I know! Unity sounds like such a boring subject, and it’s my second post on this topic, but I found some really cool stuff on unity. The last few weeks seem to be my testing time on this subject. Every where I turn, the Lord shows me how important it is to Him that I live in unity and harmony with others.

 

 

 Based on Psalm 133,unity brings anointing and strength.  Okay, let me reword this…… If I am not living in harmony with my family(brothers and sisters in Christ), then I will not have the blessing of the Lord’s strength and anointing in my life. So I need to behave, be nice and for crying out loud : GET ALONG WITH OTHERS (agh! but I love to win! I always want my own way!)

 

Who is my brethren? Jesus said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.  Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother. Mark 3:34-35

The Power of Unity and Harmony in Christ

1. unity brings strength
2. unity brings anointing
3. unity binds us in holiness as the bride of Christ
4. unity is described as: precious, wonderful, refreshing, pleasant, and good
5. unity descends or runs down flowing to others
6. unity, like the precious oil, is healing
7. unity is possible through the Lord God
8. unity pleases the Lord
9. unity is living together in harmony among the brethren (yes -your family)
10. unity is bound by peace, and our completeness is bound in love.

     I can cry out “we need unity” in our churches and then come home and want to run over a few people. Maybe… if we want unity in our churches, we should begin by looking at our own lives first. Some of those closest to us are the most difficult to stay in unity with. As I read through the bible, I see that the Lord prefers us to get along TOGETHER.  In other words, do all you can to get along- without separating from each other.  Yes, I know people can be annoying- in our own churches (and in our families), but we need to do everything we can to live our lives pleasing to the Lord.          The binding force for unity is peace. It’s key- and from an earlier post, I found that Peace is a protector. It protects us from evil. Sometimes we just need to hold our tongue in order for that to happen. That is why we are told to bring our thoughts captive to Christ. He can sort out our messes better than we ever could. However, there are times we are to speak out, as Paul did in Romans 9 and Acts 15, but we need to be fully led by the Holy Spirit and check that it isn’t our flesh leading the way. (and make sure it is spoken with the love of Christ)  There are certain times when separation brought peace –such as with Abraham and Lot and also in Acts 15:38 when Paul and Barnabas  “ disagreed strongly”. ( since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.  Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated.)- but the Lord prefers that we do our best to stay in harmony together.         There is a woman at my church who totally annoys me. Sometimes I want to trip her when she walks by. She smiles and has this super sister  better than you attitude. She is always quick with a hurtful cutting remark when no one is looking. (She reminds me of my husband’s evil cockatoo who pretended to love me when he was around, but when my husband walked out the room, the bird would attack me. No one would believe me until I showed them the beak sized holes in my back). She is high up and well-loved in church hierarchy (well bless your heart!) and let’s everyone know it. I see her do and say things that are so rude- especially to me- but I smile and either pretend I didn’t hear her or smile and tell her nicely how it is. Sometimes the things she does make me so mad….. grrrrr.  I could kick her under our bible study table and blame it on someone else, but instead I tell Jesus and keep forgiving. (Love is longsuffering –amen?)  Consider the unity or disunity of the following:

1. Ruth and Naomi
2. Abraham and Lot
3. David and Jonathon 1 Samuel 18-20
4. Rechabites Jeremiah 35 (I love that story)
5. Early Church Acts 2
6. Joseph and His brothers

   With unity, we see: blessings, strength, power, harmony,  and anointing. We also see that God notices when people stood together as one in holiness and harmony -this pleased Him. With disunity, I notice one party is more blessed than the other. hmmmmmmm

        Peace is the binding compound

         Love binds us in completeness.

  Psalm 133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head,  that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. LET’S LOOK INTO THIS PASSAGE:   verse 1: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Dwell: (Yaw-Shab’), Unity : Yakh’-ad: To remain , settle, marry, be united, alike, all together. “REMAIN TOGETHER” Brethren: be at peace with those in your family and the family of Christ. This is pleasing to the Lord.

verse 1 (Spurgeon Notes)”From Charles Spurgeon”Psalm 133:The treasury of David”:“For brethren according to the flesh to dwell together is not always wise; for experience teaches that they are better a little apart, and it is shameful for them to dwell together in disunion. They had much better part in peace like Abraham and Lot, than dwell together in envy like Joseph’s brothers. When brethren can and do dwell together in unity, then is their communion worthy to be gazed upon and sung of in holy Psalmody. Such sights ought often to be seen among those who are near of kin, for they are brethren, and therefore should be united in heart and aim; they dwell together, and it is for their mutual comfort that there should be no strife; and yet how many families are rent by fierce feuds, and exhibit a spectacle which is neither good nor pleasant!As to brethren in spirit, they ought to dwell together in church fellowship, and in that fellowship one essential matter is unity. We can dispense with uniformity if we possess unity: oneness of life, truth, and way; oneness in Christ Jesus; oneness of object and spirit—these we must have, or our assemblies will be synagogues of contention rather than churches of Christ. The closer the unity the better; for the more of the good and the pleasant there will be. Since we are imperfect beings, somewhat of the evil and the unpleasant is sure to intrude; but this will readily be neutralized and easily ejected by the true love of the saints, if it really exists. Christian unity is good in itself, good for ourselves, good for the brethren, good for our converts, good for the outside world; and for certain it is pleasant; for a loving heart must have pleasure and give pleasure in associating with others of like nature. A church united for years m earnest service of the Lord is a well of goodness and joy to all those who dwell round about it.”How good and holy pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! No one can tell the exceeding excellence of such a condition; and so the Psalmist uses the word “how” twice;—Behold how good! and how pleasant!

Verse 2: Notice the precious ointment ran down or descended – from the top to the ends of the garment. Christ being the head over us, and this unity flows out through Christ to His brothers and sisters. If we are in the body of Christ, we should be living in unity with each other. This is a good example for the family, or even the leaders of the Church. Parents and leaders are the examples, the head of the organization and the unity in them should run down to family members and/or the congregation. I wonder if discord is found among the people/children….we should look to the top to solve? That is probably why the bible has such strict standards for a bishop, a teacher or an elder (Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3)       If unity is like the anointing oil that descended on Aaron, then unity is holy and it sanctifies us before the Lord. This unity anoints us, blesses us and sanctifies us. Oil heals! Could unity be healing?  Isaiah 1:6 tells us oil (and prayer) helps us heal.

You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. Psalm 45:7

Spurgeon: Psalm 133: vs 2:What a sacred thing must brotherly love be when it can be likened to an oil which must never be poured on any man but on the Lord’s high priest alone! It is a diffusive thing: being poured on his bead the fragrant oil flowed down upon Aaron’s head, and thence dropped upon his garments till the utmost hem was anointed therewith; and even so doth brotherly love extend its benign power and bless all who are beneath its influence.

Verse 3: Unity is like the dew on Mount Hermon. Why would the dew on a mountain be important?   The holy dew in the wilderness turned to manna which feed, nourished and strengthened the people. So…. Then does unity strengthen us? I’d say yes. Ex 16:14 “ and when the dew gone up, behold –there lay a small round thing and it was bread from heaven. Let’s look at this again – dew is like water –or like the water in baptism and when the dew was gone up, manna was left. Manna – bread- the bread of life – Jesus?    Again the dew on the mountain is from top to bottom, like in the oil from verse two. This unity flows or descends upon others.  Here’s an unbiblical example: I just happened to catch a glimpse of a kid’s dance competition on tv and the mothers talk a lot of trash about the other children. Well guess who repeats it? Their children! So the discord among the parents then flowed out to their children and then pretty soon someone was crying.

There the Lord commanded the blessing. God commands his blessing where peace is cultivated; by which is meant, that he testifies how much he is pleased with concord amongst men, by showering down blessings upon them. The same sentiment is expressed by Paul in other words (2Co 13:11 Php 4:9), “Live in peace, and the God of peace shall be with you.”—John Calvin.

I wanted to debate this:  I said  “Well how can two walk to together unless they agree?” quoting Amos 3:3, Psalm 1 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-15: “How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” Okay, I see – If we are the body of Christ, we are to walk together. Notice the verse said live in harmony with your BRETHREN. This verse is talking about those who follow Christ and those who follow the doctrines of devils cannot walk in unity. The two cannot walk in harmony together. Okay, Jesus just answered that for me. True test of harmony– is there giving, selflessness, charity, hospitality among you? Are there no needy among us? I’d say we still have work to do. Why is unity important? So that the whole world would believe in Jesus- and this unity Glorifies God. John 17:21, Romans 15 Unity is only possible with God’s help:  “and it is God who helps us live in this harmony with each other “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.  Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 15:5-6 With Christ all things are possible. So ask ourselves today….Can I live in harmony with those around me for the sake of God’s kingdom and so that I can be a light and an example to this world so that others would believe in Jesus?     No one said this life would be easy, but we can rejoice in our trials and persecutions because we know the Lord is with us and He blesses us for doing what is right. (Romans 5:3-4, James 1)

  Unity is precious to the Lord. It anoints, empowers and strengthens as one body in Christ Jesus.

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. John 17:23

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5