In Psalm 133, David declared, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” He then compared it to the oil that was poured upon the head of the High Priest and ran down to the hem of his garments. Also, he compared it to the dew that descended upon Mount Hermon and ran down to the base of the mountain. There are three important associations made here; unity, the anointing, and divine order. In God’s government these three are inseparable.
The oil was poured upon the head and the dew descended from the top of the mountain. David said, “There the Lord commanded the blessing.” The anointing always flows downward, touching each member of the body in its time. For there to be unity in the body there must be divine order. When each member of the body is in his proper place the oil will flow to all parts. Submission is the price one pays for anointing, and this is the only way there will be unity in the body of Christ. Submission yielded upward will result in anointing flowing downward.
The concept of unity is often misunderstood. It is not the same as uniformity, which demands “sameness” in all aspects. Uniforms are designed to make all associates alike and recognizable. Church leaders seeking uniformity instead of unity will only find frustration. Some people think that unity means an absence of diversity, but, in reality, unity demands diversity. To even suggest unity is to recognize the differences that exist between us. If there is no difference there is uniformity. The beauty of the church is “unified diversity.” While we are all different, we all are devoted to the same cause.
In Acts 2 the believers were said to be “in one accord.” The Greek word for “accord” means to ‘rush along’ and ‘in unison’. The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church.” i
Once I attended a performance of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and was intrigued from the first note to the last. No musician on any instrument would have been able to produce the performance alone. But together, following the direction of a capable leader, they produced beautiful music. Some musicians play together while others just play at the same time. There is a difference!
Some churches work together while others just work at the same time. There is a difference! Paul said, “We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11) His subject was the unity of the body and how the enemy can bring division. The only way Satan can defeat the Church is through disunity. Wise Christians are not ignorant of his tactics and learn to forgive each other and forget the offense or conflict.
There is only one thing that will produce unity – all other efforts will fail. Purpose produces unity. When the common purpose becomes greater than the “special interests,” there will be unity. A careful study of the founding fathers of our great nation will reveal tremendous diversity of philosophy and opinion. Tempers sometimes became so riled that political differences were settled in duels. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were on opposite ends of the political spectrum – yet they united for a cause. The purpose of liberty became greater than their personal differences. It is a pity that our national purpose today must take a back seat to special interest groups.
But why criticize our nation when there is an entity closer to home that we can criticize. Many of our churches have lost their purpose and fragmented into special interest groups. I have watched supposedly mature Christians promote their own personal preferences to the point of wounding or even destroying new converts. I have watched church members push personal opinion to the point of dividing the body. This is a warning signal to a church – someone has lost sight of the purpose. Jesus came to seek and save the lost – why did you come? He died to save the lost – do you live to promote personal opinion?
Let us make this critique more sensitive. We have somehow come to believe that unity is something that should exist in the local assembly, but not necessarily among assemblies. As a pastor, do I practice the same principle of unity with my fellow minsters as I expect from the members of the congregation that I pastor? Is brotherhood only to be practiced within the local assembly? Is the condemnation of “ought against my brother” only a reality at the local level? What about having “ought against my brother” in another congregation? A brother is a brother no matter where he attends church!
Concerning the subject of purpose, is it possible that our own passion has overridden the nesting purpose? Oh that the state of Alabama would grasp the common purpose of evangelizing the lost from Athens to Mobile, from York to Phenix City! When the purpose gets strong enough it will produce Christian unity. The tower of Babel shows us the power of unity. What power is there in unity when are in the will of God? I am certain there will be enough to bring revival to Alabama!
For there to be unity there must be 1) Divine order in the church, 2) Heavenly anointing on the body, and 3) common purpose. I know of only one thing that will get us there – PRAYER! Disunity is a sure sign of prayerlessness. A church that prays together stays together. Prayer reveals God’s purpose and the common purpose will produce unity. Different personalities, different gifts, different ideas, different administrations – all working together for the common cause!
i Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Online Bible, Version 1.31, Timnestheserah, Inc., Winterbourne, Ontario
This Article first appeared in the print edition of the Focus Magazine in April of 2012
