Devotion - Day 9

The Church Will Be A Unified Church

The church is a complex organism that has a tremendous unity in the midst of diversity. Unity does not mean uniformity. Uniformity implies a loss of identity and individuality. In the unity that exists in the Church we maintain individuality, personality, unique expression and a variety of function, and yet we come into a corporate identification where we forfeit our rights to act independently of the rest of the members. This relationship is seen in various New Testament pictures of the church;

• The church is ONE body with MANY members.
• The church is ONE temple with MANY stones.
• The church is ONE flock with MANY sheep.
• The church is ONE nation with MANY citizens.
• The church is ONE vine with MANY branches.
• The church is ONE family with MANY brothers and sisters.
• The church is ONE army with MANY soldiers.

The Church can only become one as it follows after the one Head, Christ (Eph. 4:13). The foundation of this unity in the Church is in its relationship to God. The Church is one because its God and Father is one, because its loyalty is to one Lord, because it is indwelt by the one Holy Spirit.

Jesus prayed that the church might be one. If ever anyone prayed according to the will of God it was Jesus. If anyone’s prayer will ever be answered it will be the prayer of the only begotten Soil of God. He prayed that the people of God would be one even as He was one with the Father (John 17:11, 21).

Paul prayed often for the unity of the Church. He desired to see unity in many areas. He wanted:
• Unity of mind (Rom. 15:5-6; Phil. 1:27; 2:2; 4:2).
• Unity of fellowship (Rom. 15:7; I Cot 1:10-15; 3:3-8).
• Unity of love (Phil. 2:2).
• Unity of doctrine (Eph. 4:13-14; Gal. 1:8-9; II Tim. 1:5-9).
• Unity of witness (Rom. 15:6; Phil. 1:27).
• Unity of Spirit (Eph. 4:3).