Many people today seek unity, call for unity, ask for unity, demand unity and even beg for unity. This word is very elusive as to under what umbrella should a follower shall be. Back then, Christ sought to teach the disciples the truth that in God’s kingdom there are no territorial boundaries, no caste, no aristocracy; that they must go to all nations, proclaiming the message of a Savior’s love. But not until later did they realize in its fullness that God “has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and had determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:26, 27).
People call for unity according to their own preferences, prejudices and even according to their motives and whims which far more than a reality to make a success. Our selfish heart is not subjected to the desires of the Lord Jesus – who is the only and unselfishly committed to love the people regardless of who they were.
Outside the faith of our Lord has given us is an impossibility to get into unity. Try to ponder on the life of Jesus how He exemplified a life of love and sacrifice where only we could understand the meaning of unity under the banner of Christ’ altruistic love toward us.
In these first disciples were presented marked diversity. They were to be the world’s teachers, and they represented widely varied types of character. In order successfully to carry forward the work to which they had been called, these men, differing in natural characteristics and in habits of life, needed to come into unity of feeling, thought, and action. This unity was Christ’s object to secure. To this end He sought to bring them into unity with Himself. The burden of His labor for them is expressed in His prayer to His Father, “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 know that Thou has sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” (John 17:21, 23).
Our lack of understanding of God’s love has made us so selfish. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil.” (Genesis 6:5) Just imagine how desperate is the condition of the human mind, without the converting power of the Holy Spirit we will be completely lost. How can a human being act in unison that is worth obeisance? Nothing! It is therefore indispensable that we can only be united under the leadership of our Lord Jesus.
Much more we can only lead acceptably by a person led by the Spirit of Jesus – A tall order.