What is unity?
Unity is something we all mostly seem to want. The recent awful news of war across Palestine and Israel is not what we desire to see in our world. The recent Referendum on the Voice for Indigenous Australians was upsetting to many because of the threat of disunity for our nation, and even among friends.
Apart from those who love division and chaos, unity is something the majority of people want in their lives.
How difficult is it when we fight with a loved one? How hard can it be when there is a sharp disagreement at work and somebody is fired? How challenging do we find it when division happens between friends, sometimes for the most unexpected reasons?
God laments at the brokenness of our world. And when we talk about brokenness, we are talking about disunity. We are talking about relationships that are not right. God's great desire is to see our world back together, relationally, under Him. God's great goal is written so clearly here in these verses from Ephesians...
Ephesians 1:7-10
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
Verse 7 opens three ways for unity:
1. "Redemption" is God "buying us back" from sin. Purchasing us by paying the price for our sins.
2. "Forgiveness" is how we are brought back into a relationship - restored to God - by having our sins forgiven, taken away, and completely removed from us to make us holy in God's sight and acceptable to him.
3. "The riches of God's grace" - is the free gift of Jesus' sacrifice to us, who are undeserving.
In short - it is by grace that we are forgiven and redeemed.
Why? For God's purposes, his pleasure and will - to bring us into unity with God himself, and by doing so, bringing us into unity with each other.
This is not a secret. God's will is to bring people into a relationship with him. This is why he sent Jesus. If you had an important relationship in your life that you would do anything to hold on to, what would you be prepared to do for it?
God loves us so much that he was prepared to give his Son, Jesus, to die for us and redeem us from sin. Why? So that we might be united in him. Together. Forever.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are saddened by the brokenness of our world. Relationships are often not what they should be. Thank you for the message of reconciliation and unity that you bring us through Jesus. Help us to share the news of your gospel with others, because we know that the only way we can find true reconciliation in this world between each other is to find reconciliation with you, our Lord and God.
Amen.