I am passionate about unity in the body of Christ. I guess it is because I have also discovered that our Lord Jesus Christ not only preached it but also spent a significant part of His prayer in John 17, asking God to help the church to be one even as He is one with the Father.

In Genesis 11:1-6, we read that the whole earth was of one speech and language. There was one global language. It was no wonder therefore that they decided to embark on a project - to build a high tower to the heavens as a means of identification so that no matter where they find themselves, the tower will always be their guide back.

Listen to what God says, "And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them" (Gen 11:6) Imagine that! Nothing could have been impossible for them because they were united in one purpose and spoke the same language!
 
These were unregenerate men, people who had fallen from grace. How much more would we be able to accomplish as people of the most high God! No wonder Jesus prayed fervently that we should be one even as He and the Father are one (John 17:21)

 

Imagine what we would have been able to do if we all spoke one spiritual language and united in one purpose, we could take over entire countries for the Lord! We could empty out hospitals by speaking healing to all those bound by sickness! We could do all things through Christ!
While I understand that there are challenges to unity in the Church, most of which are doctrinal, I believe that if the Church were to walk in line with the truth of scripture, there should be a meeting point for all believers to stand in one accord.

 

Christianity is a fellowship. Most of the great things that has happened in the church began as a movement. God has raised many great men in the church to be a blessing to His people but they could not have done such great exploits without the people working with them.

 

It is so sad to learn that there are divisions even within a local church. Some people see themselves as the backbone of the church. They feel without their contributions, the church cannot stand. Such people constitute themselves into a class distinct from others. Some are divided along social lines, race and even tribal differences. These contribute more to disunity, which runs contrary to the will of God for His Church. I knew of a church that was so torn with strife that it broke into two sets of congregations, holding meetings within the same building; one on the first floor and the other on the ground floor, each with its own leadership.
 
As individuals, how can we contribute to unity in the Church? We can do this by loving one another (John 13:35) Where there is love, there is unity. Love is the glue that binds individual Christians together, regardless of race, culture, creed or social status. When we are consumed with the love of God, there is no place for strife. There will be disagreements of course, but such issues are dealt with in the light of the love which binds us together.
 
This should not be limited to when we are in church. We can identify with fellow believers in our work place, school, our neighborhood or wherever we find ourselves. When we do this, we add more strength to Christian unity and thus make the church stronger and able to accomplish great things for the Lord.
 
Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the founder of the Biblepraise Fellowship Online athttp://www.biblepraise.org. He lives in Kent, United Kingdom, where he works as an IT Professional. He currently as a Worship Leader in his local church and on occasion, speaks at invited events. He is the founder of the Biblepraise Fellowship Online Ministry and Moderator/Editor of the Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address, steve@biblepraise.org