Let them be one

One of our core values at Abba House It is unity. And here we find ourselves in good company because Jesus, in His high priestly prayer, prayed to the Father 'that they may be one,' emphasizing the impact our unity would have on how He Himself would be perceived by those who do not know Him, whether or not they would believe that He actually came from the Father. This is striking, and it makes us think about the devastating effect of church disunity on the gospel of Christ.

Paul the apostle expresses the same thoughts in his letter to this wonderful church in Philippi, the first European church, when he exhorts them to be of one heart, one soul, and one mind. Given how important this is to God, perhaps we should pay more attention to this. Unity is by no means synonymous with uniformity; nor with total homogeneity. Rather, it is:

• of unity around the Person of Christ, the unity of faith;
• to share the same goal, to increase the notoriety of Jesus;
• to work for the good of the body and not for any personal interest;
• to operate in a spirit of cooperation and not in an adversarial spirit;
• to match the vision instead of playing parallel music
• of a commitment to love, serve and give preference to others, to be able to make sacrifices for others; in short, to love as Jesus loved.

Everyone should take stock of the impact of their thoughts, words, and actions on the church. Do they cause unity or disunity? Everyone should assess themselves: are we the ones who criticize everything and everyone; who refuse to pray, refuse to fast, refuse to share the gospel; who do not love praise, who do not love those who welcome or those who are welcomed? Are we the ones who are quick to be offended and slow to forgive; who quibble over the form of the offering basket and fight over the sermon and the seating; and therefore become a stumbling block to those who are to come to faith in Christ?

Or am I participating in the answer to Jesus' prayer – THAT THEY MAY BE ONE.