Unity of the Spirit

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Philippians 2:2

What controls the functions of the body? Your brain. Your brain is the central core that sends signals throughout the whole body to make different parts do their job. If you see an apple on the counter, your brain sends the signal to your arms and fingers to reach out and grasp that fruit, and bring it to your mouth so that you can eat it.

The same with your legs and feet. When you saw that fruit across the room, your brain sent that signal and caused your legs and feet to start to move so that your arms and fingers could do their function.

Arms, hand, fingers, legs, feet, toes, mouth- all these things are different in their own way, and have their own functions, but they are all connected to the same brain which controls them all. Each different, but all apart of the one same body and working together perfectly.

But lets say for a moment that when your brain sent a signal for your legs to start walking towards the apple, that instead of doing their function of carrying your body towards the fruit, they instead carried you away from it. Your legs in a way would not be in the same “spirit” as the rest of your body. They are doing something completely different than what they should be doing.

Similarly, what is the controlling force for a Christian? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides and controls a Christian to do the things of God. When the Spirit enters a person’s soul, they should be in unity with other Christians as well. No fighting, no hatred towards your brothers or sisters in the faith. No bickering or backbiting, but instead filled with love, kindness, and joy.

If someone is filled with the Spirit, it is the same Spirit that the Lord Jesus is filled with. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of love. God is love, and someone filled with that Spirit will be filled with the love that Jesus has shown the world. Someone filled with the Spirit will show love, not hate. It will forgive others, not refuse forgiveness.

This is how everyone in the church needs to be: united in the Spirit of Christ. All believing the same thing.

The word unity means “oneness; the state or fact of being one undivided entity.” Simply put, unity is agreement in totality. There is no disagreement at all.

Just as your whole body will work together in unity to get that apple, Christians need to be of the same mind of unity, united in the Spirit.

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

Over and over again it is written in the New Testament that we need to be of one mind, of the same Spirit. We need to all believe the same thing. 

“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” Philippians 1:27

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:” 1 Peter 3:8

Be of one mind. United under the teachings of Christ and His apostles.

In Christ,

Andrew