Seeking Unity of the Spirit
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” ~ Ephesians 4: 3-6 NIV
Before we keep unity with others through the bond of peace, we must seek the unity of the Spirit. To do this, we need to answer two important questions. What does the unity of the Spirit mean and why is unity important to God?
What does the unity of the Spirit mean?
Two Bible verses describe the meaning of the unity of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:2 describes the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Verse 2 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Unity of the Spirit occurs when Christians, the people called by Christ’s name, humble themselves, seek God’s face to turn away from sin, and live in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The result looks like people who are humble, gentle, and loving towards one another.
Why is unity important to God?
Nineveh, one of the greatest revivals in history, explains the importance of unity to God. God instructs Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach against the city. Jonah does not want to go to Nineveh because he knows two things: Nineveh deserves punishment and God is merciful. Jonah would rather see God destroy Nineveh than show the city mercy.
Jonah 3: 3-5 NIV says, “Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.”
There are two incredibly important pieces to this passage about seeking the unity of the Spirit.
First, there is unity as one united people seeking God.
Every single person from the king to the most insignificant put on sackcloth. The king even decreed that the animals be covered in sackcloth. Everyone and everything humbled themselves before God in a fast, and that included about 120,000 people.
The entire city of Nineveh operated as one united people. In the same way, notice that Ephesians 4: 3-6 uses the word “one” to describe the effort made to keep the unity of the Spirit~one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
Secondly, repentance is the first key to seeking the unity of the Spirit.
The king of Nineveh proclaims Jonah 3: 7-9 to all the people, and it includes the following phrase in verse 8: “Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.” The people of Ninevah obey the king’s proclamation and humble themselves before God in unity.
The unity of the Spirit is welcome after a time of revival, and revival starts with repentance. This is just like the role of John the Baptist in the gospels, which was to preach repentance to prepare the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
Receiving Oneness of Spirit: The Holy Spirit
After repentance, receiving the oneness of the Spirit is the next key towards unity in the Spirit. This not only includes operating as a unit of one with others, but it also includes the relationship with God the Father, Jesus as Savior, and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:1-6 describes the bridge between repentance and the oneness of Spirit. In this passage, Paul meets some disciples and asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit. They replied that they had not heard of the Holy Spirit but they received John’s baptism, which was a baptism of repentance.
In verse 4, Paul says, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” After hearing this message, two things happened. First, the disciples were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Secondly, Paul placed hands on them, and they encountered the Holy Spirit. As a result, the disciples believed and received the message of one Lord and Savior, Jesus, and one Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
Believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior allows us to receive from God one Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Receiving the Holy Spirit was foundational to the ministry of believers to remain in the oneness of Spirit with God the Father through a relationship with Jesus. Receiving the Holy Spirit was so important that Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrected and breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
“And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” John 20:22 NIV
Unity in the Spirit Glorifies God
When we truly live in the unity of the Spirit, we ultimately glorify God. Romans 15: 5-6 NIV says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 4: 3-6 gives us the command to seek and maintain unity in the Spirit with both God and others. We must be Christians who humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and live daily in the presence of the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will glorify God when we are humble, gentle, and loving towards one another just as God intends we live.
We must remember that we are brothers and sisters with one God and Father; one savior, Jesus Christ; and one Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Dear friend, consider Joining us on a 30-Day Faith Journey to glorify God by seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus and living in the unity of the Spirit.
Follow us on Pinterest for more Bible study and Bible verses.