Unity in the Body–Myth or Reality?
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ps 133:1
God put a premium on unity! From the very beginning in Scripture, we have the example of the Trinity, when God said, Let us make man in our image. There could be no greater unity than the trinity. We see this again in that when God created man and woman, he said, They shall be one flesh.
Psalms 120 through 134 are known as the Psalms of Ascent. These were songs probably sung during the Israelites pilgrimage up to the temple at the time of the three major feasts of Israel. Psalm 133 is the penultimate, next to the last Psalm, in the Psalms of ascent. The very final Psalm in this series of 15 Psalms is when the priests enter the temple for glorious prayer and praise. The psalms of ascent are all about progressing to the temple in Jerusalem for ultimate worship in the presence of God. Unity was the last stage prior to their entering into the presence of God. All of this shows us how much the Lord desires unity in the church.
In the fourth chapter of Ephesians we have two occasions wherein unity is the issue. The first is in Ephesians 4 verse three, where we are told to make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit . The second occasion is in verse 13 where it is telling us that the gift that God gave to the church to perfect the saints to bring them into perfection will continue until all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God. The first instance of the unity is a chosen one by the individual believer while the second is a result of God’s grace and workmanship in the believers.
In the first instance, in verse three, we see the responsibility of the individual while in the second, the ongoing process of the transformational work of the Holy Spirit is in evidence. We are enjoined, if not commanded, to make every effort to be at peace with our fellow Christians. This takes into account that we are going to have different likes, preferences, understandings, and even beliefs. As we learn to surrender more and more to the work of the cross in our lives, we will grow in the Spirit of peace. This means we must intentionally practice such qualities as forgiveness, tolerance, patience, forbearance, openness, acceptance and genuine Christian love.
It is easy to see that embracing unity assaults an individual’s will to a significant degree. If we are not willing to die to self, we are not going to experience the unity required for individual and corporate completion in Christ. If we are willing to lay down our lives for the sake of being completed in Christ, God is more than ready to bring us into a unity of faith and into the fullness of knowledge of himself. At this point we will have perfect understanding of all things biblical. This means that everything that previously would have ushered us into disunity would now be eradicated from our lives.
Given what we are learning regarding God’s concept of unity, it becomes apparent that this would only be feasible in a church populated by authentic believers whose lives were truly submitted to one another. Unfortunately this is not the typical church scenario. Today when people get offended they typically just move on to a different situation or simply quit altogether. When the church began it was comprised solely of real disciples, followers of Christ who lived out the reality of the Word in their everyday lives. Church hopping wasn’t an option since the churches were only embracing proven believers. Church discipline in the first century was a serious business if you wanted a meaningful relationship with Christ. A church was principally identified by the town it inhabited. If you were excommunicated from the church you would have nowhere to turn for another church.
Today unity is less a function of choice and more a consequence of one’s interest or focus. People find unity through politics or sports or some particular concern. Many churches follow this same scheme by uniting people around certain religious beliefs, traditions or doctrines. This basically follows the world’s program in that all one needed to do was adhere to the common traditions.
Maybe the greatest difference between unity in the church and what the world follows is in what is produced spiritually or internally through biblical unity. In the world you are just supposed to get along, to cooperate and simply follow the appropriate guidelines. In the church you chose to die to such things as criticism, judgment, prejudices, harsh spirit, etc. and learn to love the brethren in Christ. As you are making right choices the Lord is conforming you to the image of Christ. In the world you are free to simply change groups if in disagreement. Symbiosis is a major characteristic of the world’s unity but in the church this should not be a consideration.
One of the greatest debilitating factors in the church is people bringing their personal preconceptions to the body. Unity breaks down or becomes inhibited when these preconceptions are applied to others in the body. Being Christian doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being willing to become the person in Christ that he died for me to be. Unity means having the willingness to allow others space to be conformed according to God’s timetable.
Spiritual unity or worldly conformity? This is the choice with which we are confronted. Not all churches are prepared to put the premium on biblical unity that God does. However according to scripture the rewards are magnificent-
…for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133:3
