Is unity possible?
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Searching the Scriptures
David A. Bass, Rockford Church of Christ
Shortly before our Lord was arrested and led away to Pilate, he prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20,21). Throughout this prayer we see the theme of oneness or unity among believers!
In the book of Acts we find that Jesus’ prayer had been answered because the early Christians were united. Shortly after the establishment of the Lord’s church (Acts 2) we read, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” (Acts 2:46). We further read about the early Christians, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul.” (Acts 4:34)
Several years later when division sprang up in the city of Corinth, the apostle Paul wrote, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Corinthians 1:10).
The religious world is making a mockery of Jesus and the unity for which he prayed. Everyone is claiming to follow Jesus and the Bible, yet they all teach different doctrines and believe many different things. Even though there are widespread disagreements and contradictions, they all claim to be following the Bible.
My friends, does this sound like the unity for which Jesus prayed? Remember, one of the purposes of unity is “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). Many honest and sincere people have become confused, and some have even become disgusted with religion because of this division. This division is causing some to completely turn away from Jesus, God, the Bible, and the church, and as a result, they will suffer punishment eternally in a devil’s hell!
Is unity possible among believers TODAY? Some say no. But, if unity among believers is not possible, then Jesus’ prayer was both deceptive and hypocritical. If unity among believers is not possible, then the Bible is wrong and therefore not reliable. If Jesus’ prayer for unity is impossible to achieve or merely a hoax, then we cannot place our confidence in anything that Jesus said or that we read in the Bible!
Unity is possible IF we are willing to return to God’s word, the Bible, and reject all human creeds, confessionals, disciplines, and manuals. We must also be willing to lay aside the traditions and commandments of men (Matthew 15:3-9) and obey the teachings of the Bible.
Unity can only be achieved if we will lay aside our prejudices, opinions and traditions and study the Bible with an open mind and then obey what it says. We must return to a “thus saith the Lord” and “it is written” instead of giving “my opinions” and “my beliefs.” We must stop trying to win popularity contests and be more concerned about pleasing our God.
Dear friends, let’s study the Bible and then obey what God says so that we may live together united in Christ here in this life and forever in heaven! I encourage you to “Search the Scriptures!” If you have a Bible question or comments, please write to us at: Rockford Church of Christ; 8997 US. Hwy. 231; Rockford, Al. 35136; or you may email me at: dabass1962@aol.com.
David A. Bass has been preaching for the last 42 years and has preached in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and northern Russia. He began preaching for the Rockford Church of Christ in December 2022. He has done mission work in Costa Rica, Scotland, India, and Russia, as well. He is married to Kathy Isbell Bass, and they have 10 children and 11 grandchildren.