Ed Chappelle: Rise Up!
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
~Psalm 133:1 ESV
My wife Kym and I decided to have biscuits for breakfast.
We pulled out the can and read the baking directions. Our options were as follows: 1) separate the biscuits so they didn’t touch or 2) permit the biscuits to touch so they would be unified, as if we were baking a single biscuit. We chose the latter because we knew this would result in taller biscuits.
Who doesn’t want yummy biscuits that are sky-high? Ummm! Delish!
Unification is important for more than biscuit-making. It is through unification that businesses succeed, sports teams win championships, and, most importantly, the body of Christ grows. When we are in one accord with Jesus Christ, this unity causes us to draw others to salvation. We find an example of this in the book of Acts:
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
~Acts 2:1-3 NKJV
Let’s look further. In the second chapter of Acts, we find that the church multiplied by over three thousand souls in a single day. That’s right–in a single day–three thousand souls came to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and they joined the church body. When unification is the driving force, people respond. The Gospel message reached far and wide because the church body was unified. Acts 2:41 reads,
Then those who gladly received his [Peter’s] word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
~Acts 2:41-42
What are some practical steps we can take to remain unified? 1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8 NKJV). Let’s heed Peter’s words. The world is observing us. As we are unified with the Word of God and compassionate one towards another, we can effectively reach people for Christ.
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.
~1 Peter 3:8 NKJV
Without unification, those biscuits Kym and I had would have been ordinary, but instead, they were tender, fluffy, and huge. In like fashion, we must aim to stir one another up in the church body to be in unity with the Word, and we must be kind one to another. United, we can be like the tall biscuits my wife and I enjoyed.
What is one trait you can emulate to remain unified with the Body of Christ?
Heavenly Father, help me to stay focused on knowing Your Word and having unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and humility to my brothers and sisters in Christ. By doing this, I can be unified with fellow believers.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Genre: Non-fiction
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