Four Identifiers of Unity

Why don't we have a greater sense of urgency about fulfilling God's command?

Imagine, if you will, a small town where almost everyone knows each other. Just a few blocks from the historic downtown sits an older church building with a nice sign out front by the street identifying it as the church of Christ. The building has aged but is still in good condition and makes a favorable impression when you first walk in. There is enough seating for 150 or more comfortably, and the classrooms down each side of the auditorium are not all used. Twenty people might gather for worship on a typical Sunday.
Meanwhile, just a few blocks up the road is another congregation, a church of Christ, with just a few more people -- meeting in a newer (but dated) building and currently looking for a preacher. The brethren, who may be neighbors in the town, barely know each other. Both congregations are struggling. Yet, there is little or no effort to see what can be done to bring the two congregations into one. If both are content to maintain the status quo, the chances are high that each congregation may not exist a generation from now. 

The scenario I just described is happening in countless communities across the country. I am shocked as I travel about the shallow interest in unity with brethren across town. I am at many brotherhood events each year -- and it amazes me how we don't know each other. It breaks my heart. And I know it has to break the heart of our Lord. The night before His death, with the last prayer He prayed with all the disciples before His arrest, He prayed: May they all be one, as you, Father are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me, John 17:21. Why have we found it so easy to simply ignore this prayer? Could we need to raise the bar in our expectations and attitudes -- especially toward brethren with whom we disagree? How can we ever resolve our disagreements if we do not know each other?

In Philippians 2:2, Paul lists four identifiers of unity. Remember, he condemned factions and schisms in the body, 1 Corinthians 1:10. So we must be aware of our attitude. He tells us to:

Be of the same mind or think the same way. What he has in mind transcends mere agreement on facts -- he is going after the heart of the matter - unity or togetherness in our attitudes, feelings, thinking patterns, and dispositions toward each other.

Have the same love. We are called to love everyone the same and embrace the concept of mutual sacrificial service. We are called to "love one another with brotherly affection and outdoo one another in showing honor." (Romans 12:10. 

We are to be in full accord or united in spirit. The meaning of the wording here is to be "one-souled." It describes deep harmony and passion for one another. Do we possess a passion for following Christ's commands for unity as called for by the Spirit?

Be of one mind or be of one purpose. We need to share our commitment to advancing the kingdom. We must avoid labeling, judging, or condemning approaches that are different from our own. Many of us have been trained to automatically reject something different, new, or innovative as a digression. We all need to be committed to embracing the same vision. 

So, what will you do? Will you bury these concepts deep into your mind and live by them? Jesus is counting on you to do just that.