ristian Unity

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

Dearly beloved in Christ, living in unity with fellow brothers and sisters is very essential for successful Christian life. The metaphors the Scripture uses to define God’s people show us the importance of unity. We are a ‘family’ (1 Tim 5:1, 2) and believers are all brothers and sisters. We are a ‘flock’ (John 10:16) and the believers are all sheep that live together. We are the “Body of Christ” (Rom 12:5) and believers are all parts of that body. Our God is a God of unity. He is the Triune God living in unity (John 17:22). He prayed that his disciples should be living in unity (John 17:21). For us to win the spiritual battle and to defeat the plans of the enemy, unity is very important.

1. EXEMPLIFICATION OF UNITY: EARLY CHURCH
   The Bible says the early church believers devoted themselves to the unity (Act 2:42). All the believers were together and had everything in common. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 2:44; 4:32). In the New Testament Church, this unity is called by the Greek word “koinonia”. This term is used 20 times in the New Testament. “Koinonia” means “joint participation in a common interest and activity”. We can see clearly that oneness in mind and unity was the reason for the success and revival of the early church (Acts 1:14; 2:1; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12). They prayed together, helped each other, witnessed together and conquered together. The Lord desires that every one of us must be one in spirit and mind (Phil. 2:2).
2. EVIDENCES OF TRUE UNITY: 
   Unity is not just shaking hands after Sunday services or participating in some church activities. True unity is enquiring one another in love, praying for one another and helping one another. We see such unity in the early church (Acts 2:42-47). This kind of unity is stressed 71 times in the New Testament by the words “one another” in English and ‘allelous’ in Greek. By doing the following deeds to one another, we can show the world the true unity.
   • Love one another (John 13:34, 35)
   • Honor one another above yourselves (Rom. 12:11)
   • Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16)
   • Encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11; Rom. 14:19)
   • Teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16)
   • Have equal concern for one another (I Cor. 12:25)
   • Carry each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2)
   • Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32)
   • Forgiving me another (Col. 3:13)
   • Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21; I Pet. 5:5)
   • Consider others better than yourselves (Phil. 2:3)
   • Pray for each other (James 5:16)
   • Offer hospitality to one another and serve others (I Pet. 4:9, 10)

As we are one body in Christ, and members of one body, we are called to do all these to one another in unity (Rom. 12:5; Eph. 4:25). So in our relationship with our family members and church members, let us put the above into practice and demonstrate our unity.

3. ENEMIES OF UNITY:
   Satan is actively working to destroy unity in church and family. Do not give place to him (Eph. 4:27). The Bible that says what we should do to one another also says what we should not do to one another. When we avoid these we can overcome the enemy. We should not pass judgment on one another (Rom. 14:13). We should not provoke and envy each other (Gal. 5:26). Do not be harsh to one another (Col. 3:19). Do not slander one another (James 4:11).
   There should be no backbiting, bitterness, unforgiveness, envy, selfish ambitions, vainglory among believers (Eph. 4:31, 32; Phil. 2:2, 3). These are enemies to unity. When these things are with us, Satan is happy. But when we discard all these, Satan is put to shame. We will grow and the church also will grow.
4. 
   EXCITING BLESSINGS OF UNITY:
   When we are in fellowship with God and live in unity with His people, God has promised the following blessings
   • There will be answer to prayer (Matt. 18:9; Acts 12:5)
   • God’s presence will be there (Matt. 18:20)
   • Life and blessing for ever (Psalm 133:3)
   • Spiritual help and Protection (Eccl. 4:9-12; Deut. 32:30)
   • Victory over Satan (Eccl. 4:12)
   • Needs will be met (Acts 4:32; Gal. 6:10)
   • The world will believe Jesus (John 17:21)
   • Preparation for the second coming of Jesus (Heb. 10:25)

Finally brothers and sisters, be strong in your unity with the fellow brethren. I would like to tell you a story that I read. One day all the parts of the body joined together and quarreled with the stomach. They said to the stomach, “without doing any work, you eat well three times a day. Hereafter we also won’t do any work”
From that day the hand never took the food. The mouth did not eat. The legs didn’t go in search of food. But the stomach did not worry about it. It believed that they will surely learn a lesson. After some days, the parts of the body lost their strength without food. They came to the stomach and asked to forgive them. From that day they lived together in unity. God has some work for everyone in the church. When we realize (accept) that and do our part, there will be blessing in our life and growth in the church. God’s kingdom will advance by leaps and bounds!

By My Spirit

Zechariah 4:6

The world-renowned evangelist Dr. Billy Graham once beautifully said, ‘you need the Lord Jesus for your eternal life and the Holy Spirit for your internal life.’ Every believer in Jesus Christ needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). It is impossible to live victoriously and serve the Lord effectively without relying on the Holy Spirit’s power. The divine standard that God has set for Christian living and service is so high that it is impossible to reach that standard without the enabling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Human ability and human genius are quite inadequate. It is “not my might nor by power; but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6)! Let us see briefly the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

1. He is the SECRET of the Christian’s victory
   The Christian life should not be one of failure but a life of victory and triumph. The One who lives this life out in us is the Holy Spirit, so that we are able, through His empowering to be victorious over sin, self and Satan. The Bible says, `live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal. 5:16). Days are becoming more and more difficult to live holy. But God has made full provision for a victorious life in giving us His Spirit. Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 8 brings the ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers into clear focus. Prior to this chapter, the Holy Spirit is mentioned only one other time in the entire epistle (Romans 5:5). But here in chapter 8, he is referred to nearly 19 times. Paul says that the Holy Spirit frees us, enables us, revives us, leads us, bears witness for us, intercedes for us and makes us more than conquerors (8:2, 4, 11, 13-15, 26, 37).He transforms us more and more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). By His Spirit, we have victory!
2. He is the SPRING of the Christian’s joy
   The Holy Spirit brings joy unspeakable. He is called the oil of joy, the oil of gladness (Isaiah 61:3; Psalms 45:7; 1 Peter 1:8). He turns our mourning into dancing. He lives within us to make us joyful, happy, radiant people. One of the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). The disciples were filled with joy in the midst of adverse circumstances because of their walk in the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:41; 13:52; 16:25). The Holy Spirit comes in to lubricate your spiritual life, to make this life interesting and exciting. The Christian life will become a frustrating religion without the Holy Spirit. Paul writes, ‘The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking…but it is joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Romans 14:17)!By His Spirit, we have great joy!
3. He is the SOURCE of the Christian’s knowledge
   Jesus said, `the Holy Spirit will teach you all things’ (John 14: 26). The Holy Spirit is the best teacher of the bible because he is the author (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16). The Holy Spirit teaches us all that we need to know concerning our walk and our work, what we are and what we are to do (John 16:13). This does not mean we don’t need people and study materials. The Holy Spirit will turn all information into inspiration. When we study the Bible with the help of the Spirit, He will open your eyes to get a grasp of His Word (Neh. 9:20,30). He will illuminate our minds to understand the difficult passages of the Scriptures (Eph. 1:17, 18). He will quicken our understanding and give revelations from the Word of God. He will teach us comparing the spiritual things with the spiritual (1 Cor. 2:13; 1 John 2:27). How wonderful to have the divine Teacher instructing and guiding us into the truth, in order to please the Lord.By His Spirit, we have deep understanding of God’s Word!
4. He is SUCCOURER of the Christian’s Faith
   The Bible says that we are to live by faith (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 11:6). Therefore the Devil attacks our faith (Luke 22:31-32). We are subject to many trials and temptations, overwhelmed by sorrow (John 16:33), but the Holy Spirit is within us to succour us at such times.The Holy Spirit is called a Helper (John 14:26). One of His primary helps is in the area of prayer, because we are all weak in it. We do not know at times what to and how to pray for. In those times, the Holy Spirit not only helps is in our prayer but also intercedes for us and through us (Rom. 8:26, 27). Apostle Peter who faltered in his faith and failed in his prayer life (Matthew 26:40; 69-74) became a mighty man of faith and prayer after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 3:1, 6). By His Spirit, we become mighty in faith and prayer!
5. He is the STRENGTH of the Christian’s Service and Ministry
   We are all saved to serve, but Christian service is impossible in our own strength. In Old Testament times God called people to serve Him, giving them special anointing of the Holy Spirit to make them effective in service. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God and so he became an extraordinarily skilled craftsman (Exo. 35:30, 35). Daniel and Joseph prospered in the strange lands which were hostile to their holy convictions because the excellent Spirit of God was upon them (Dan. 5:11; 6:3; Gen. 49:23-25; 41:38). Yes, when you are filled with the Spirit, you will be able to do your work exceptionally and extraordinarily well. A spirit-filled doctor will treat better, a Spirit-filled engineer will build better, a Spirit-filled teacher will teach better and a Spirit-filled student will study better! When a person is filled with the Spirit of God, even his seniors and superiors will come to him for counsel and guidance (Gen. 41:37-40).
   The Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit when He began His public ministry (Luke 3:21-22; 4:18). The last recorded words of Jesus before His ascension was the promise of the Spirit’s power for global evangelization (Acts 1:8). About the early Christians we read, `they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly’ (Acts 4:31). The Spirit-filled believers are powerful means in the hands of God to convince and convict the sinners (Acts 2:36, 37). The Holy Spirit gives us the courage, charisma and charismata (spiritual gifts- 1 Cor. 12: 7-11) to witness for Him. He empowers us to emancipate those who are under the bondage of sin, sickness and Satan (Acts 10:38). Hegives us strength and power to accomplish God’s purpose in our lives. By His Spirit, we shall do valiantly (Psalm 60:12; 108:13)!