers is the encouragement of our relationship with Christ. The word “encouragement” means to reach out to someone, to provide assistance by offering comfort, advice, or exhortation. It means coming next door to help. “Combine stimulation with pain relief.” Christ used a similar word when referring to the Holy Spirit and his ministry to us.
The Holy Spirit is our counselor, our advocate, our helper (John 15:26). The word represents exactly what we see in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10). The Samaritan approaches the injured person, anoints his wounds, places him in a hotel, and pays for his stay. He does whatever it takes to help. Christ does the same with us.
This is one of the reasons why we can unite. We can unite because we have the same friend, the same comforter, the same cheerleader in common. For each of us, Christ comes along to walk us through the pains and struggles of life.
2. God has comforted us with the love of Christ
Another common element and empowerment for unity that God has given us is the “comfort of Christ’s love.” Every believer became a recipient of Christ’s love in spiritual birth. We have all become recipients of this great love; we have received comfort in our sins and failures through God’s love for us.
To be filled to the fullness of God means to be empowered by God (cf. Eph. 5:18). That is the result of understanding the greatness of the love of Christ. The perfect love of Christ casts out fears and anxieties that keep us from unity. Fear of rejection and fear of being hurt not only make us fight but keep us from trying to rebuild relationships.
3. He left us to the holy spirit
God gave us is the . When we were saved, God did a miraculous work in us through the Holy Spirit. He baptized us into the body of Christ. Now this baptism occurred at the very moment that every Christian was saved. They became part of the body of Christ and were eternally united with Christ and with believers.
God did a supernatural work through the Holy Spirit that will never be undone. For all eternity we will be the body of Christ, united with Jesus and dependent on one another. It’s a phenomenal concept.
However, although the Holy Spirit made us one in Christ and gave us spiritual gifts to use for the edification of others, we must still work to maintain the unity of the church in the Spirit.
The Spirit of God has already made us one and works in us so that we are together and depend on each other; however, we must work to maintain the unity that he forged. The Spirit made us one, and we must work to maintain it.
4. God has given us tenderness and compassion
Paul says that God has given us “tenderness” and “compassion” to unite us. The word “tenderness” is translated “intestines” in the KJV. It is a physical word related to the stomach. It means the ability to feel someone’s pain. Paul used this word earlier in Philippians 1:8. He said that he longed for the Philippians with the same “affections” (or bowels) of Christ. He felt the same pain and longing for the Philippians that Christ felt.
This is very important because when we are in discord we often only feel our own pain. We can’t hear the other person’s cries because we are too upset at being disrespected and dishonored, but the guts of Christ feel the pain of others. This tenderness, or affection as it can be translated, leads us to compassion.
It leads us to serve the needs of those who hurt us. One author said that “tenderness is the root and compassion is the fruit.” We can become one because Christ gave us his own tenderness and compassion. When Christ looked at the crowds and saw them as sheep without a shepherd, he had compassion on them and went to minister to them (Matthew 9:36).
What attitudes should believers cultivate in order to be unified?
All believers must cultivate behaviors in order to achieve the church unionwe explain them to you below:
1. They must have the same thoughts
Paul says that believers must be “like-minded.” It literally means “to think the same”. In Philippians 2:5, Paul says that each person should have the same “attitude” or “mind” as Christ. When Christians develop the mind of Christ, it will be easy to become one. The mind of Christ is further clarified in Philippians 2:7, where he says that Christ took the very nature of a “servant.”
He did not come to earth to be served, he came to serve. That is the type of mindset that every believer must develop in order to be unified in the church. In fact, one of the main reasons we fight and argue in church is because people treat us like servants. We feel disrespected. We feel that others do not respect our position.
However, Christ took the “very nature” of a servant. He was not simply a king who was serving, he was a king who was a servant. His attitude was consumed with others about himself. That is the mindset that must be developed if we are to practice unity in the church. We should care more for others than for ourselves.
2. Believers must have the same loving attitude
The next attitude that Paul says we must develop in order to become one is a loving attitude. The kind of love that Paul is talking about here is “agape.” He uses the Greek word for the love of God in this text. It is not a selfish love or a love of emotions that is often seen in the world.
“I love you until you hurt me. I love you because you love me. I love you because I feel that way, but when I don’t feel that way anymore, I don’t love you anymore.” That kind of love will never result in unity. It is like the wind: it is here today and gone tomorrow. You can not trust him.
“I choose to love even when you are not kind. I have vowed to love you no matter how much I…