Unity – Part V
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”
Ephesians 4:1-7 KJV
The Holy Bible tells us a about a rich man who expensively dressed in the latest fashions and lived in luxury every day; “There was a rich man who always dressed in the finest clothes. He was so rich that he was able to enjoy all the best things every day” (Luke 16:19 ERV). In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus Christ tells the story of a rich man who said to himself; “I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!” (Luke 12:19 ERV). Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in an August 27, 1967 sermon that Jesus called the rich man in St. Luke 12 a fool because “…he failed to realize his dependence on others”. According to Dr. King, the rich fool failed to realize that “…wealth is always a result of the commonwealth”. Commonwealth means that a group of people are united by a common interest focused on the general good or public welfare of the people. It probably could be argued that commonwealth is closely related to the word ‘UNITY’. The Saints in Acts 4:32 were ‘united’ in their thinking and in what they wanted; “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul” (Acts 4:32 KJV). The whole group of believers displayed such ‘UNITY’ that when they prayed, the place where they were shook and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31). We read about a demonstration of ‘UNITY’ when King Solomon and God’s people finished building the Temple and were unified in their praise and worship of the Lord. They praised and sang as one and as a result, the glory of the Lord filled God’s house; “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So, that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14 KJV). True ‘UNITY’ cannot be legislated by governments. As a matter of fact, God tells His people to not join with unbelievers and to separate ourselves from the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). God’s people are different and are the only people that can have true ‘UNITY’ because ‘UNITY’ is only found in the Creator and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All things were made by Him for Him and man’s original place was to commune with God but sin and disobedience broke that communion and the only way that it can be restored is by believing in the wonderful gift of sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for us. Jesus brought us back into ‘UNITY’ with the Father and now we are one with Him. If you don’t know Jesus Christ, then now is the time to come home. Give your life to Him and He will give you true rest, true peace and make you truly whole. The Lord gives us One Body, One Hope, One Faith, One Baptism, One Spirit, One Lord, and One God. We are one people in Jesus Christ. That is true ‘UNITY’.
Submitted by Trustee Stanley Ridley