Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in Unity!
- Psalm 133:1
In Heaven there will be Unity, but God also desires it here on earth. Why?
God knows how many issues become non-issues when we have Unity.
Unity is a paradise we all seek. Just the thought of Unity seems to give us a sense of euphoria. Every family or group wants Unity, but what do they get? They get human beings who think they are right in many or most situations. In place of Unity they get arguments, strong points of view, arrogance, dismissive comments, backbiting, and walking out.
When looking at the word, Unity, we find Strong's concordance H3162, gives us four definitions that seem to summarise it beautifully: Together, Altogether, Alike, Likewise.
These four terms provide some worthy thoughts.
Thought one: Together. This word speaks of a commune or Church, where those who believe and work the same way do so as a close family or group.
Thought two: Altogether. Speaks of all the above specific believers, as in Gideon's 300, being together. This thought is similar to how God wanted Israel — every man, woman and child coming together in one accord as a civil society and a nation of believers. Hezekiah tried to bring them together in repentance, but only some came together while others laughed to scorn his idea of Unity. Nehemiah and Ezra brought the returned exiles into a sense of Unity for a short time. Still, the exiles' personal traits chiselled away at the concept of Unity and the reason for it — to build and repair.
Thought three: Alike, speaks of the reason why they can dwell or commune together — because certain of their characteristics are alike. Their nature has been honed and changed over time, by their application to the Lord's system. They work on their deficiencies by applying themselves to the fruit of the spirit and those elements which enable Unity.
Thought four: Likewise, speak of what they study and informs us of what and how they speak. The group are one, like a spiritual, political party. If you ask one about something, the response will be similar to the other believers. Whether you scratch the surface or dig deep into their beliefs, they are committed to the same cause and taught the same information.
Summary
When God calls for members of a royal priesthood to work in a theocracy, they must, because of their calling, look at the operation of the Tabernacle priesthood. There was Unity with God and every other person inside that Tabernacle. It was a working picture of Unity.
Belief in all of the Lord's entire system brings us together. The fruit of the spirit allows our nature to abide with others. Yet, for brethren to truly dwell in Unity, belief in all the Lord's systems is needed: such as faith & belief, repentance, water baptism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, the key aspects of the sermon on the mount, loving our neighbour, "if you've thought it, you've done it," don't hate your brother, whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, the power of the Law, and other elements of God's system. A deep belief in the same things creates Unity; otherwise it is surface-unity, veneered on until the heat of underlying issues comes, followed by the arguments.
Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for unity and all it represents. Thank you that you love it and would like to see us aiming for it more and more. Please help me to be less disunified, and work harder on my knowledge. Please help me address my own deficiencies in the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance; all of which seem to address aspects of Unity.
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