CHRISTIAN UNITY IN THE DIVIDED WORLD

TITLE: CHRISTIAN UNITY IN THE DIVIDED WORLD

INTRODUCTION

If I ask you a question what is the desperate need of the world we live? The first three priorities as per my understanding Peace, Love and Unity. I have spoken about the need of Peace and Love in the previous weeks, today we will be looking at the need of Unity in the divided world.

The world today is divided with lot of diversities. India has lot of different cultures, languages, tribes, castes and landscapes. In the midst of all these differences, Bible calls Unity in diversity in various aspects of dividing elements. The time we live in the history proves that we are living in the last days described by the scriptures. Now-a-days everywhere in the world people of a country or state fight for freedom within them, people are being killed like birds by the same community which we see in Nigeria and some other African countries. All these events around the world prove that only unity in Christ can unite the divided world. Let us see some of the results as scriptures prescribed as solutions when people united through CHRIST.

Scripture Portion: Psalm 133.

¹ How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

² It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.
³ It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

The three versed short psalm gives lot more insight on the Christian Unity which can result in absolute harmony among the communities and people. This unity can unite people with the perfect bond of Love. (Col. 3:14)

This psalm is one of the Ascension / Pilgrimage psalms in Jewish scriptures. As this psalm is written by David, he meant to appreciate the brotherly love among the Israelites as they travel from all around the world to celebrate the feasts in Jerusalem. The Israelites who climb up to the hill and worship the Lord in the temple at Mt. Zion, they sang praises to the Lord by using the 15 psalms of decrees.

It was the desire of God to unite the people through these feasts so that they come together and worship the Lord with one motive, all kinds of people go up to the hill Rich & Poor, Slave & Free, Foreigner and Natives… etc such as lot of other divisions among them are being nullified as they are united in God’s presence.

The same unity in Christendom is through the Savior Jesus Christ. The entire world is united through the atoning act of Jesus which makes all equal in the eyes of God. Christian unity is all about Christ as the center of our lives, as long as Christ is in the middle of our lives, we have harmony in our daily lives. This unity brings us the following things as the psalm 133 explains us.

  1.  IT IS GOOD: (v.1) The psalm starts with the phrase “ How good” speaking of Christian unity; God sees this unity as “Good.” (The Hebrew Word used is “tob” agreeable, rich and valuable) We see the same expression when God created the universe in the first chapter of the Bible (Gen 1: 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 & 31). There are lot of proverbs used to appreciate “Unity” among people such as “Unity is Strength” “Live together make Life well.” There are short stories to express the unity in living. The people in the world realized about the importance of living together but the unity without “LOVE” ends in a meaningless way.

Scripture says in Ecc.4:9-12, “ ⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰ For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”

The verses above are read only in the wedding houses now-a-days. Those verses speak about the goodness in unity. Unity is good for protection, provision, affection, care and counseling. If the same unity is of Christ centered, which effects much more than the normal unity.

  2.  IT IS PLEASANT: (v.1) The verse again takes us into the next level, “ How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Pleasant is not just Good, it is exceedingly delightful (The Hebrew word used is naw-eem means sweet, delightful and beautiful) more or less it is an outcome of what is good. The output or activity based good is pleasant. When God’s people are united there occurs sweet outcome as a result of unity. The New Testament teaches us to sustain this pleasant unity with one another by following the below elements. When a person follow Christ and having all these qualities the Christian unity is powerful in surplus manner.

a. Love One Another (Joh 13:35)

b. Forgive One Another (Eph 4:32)

c. Comfort One Another (I Thess 4:18)

d. Bear One Another (Col 3:13)

e. Encourage One Another (I Thess 4:18)

f. Accept One Another (Rom 15:7)

To explain the pleasant nature of the Christian unity two examples with liquid is used in the following verses of the psalm. Liquid has the nature of spreading down, this two examples have the unique characteristics of Christian unity and its value

       a.  PRECIOUS OIL (v.2)

The oil used here is the anointing oil of priestly ministry, the oil mentioned there is not only used to sanctify the priest but also all the household things used in the Tabernacle of God. The ingredients involved in making this precious oil are Myrrh, Cinnamon, Calamus, Cassia and Olive Oil (Exodus 30:23-25), all precious in themselves. The myrrh of love. This takes the precedence. Full measure of this must be found. With this, also, there must be the sweet cinnamon of gentleness, the sweet calamus of meekness, the cassia of long suffering, and the olive oil of forgiveness. No wonder that the compound was most fragrant. Aaron was not qualified to minister until thus anointed.

The individual spice is precious yet, when all these five items put together (United together) this becomes a Holy oil. The unity of these five spices makes the oil more pleasant and holy to anoint the precious ones. The unity of various people with one ambition makes more valid in it and God takes pleasure in it.

  b.  DEW OF HERMON (v.3)

The second liquid in Psalm 133 is the "dew of Hermon" (verse 3). Mount Hermon is far to the north of Jerusalem and rises above the upper Jordan Valley. Because of its great height, (about 9000 feet) Hermon is covered with snow most of the year. In late summer the melting snow, or dew, flowed down into the valley. It fed the Jordan River and reached as far as the oasis of Jericho. In arid country, where the rain is scarce and the rivers dry up, the land and the people depend on water that comes from a distant source. It is the scarcity of water in the dry lands, which makes Mount Hermon's dews so precious.

The unity lesson is taught from this liquid is that, the dew fell as individual piece like cotton from the heaven, when it is fell on the peak of Hermon we see it like one coat of cotton layer which covers all the hill tops. This due in its unity covers the differences in the various peaks of the mount as one. This due brings great blessing to the people as it melts and joins with the river Jordan. Christian unity covers all the individual differences within us and makes us ONE before God.

  3.  IT IS BLESSING AND LIFE GIVING (v.3) Christian Unity is not only Good and Pleasant but also blessing and life to people who involve in it. The blessing of Christian unity is mutual edification and encouragement. As believers who are in the body of Christ, blessed with his presence and direction we must always be reminded off that it is because of this unity God pours out His blessing and life to us.

I Cor. 12: 12-13; 18-19 & 21 tell us that this body of Christ consists of various kind of people with differences having Christ as their head. It is from that head life and blessing flows to cherish our unity. It is Jew or Greek, Slave or Free, Rich or Poor the head is the source of blessing and life.

WHY DO THE WORLD NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS UNITY?

The unity in Christ requires Self-sacrifice, patience, self-denial, love and compassion to accept one another. They are not just mere characters but the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) When this is followed with our efforts and abilities, we end up in failure. When our unity based on Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit, this unity cannot be broken of mere problems and misunderstandings. This unity can fix the divided world with the love of God.

Jesus Prayed for the unity of Believers: (John 17: 11, 21-23)

Since Jesus understood the importance of unity among the believers before his cruel death, He prayed to the Father to unite them in the bond of Love.

v.11; “they may be one as we are one.”

v.22; “they may be one as we are one.”

v.23; “they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Look at the importance Jesus gave for the Unity among the disciples and future believers. If the world has to understand the love of God, the believers must be united in His love first. Love covers all iniquities. I Cor. 13 we find the ultimate characters of Love that unites the believers into ONE. When we are united we can display the Love of God to fix the divided world. There is no second option for the welfare of human beings than UNITY.

CONCLUSION:

As we see the importance of Christian Unity which brings goodness, pleasantness, blessings and life to the people, what is your decision to bring people into this unity with the love of God. The love of Christ which united us is the only cause to fix the divided world. To fix the division among people. The unity which centered in Christ resulted in harmony, love peace and joy. The self-centered unity gets break up sooner. When God is taken out of equation, the result is diversity, peaceless-ness, strive, fight and all source of evil intention. Therefore,

·         Humanity must taste the love of God

·         Our Unity displays the world the love of God

·         Our Love ultimately tells the world that we are the disciples of Jesus. (John 13:35)

 
Let World understand our Unity and understand the Love of God! Amen