When you love someone, you naturally want to be with them. You will also tend to find that your agreements outweigh your disagreements, and you stand as a united front. Can you think of reasons why you wouldn’t want to be with someone that you love? These might be a result of natural human limitations. What are some other reasons for disunity and the desire to be apart or disagree? James 4:1-10 gives us the source for all sinful arguments and fighting. We were created to enjoy unity of heart and mind, and when there are disunity and division within relationships, sorrow, and disorder follow. As you just read from James, evil desires (or disordered, selfish affections) are at the root of all disunity. When we find ourselves in disagreement with someone we either tend toward attack or isolation. God shows us a better way.
God’s love shared among the three members of the Trinity is defined by perfect unity. The Godhead enjoys sweet, joyful fellowship and complete unity at all times. They are always in perfect agreement with one another. There is never any secretive work done by one Member that the others are not aware of. There is never a sense of selfish isolation or division. This makes sense, of course, because all members of the Trinity have perfect knowledge, perfect wisdom, are completely sinless, and are perfect in love. God desires that same unity with humanity.
“I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:9b-11, 20-24)
We can’t even fathom an earthly relationship that compares. This is also why we can’t fathom the depth of pain and suffering that the members of the Trinity endured when Jesus Christ took upon Himself the entire weight of God’s wrath and judgment, thus enduring separation and silence from His Father. We are humans, and are very limited physically, emotionally, and in all other ways. How are we then to reflect the love and unity of the Trinity? One way that we can get a little picture of the unity that God desires us to enjoy is through marriage. In Genesis 2:23-24, God gives the beautiful us the beautiful picture He intends for marriage and it is exemplified in the one-flesh relationship of the husband and wife. Ephesians 5 goes on to further explain that marriage is designed to give us a little picture of the union Christ has with His bride, the church. Harmony is another word for unity, and this gives us a picture of the beautiful unity of two diverse parts coming together to make a beautiful, new whole.
Unfortunately, as sinful humans, even the best of marriages, as well as all other earthly relationships fall far short of depicting the unity of the Godhead. That doesn’t stop our Lord from making a way for us to enjoy unity now and even more perfectly in eternity. As I stated earlier, Christ’s separation from the Father because of our sins was greater suffering than we could ever imagine. This agreed-upon separation was for the purpose of uniting us to God eternally! What an incredible gift of love from our Triune God! Let’s see how He has accomplished that and continues that work of unity within His children.
Study it Out
- How does Jesus describe the process of becoming united with Him in John 3:3-8? Just as you are united with earthly family through birth, you are enterally united with Christ through spiritual rebirth.
- Read Romans 6 and meditate on the unity we share with Christ because of His death and resurrection. What are some of the benefits of this unity? How does unity with Christ empower you each day in your fight against sin? What hope-giving, love-filled promises do you see?
- John 14:1-4 gives us a picture of Jesus’ desire to dwell with us and for us to dwell with him and each other in loving, perfect unity throughout eternity. Western Christianity has unfortunately misrepresented Christ’s promise of a dwelling place that He is currently preparing for us. Because of our sinful, independent nature, we picture a huge dwelling place for ourselves or only our own immediate family. However, Christ was giving his disciples a picture they were far more familiar with. It was of a bridegroom who builds another room onto his family home in order to welcome his wife into his family. Can you see the difference this picture makes when you consider the church as a unified body of believers called the Bride of Christ? How does that reshape your view of Christ’s promises found in John 14?
- As humans, we will not agree on everything. We have diverse and limited knowledge, understanding, backgrounds, personalities, giftings. What specifically are we called to be united in according to Ephesians 4:3, 13? How does John 17:1-3 further establish this point? Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. How can our diversity actually enhance and magnify our unity? Isn’t it interesting that this passage ends with, “And I will show you a still more excellent way.” then launches immediately into the Love chapter?
Additional Resources
Are you looking for more devotional or Scripture memory resources? Find gifts, artwork, crafts and other devotional printables at Etsy.com/Shop/BreathingGrace. You can also find the original Breathing Grace 50 day devotional on Amazon.com/author/RobertsSarah along with a 30 day devotional for Thanksgiving and a 31 day devotional and ornament maker for Advent. All devotionals are available in both KJV and ESV versions of the Bible.