Working For Unity

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus prayed that His disciples "may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us" (John 17:21). Jesus defines the basis for unity among His disciples as a mutual relationship with God; the result of teaching that had been accepted and followed. To be sure, the oneness for which Christ prayed can only be found and maintained as we are "giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). And so, Paul says we must "stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27). Unity is the result of subjecting ourselves to the same authority.

But the diligence given in keeping "the unity of the Spirit" involves more than just standing for the same truth, for it involves a oneness that can only be achieved by becoming "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). When we obey the gospel and are baptized into Christ we "put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27), and in so doing, we are "all one in Christ Jesus" (v. 28). But putting on Christ requires having the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5-8); an attitude of heart that is seen in "all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love" (Eph. 4:2). It is only this Christ-like attitude that is capable of "giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

"Unity of the Spirit" is achieved through the common endeavor to think like, obey like and be like our Lord. Having the "mind of Christ" will enable each one of us to manifest the proper attitude toward God and His word as well as toward one another. The result will be the unity for which Christ prayed. What must I do to have the mind of Christ? I must exhibit the same attitude as Christ did. Paul outlines the mind or attitude of Christ in Phil. 2:5-8.

1. Set Self Aside. Paul says, Christ "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself" (v. 6, 7). Entering the kingdom of God will cost us something - ego! We must be willing, like Christ, to set self aside to think of others rather than ourselves. There is no room for selfishness in the mind of Christ, for it is the mind of Christ that says, "Not my will, but Thine be done" (Matt. 26:39). Only as we manifest the mind of Christ in our lives will we "let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem another better than himself" (Phil. 2:3). For true unity to exist among God's people we must each one of us work hard at setting self aside.
2. Serve. Paul says further that Christ not only emptied Himself, but that He took "the form of a servant" (v.7). The word "form" in this passage indicates "the outward expression of the inward nature." That is, thinking of others in the abstract will not suffice, for we must put into action our concerns. It is apparent as we read the gospels that "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 2:28). Perhaps no incident in the life of Christ more vividly demonstrates this lesson than the occasion recorded in John 13, when, in the shadow of the cross, the apostles were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. As Jesus girds Himself with a towel and washes their feet, He shows us how all arguments among brethren can be solved -serve one another!
3. Sacrifice. Finally, Paul says Christ "humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (v. 8). Service and sacrifice go hand in hand. As we look out "for the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4), sacrifices will undoubtedly have to be made. But whatever the cost, the return will be greater, for the paradox of the life of sacrifice is the more we give, the more we receive. As each of us is willing to set self aside, serve and sacrifice for the other, not only will we draw nearer to God as we are more like our Lord, but we will stand united in the mind of Christ.

Clark preaches for the Rice Road church in Tyler.