Dear Beloved in Christ,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I write to you with a heartfelt burden to encourage and exhort the body of Christ to pursue the unity for which our Savior prayed—a unity rooted in His truth, love, and holiness, yet distinct from the patterns of this world. Let us heed the words of Scripture and fix our eyes on the eternal unity we are called to embody.
The Call to Unity in Christ
The Lord Jesus Himself prayed for our unity, declaring, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21, NIV). This divine unity is not mere agreement but a reflection of the Triune God’s own nature. The Apostle Paul echoes this, urging us to “be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10) and to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Our unity testifies to Christ’s lordship and draws others to Him.
A Warning Against Unity with the World
Yet Scripture also cautions us against compromising with worldly values. James 4:4 sternly reminds us: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Similarly, Paul urges, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). To “unite with the world” is to dilute the gospel’s power and jeopardize our witness. We are called to be “in the world, but not of it” (John 17:14-16), shining as lights amid darkness (Philippians 2:15).
Heavenly Unity vs. Earthly Unity
1. Unity in Heaven: In eternity, we will experience perfect unity, free from sin and division. Revelation 7:9-10 paints a glorious picture: “a great multitude… from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne… crying out, ‘Salvation belongs to our God!’” Heavenly unity is the fulfillment of God’s plan—a diverse yet harmonious worship of the Lamb, untainted by pride or strife.
2. Unity on Earth: Our present unity is both a foretaste and a struggle. It requires humility, forgiveness, and reliance on the Spirit. Ephesians 4:2-6 calls us to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love… There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Earthly unity is not uniformity but a shared pursuit of Christ’s mission, resisting worldly divisiveness (e.g., gossip, selfish ambition) while clinging to truth (Philippians 2:2-4).
A Plea and a Promise
Beloved, let us “come out from among them (the world) and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17), rejecting compromise with sin, yet fervently loving one another. As we do, we embody the kingdom and anticipate the day when “God will be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you “to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).
In Christ’s love and hope,
An Ordained Minister
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