But what’s on God’s heart?
The vision statement of Awaken Church is “Pursuing the heart of God for the transformation of people and culture.”
But what is on God’s heart? If we want to pursue it, we need to know.
Looking to God’s Word, we find that He expresses His desire to “bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” in Ephesians 1:10. The idea of His people dwelling together in unity is a theme found in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
We will see farther along in this post that it is something that Jesus Himself talked to the Father about.
The idea of God’s people dwelling together in unity is a theme found throughout Bible.
In a letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks about unity and ties it to maturity in the Body of Christ. He tells believers to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” and “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Further, he explains that it is only when we share “unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God,” that “we become mature, attaining to the measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:1-13).
God tells us in the Bible what unity looks like.
Unity is being like-minded, sympathetic, compassionate, humble—and loving toward others, Peter said in his first letter. It is the opposite of repaying evil for evil. It is repaying evil—with blessing, he said.
God tells us in the Bible what unity looks like.
Ouch. That is tough stuff to do.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi about “being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
An important key to walking in love is to remember we do not battle against flesh and blood. We are called through scripture to rid ourselves of the old nature, which includes malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
But, oh what temptation there is to give in these things. The struggle is, as they say, “a tale as old as time.”
King David himself knew the pain of a house divided, As Bill Welsh of Refuge Calvary Chapel reminds us, “His royal children left a wake of destruction as they battled one another,” Welsh said.
An important key is remembering we do not battle against flesh and blood.
How heartbreaking that must have been for David, whose desire for unity is expressed in the beautiful picture he paints of it in Psalm 133:
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there, the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”
Living as those made alive in Christ means taking off the old nature and putting on the new. In Colossians 3, Paul instructs us that, as God’s chosen, dearly loved people, we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We must bear with each other and forgive each other if we hold a grievance against someone.
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
In short, we are to forgive as our Heavenly Father has forgiven us, putting on love in its place, because that is the only thing that can bind us together in perfect unity.
That is a tall order. How do we even do that?
The answer is, we can’t. However, Romans 15:5-6 tells us that God Himself will give us the endurance, encouragement—and the “same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had”… so that with one mind and one voice [we] may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
That is a tall order. How do we even do that?
And so, the enemy’s plan is to prevent that. He tempts us to make choices that will bring division, disunity, brokenness and confusion in every way he can—including between husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, parents and children, neighbors and even in the church, the Body of Christ.
Have you heard the funny statement that says after getting married that you knew the two were going to become one, but you weren’t sure which one—and you were hoping it would be you?
In our relationship with God, when we are united with Christ—we grow in faith to become like Him! We want to become like Him.
Falling in love is easy. Staying in love is hard work.
As anyone who is married can attest to, falling in love is easy. Staying in love is hard work.
Walking in unity with Christ and other people isn’t easy.
God knows this is something we can’t do on our own, but only by yielding to His Holy Spirit working powerfully in us.
In John 17:20-23, Jesus prayed for his disciples in the present—and in the future. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message (That’s us!) … that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you.”
Then he goes on to explain why it is important for us be in unity with God—and walk in unity with other followers of Christ.
God knows we can’t do this on our own, but only by yielding to Holy Spirit working within us.
“May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as We are one—so that they may be brought to complete unity.”
“Then the world will know that you sent Me and have loved them even as you have loved Me.”
It takes intimacy with God, abiding with and in Him, just as Jesus did, to come to a place of unity in our relationships with others in the family of God.
And so now, we have this challenge before us, to live in unity.
“Then the world will know You sent Me and have loved them even as you have loved Me.”
But, oh for the joy in the promise Jesus gives, that when the world sees the unity among us, they will know it had to be God.
A Prayer
Lord, breathe on the embers of our hearts and let them burn for you. Fan them to a fire that makes that world thirsty for you.
Help us to abide in you as you abided in the Father and now abide in us. Bring us into unity so that the world will know you are the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Help us obey your commands for they bring life. May we grow and continually be transformed into the image of Christ.
Help us resolve any issues quickly and refrain from bearing false witness against each other.
Rather, let us speak life, truth and blessings over each of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
So be it in Jesus’ name.
Blessings,
Stephanie
