Biblical Unity: The Need and the Cost

Our Lord and Savior paid the cost for our unity with own His life. While we would all agree that this cost is far beyond measure we must also agree that, more often than not, we show little regard for His purchase and quickly toss it aside if it would require any effort on our part at all. I can only suspect we have failed to realize the value and the absolute necessity of our unity in accomplishing our mission in the world today.

In the latter portion of John 17 beginning with vs. 17 Jesus asked the Father to sanctify those He had been given with the truth and in vs. 20 He extended that to all who would believe in Him through their word. Consider now the reason, importance and value of His request as He explains it in verses 21 through 23:

“that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (NASB)

The very glory that was given Christ He has bestowed on us that we may be made perfect in unity so that the world might believe in Him. Now if there is any question at all as to how it is that the world will perceive this then consider this verse:

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NASB)

Jesus secured our unity through His submission to the will of the Father and it is only through our submission to Him that we will maintain it.

“so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.“ (Romans 12:5-18 NASB)